When I started working as an Operating Room Nurse, I felt like a fish out of water. It looked like I was a complete beginner again.
After spending 3.5 years working at a small urgent care department in a different location, this seemed like the right challenge to pursue next.
But the sheer amount of things to learn “on the job” from day one, plus the high-stakes environment I was now a part of, made me think “What did I get myself into?” many times.
Fortunately, I went through a very thorough department training:
- Two months as an anesthetic nurse
- Two months as a circulating nurse
- One final month in rotating shifts with the emergency and trauma team
After five months, I was an independent member of the team. I still had a lot to learn, but I’d accomplished the first milestone.
What felt like starting out with nothing actually wasn’t. I already had a few relevant skills that helped me add more knowledge and practice to improve.
Not Starting From Zero
Starting a new career challenge, especially in a different field, can feel daunting and like a complete reset. There are so many subjects to learn and master, hundreds of study and practice hours to invest.
But there are always relevant skills to build upon. We must decide what we want to achieve, map out the skills needed to get there, and compare them with what we already have. Then start filling in the gaps and add new ones.
Choosing the road map to follow adds a clear vision of what we’re supposed to learn. We can also select milestones to ensure we maintain motivation, even when things get harder. And they will.
Certifications are a good example of milestones to pursue.
Becoming Your Own Project Manager
Working in an operating room department, tasks are organized around patient care, according to surgical procedures, quality assurance, and safety practices.
To fill in the gaps regarding project-based work, last month I completed a project management course. The goal was to get acquainted with the different approaches, procedures, and commonly used terms.
Becoming your own project manager can be a good way to keep yourself accountable, since avoiding distractions and remaining focused are important practices to adopt.
Finding Your People
Being part of a group of people pursuing similar goals, with whom you can share your progress and doubts, and get advice is a valuable facet of a long process of self-directed learning.
Having mentors and experienced professionals as sources of knowledge, external pressure, and accountability is also a key element.
Sometimes, all you need is a little push to get things done, especially to get out of your comfort zone. Accepting challenges and running experiments have become part of my learning approach.
Fortunately, we can forge these connections at a distance. We’re no longer bound to our location. While in-person events and gatherings are our natural human way of connecting, there’s always an alternative.
We just have to find our community, wherever that is.
Final Thoughts
On the surface, a career pivot might feel like starting over. And we’ll probably feel it many times during the journey.
But it’s about adding a whole new set of skills on top of what we’ve learned and built from our previous experiences.
We’re not starting from zero.