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Always have an exit strategy in place. A useful career strategy is to hope
for the best, but to plan for the worst. An exit strategy should be built around
your “what next” questions: what kind of work would you like to be doing
next? For whom and where? And what actions do you need to take over
the next several months and years in order to position yourself for those
opportunities?

Keep growing your knowledge base. As evolution makes clear, it isn’t
“the strongest of the species that survive, nor the most intelligent, but
the one most responsive to change.” The ability to adapt is driven by the
ability to learn, continuously and on demand. By constantly expanding
your knowledge base (both nursing-related and non-nursing – for example,
business practices), you’ll also be expanding your career options. Figure out
what you need to learn to keep your skills competitive, then line out how,
where, and when you’ll do that.

Keep growing your professional community. The professional
relationships you build and nurture will be critical to continually opening up
new career opportunities. As you can, participate in your local or national
professional nursing associations, engage with online groups, and find ways
to support others in your professional community.

Make sure your professional reputation is positive, visible, and
portable. Today’s online tools and social media platforms make it easy to
showcase your professional strengths to the world. You’ll want to establish
your professional brand outside of your employer so that if you lose your
job, you still have a professional presence.

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