Published on: 05 August 2021
Last Updated on: 15 May 2026
The healthcare profession is brimming with obstacles and challenges, and the recent pandemic has further added to them. Medical professionals work gruelingly long hours to ensure patient well-being and safety. However, most of these obstacles and challenges are typically seen in a particular sub-division of the healthcare field: the nursing field. Undoubtedly, the nursing profession is not for individuals who are faint of heart.
Moreover, to succeed as a nurse and perform your duties with utmost efficiency, you must have the drive, passion, and knack for helping people in need. Some challenges plaguing the nursing field include difficulty acquiring further education, understaffing issues, and overtime work. Likewise, workplace stress and hazard are also growing concerns for medical workers.
Whatever issues the nursing field faces, nurses remain a vital part of the world’s healthcare workforce. They put other’s needs first and dedicate their entire lives to helping their patients. For instance, the Covid-19 pandemic also made us realize how essential nurses are. However, before you start a career in the nursing field, knowing about all the challenges you'll face while working is vital.
So, let’s determine some of the biggest challenges in the nursing field that aspirants should know.
1. Difficulty continuing education
The healthcare industry requires individuals to remain up-to-date with the latest medical practices, techniques, and procedures. However, as nurses serve as the first point of physical contact for patients, these medical professionals also need to polish their soft skills.
Therefore, expanding your knowledge base and honing soft skills are critical components of becoming a successful nurse in today’s competitive healthcare setting. And to do such a thing, they must invest time and money in continuing education and obtaining advanced nursing academic credentials.
Unfortunately, acquiring further education while working as a nurse is no cakewalk. As these healthcare professionals work for long, grueling hours, sometimes 24-hour shifts, taking out time for studies can be challenging.
However, if you’re a nurse striving to climb the ladder to success and seeking career advancement, eLearning can benefit you. You can enroll in masters of nursing online programs and study with ease while managing your workload. An online nursing degree will provide you with the flexibility and convenience of learning from home or even work.
2. Overtime issues
Due to high employee turnover and understaffing, aspirants need to be aware of overtime before diving into the nursing profession. Many nurses state that healthcare facilities utilize overtime to counter the after-effects of understaffing. Unfortunately, this usually leads to overworked nurses, resulting in medical errors, treatment inaccuracies, inaccurate diagnoses, driving away aspiring candidates from the nursing field altogether.
That said, medical facility owners and healthcare leaders must focus on overstaffing issues and try to solve them with a different approach. A viable way to do this is by hiring more competent nursing staff. In addition, they must encourage aspiring medical students to give nursing a go over other health-related careers. After all, nurses are frontline warriors, working at the heart and soul of every healthcare organization worldwide.
3. Understaffing issues
Short staffing is amongst the most common issues in the nursing field. An AMN Healthcare survey shows that about seventy-two percent of healthcare leaders say that they are understaffed in the nursing department. Not to mention, this issue is growing with every passing day, especially since the pandemic struck.
Furthermore, the BLS states that there will be a demand for one billion nurses around 2022 due to the rise in diseases and viruses, and most importantly, Covid-19. Staffing issues usually affect patient health and safety and drastically lower the quality of care at healthcare facilities. Moreover, it can also result in increased injury rates, fatigue, and work pressure.
4. Workplace stress
Healthcare professionals such as nurses and doctors face work-related stress and burnout, primarily stemming from the unpredictable nature of their work. It mainly affects nurses dealing with high-volume urban departments, senior care, acute psychiatric services, and more. Not to mention, excessive workload and fatigue are ever-present in every healthcare workplace. And nurses bear their fair share of burnout issues, as discussed above.
That said, such a thing shouldn’t put off aspiring candidates. ANA, OSHA, and other government organizations work tirelessly to control workplace stress through education, guidelines, and regulations. After all, nursing staff shouldn’t have to deal with burnout, whether it is because of their workload or job nature.
5. Workplace hazards
Every workplace in every field has its fair share of hazards. However, the nursing profession, in particular, faces more than usual. Some potential hazards include exposure to pathogens, injuries, contracting viruses, and other germs. Not to mention, these healthcare professionals are at constant risk of hazards from patients carrying the deadliest viruses.
The Covid-19 pandemic serves as an unfortunate reminder of how working in the healthcare sector can prove fatal. Many nurses and frontline warriors lost their lives battling the virus and serving the ailing. However, it explains why nursing is one of the most prestigious professions of our era. Nurses devote endless hours and put their lives at stake to ensure the well-being of their community and people.
Conclusion
Recognizing the obstacles and the challenges that the nursing field contains is the first step. However, the second, and probably the most important, is overcoming these challenges to ensure you advance in your nursing career. After all, nurses are crucial to every healthcare facility out there. There is no better way to help humankind than to take up the nursing profession.
That said, you might find it challenging to overcome these obstacles initially. But if you remain persistent and focus on your end goal, you’ll reap countless rewards.
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Searching for a new job can be stressful. Once individuals know they wish to leave their current position and find a new job, they can reduce this stress by taking basic steps. Landing this new job may take four to six months, so the earlier a person begins, the better off they will be.
Tips For Navigating The Surgeon Job Search Journey
Are you thinking of leaving your current job? Then these tips might come in handy in your new job search journey.
Preparing for the Search
Before launching a surgeon job search, consider what is needed in the new job. Create a list of priorities. Some doctors want to work in a teaching hospital to train future generations. Other medical professionals might be more interested in research.
Factors to consider when creating a priorities list include salary, location, and work-life balance. While no job will check every box unless the job seeker is extremely lucky, knowing what is essential will help narrow the choices.
Be Persistent
Many medical practices don't have HR teams making the hiring decisions. They rely on doctors to handle this task, and these doctors also treat patients.
Surgeons must recognize this and understand the hiring process often takes longer as those responsible for choosing who to employ have other duties. Follow up regularly so the organization knows the interest is still there. Please don't give up until the organization states it has no plans to hire you.
Network
Every person needs to network regardless of how long they have been in an industry. Begin building this network in medical school and expand on it over the years.
Ask this network for help when looking for a new job as a surgeon. People love to help one another and will share job openings. They may even offer to provide references and help with this search, but they can only do so if the job seeker asks.
Cold Calling
Most people dread cold calling. However, it never hurts to do so when there is a particular facility a person wishes to work at. It also never hurts to cold call when moving to a new city or state.
Let the hiring manager know of this move and see if there are any open positions. While they may not need a surgeon, they could know of another facility that does and share the information.
Practice Considerations
Know which type of hospital or setting is best for your long-term career goals. Where are these practices commonly located? Will a job change require the move to a new state? If so, apply early for medical licensure if this step must be taken. The licensing process can take several weeks, so this step should never be put off.
Update Paperwork
Always have an updated resume available. The perfect job may open up when a person isn't searching. When this happens, they scramble to update the resume and gather other paperwork. Review references and contact information regularly to ensure they are accurate and willing to serve as a referral.
Optimize Your CV
You are aware that recruiters review several applications for surgeon jobs in a day. This job is tasking because choosing appropriate resumes for the job is crucial. After all, they have to fill important surgeon positions in their organization. They have to select the efficient surgeons for the job position.
Therefore, recruiters follow some criteria when choosing the right CVs from the bunch of CVs. In this case, recruiters will include surgeon jobs’ experience, skill level, and accomplishment in their criteria.
These criteria may vary according to jobs, but there is one thing that is common for all recruiters: skill level. They mostly look for your skill level to match the job position. So, be clear about what you have accomplished in your previous job position.
Optimize your CV to fit all your previous accomplishments and skills to highlight your right fit for the job. This way, your CV gets picked, and you get a chance to interview face-to-face. Try adding to keep your CV error-free and easy to read. This will help recruiters scan your CV easily. The format of your CV should also be correct.
Prepare For The Interview
Don’t just stop after optimizing your CV because the goal is to get the right surgeon job from several surgeon jobs. If you do get a callback from the recruiter for an interview, then you have to crack it. You already know that preparing for an interview can be challenging since you don’t know what the employer will ask you.
So start preparing for your interview based on your previous surgeon job interview experiences. Focus on failed interviews where you were unaware of any question related to your field. As a surgeon, you can read up on medical books related to your field of study. This will help you answer questions in your interview.
If it's a virtual interview, try to look presentable even if you are interviewing from your home. This gives a good impression on your future employer. Along with speaking clearly in your off-screen interview, try practising also for on-screen interviews as well.
Another thing you must keep in mind is to keep your room clean when doing a virtual interview. Since the space is visible to your interviewer, a cluttered room doesn’t give a good impression.
Don’t Forget To Follow Up
Interviewers take several interviews and then decide on the best candidate for their vacant position. When the recruiters are debating on who to pick for the surgeon jobs, your follow-up shows your interest in the job. Then, they can go back to your application to give it a think-over. This can be a turning point in getting you the surgeon job.
So, after your interviews, always follow up with your recruiter about the job. This helps increase your chances of getting the job. You can send an email thanking the recruiter or interviewer for the interview opportunity.
In this email, try incorporating the passion or hobbies that your interviewers shared with you during the interview. This shows your attention towards the conversation and your ingenuity.
Conclusion
A pleasant attitude goes a long way toward landing a dream job. Surgeons may receive several job offers and must determine which to accept. The priorities list is of great help. Review the list and see how each job offer aligns with the priorities.
Talk with the hiring team if one job seems perfect in most ways but has a single sticking point. They may be willing to make accommodations. If not, there are other opportunities to explore.
With time and effort, a surgeon can find their dream position and return to doing what they love: helping patients. Patient care should always be the focus, even when looking for a new job, and surgeons ensure it is.
Additional Reading:
Is Medical Specialities A Good Career Path? – 12 Best Jobs
How to Get a Job as a Pharmaceutical Sales Representative?
Seeking a Healthy Career: 10 Tempting Medical Careers to Check Out
Each profession demands certain types of talents and skillfulness. However, it's critical for everyone in the workplace to possess a set of general professional qualities, demonstrating well-rounded competence.
In addition, we are living in a highly competitive space where people constantly fight for a spot. Alternatively, we continuously seek ways to enhance our skills, striving to stand out in our chosen career paths. As long as you keep this spirit, you can overcome most job challenges.
With a dedication to continual learning and responsibility, professionals can stay ahead on the career ladder. Further, they are more prone to new opportunities as they can make a lasting contribution to their industry.
Top 10 Professional Qualities To Keep In Mind
Aspiring professionals must strive to develop diverse qualities that can ultimately impact themselves, their clients, their colleagues, and the organization. This is true for everyone, whether you are a seasoned or a fresh graduate.
Moreover, success and progression in one's career are not limited by age. We all have different success timelines. But as long as you have a growth mindset and a solid set of qualities, you can go a long way.
While some are lucky to be born with the “wow” factor, others do not. This is why many enroll in professional behavioral coaching. After all, being a so-called professional can be learned.
Read on as we discuss the significant traits you should aspire for!
1 Eager To Learn
If you are familiar with Tim Clarke’s book, “4 Stages of Psychological Safety,” you would know how crucial it is to develop a learner mindset. You are more likely to encounter many clueless moments at work if you are a new hire.
A person who is willing to learn can go a long way. Your eagerness can make you ask questions, make mistakes, and ask for help without fearing embarrassment or humiliation by your peers.
2 Can Remain Calm Under Pressure And Stress
Not all can ace this one. Staying composed under stressful scenarios implies how professional an individual can be. Rather than zoning out or focusing more on the chaos, remaining poised allows you to maintain healthy relationships.
This is because intense situations often trigger most people. They tend to do things they must not do.
3 Being Collaborative And Responsible
If you are working on a bigger space, you must have an aura that can make you likable and pleasant to work with. Mastering such quality can get you more projects.
A quick tip here is to allow your coworkers to share their insights. Let them contribute. This way, you can build an imaginary string that binds everyone on the team.
4 Exhibiting Leadership Abilities
It does not matter whether you are not the CEO yet. An exemplary professional can lead a team effectively. Fortunately, various programs can help you with this particular skill. For instance, you can apply for executive coaching programs that provide psychological safety exercises.
Also, professionals who can lead are more likely to receive promotions, better job offers, and pay raises.
5 Can Operate In The Highest Level Of Integrity
Whether in a personal or professional setting, integrity is essential to practice. Cognitive behavioral coaching techniques can help you succeed in being trustworthy and practicing honesty regarding decisions.
Having integrity makes people feel safer in letting you work on major assignments involving private information.
6 Self-Motivated And Solution-Oriented
Most bosses and executives appreciate employees who excel at tasks without supervision. This is because a self-motivated individual tends to stay on track more than those who are not.
On top of that, a professional must be solution-oriented. When an issue arises, these people will provide proactive solutions, not band-aid ones. They can offer practical ways on how to fix the problem.
7 Has A Positive Attitude
No one prefers to work with a consistently pessimistic individual. Your positive attitude can contribute to a healthier working environment, inspiring others to do and feel the same.
Aside from that, optimistic people are most likely to find solutions rather than dwell on the situation. This can help achieve more company goals in the long run.
8 Confident
Again, let us talk about the book “The Four Stages of Psychological Safety” by Timothy R Clarke. His book’s first stage states that humans desire acceptance. When we feel valued and appreciated, we tend to be more confident.
This highlights the importance of choosing a workplace that values inclusive. Your coworkers must operate without hate and discrimination.
9 Comfortable With Failure
While we strive for perfection, it's inevitable to encounter failure at times. In the complex world of entrepreneurship where many things can go wrong, an employee capable of transforming negatives into positives can be invaluable.
Being comfortable with failure can be tough to master. But once you do, you can become unstoppable.
10 Equipped With Executive Coaching Training
If you're eager to excel in your chosen field, it would be prudent to invest in training programs that can enhance your workplace performance. A leadership coach can help you navigate the intricacies of the corporate world.
For some, the concept of psychological safety in the workplace may be unfamiliar. To explain, psychological safety training is a framework that assists businesses and organizations in attaining their goals while supporting all members.
Fortunately, a wide variety of executive coaching services are available to cater to the needs of every professional. Here's a list to consider:
Executive Leadership Coaching
Performance Management Coaching
Corporate Coaching
Solution-Focused Coaching
CEO Coaching
Career Coaching
Executive Business Coaching
A reputable coaching organization recognizes individual progress. For instance, they can give you behavioral coaching certification that you can add to your resume. This shows how you are eager for growth and development.
Conclusion
We can make significant professional contributions, particularly if we maintain a growth-oriented mindset and embrace coaching behaviors. Understanding how to foster psychological safety at work can be challenging. A well-respected coach can help you with that.
These experts provide the necessary tools for workplace success. Moreover, they can serve as your accountability partner, aiding your personal and professional growth.
Additionals:
Fast-Track Your Career: 7 Things You Should Know About Executive Coaching
Is Investment Managers A Good Career Path In 2021?
Is Medical Assistant A Good Career Path In 2021?
Do you know the top questions to ask someone about their career path? If your answer is Yes, then get ready because we are going to help you to achieve your goals in life.
Networking with peers is an excellent way to improve your visibility in your industry. At the same time, identifying and admiring the leaders you respect in your field can help you to learn how to approach your career.
I believe that if you want to get ahead, you need to approach people who are already in your field and ask them how they got there and did it! There is a reason behind many successful people, and only they can share their real-life struggles and inspire others to achieve their dreams too.
Top Questions To Ask Someone About Their Career Path
If you feel that your road to success is not clear and are willing to ask career questions to someone who has already achieved their objectives, then we are there to help you to get there!
1. What Career Mistakes Taught You The Greatest Lesson?
Some career mistakes can motivate you to become the best version of yourself. This can teach you the greatest lesson in life and also help you to achieve your career path.
2. Did You Use A Mentor At Any Step Of Your Journey?
A great mentor can help someone along their career path. You can ask the person how that particular mentor helped to change your life and are there any tips that can be useful for someone else.
3. What Books Have You Read That Have Helped You Along Your Career Path?
Reading is transformational because many experts believe that reading inspirational books can change someone’s life in a better way. You can ask the person for a list of all the motivational books that can help you achieve your career path and maintain consistency and patience in the long run.
4. What Strategies Do You Maintain To Make Sure That You Are Relevant In Your Industry?
If the person is on the same career path where you are willing to be, then keep in mind that there might be some strategies that he/she has implemented to be in this industry. For example, there might be seminars and workshops that the individual has attended recently, and you can implement the same for yourself.
5. How Do You Deal With Disappointments In Your Career?
Failures lead to disappointments, and one’s journey is filled with highs and lows. This makes the person strong mentally and emotionally. So, hearing about the person’s difficult situations can help you to focus more on your goals rather than failures.
6. Is There Someone You Professionally Admire?
If the person belongs to the same industry where you are, you can ask whether there is someone you can professionally admire and follow in their footsteps.
7. What Soft Skills/Traits Do You Have That Have Helped You The Most In Your Career?
Apart from qualifications, there are skills or qualities that a person should have in order to achieve the most in their career. These skills can include excellent communication skills, leadership skills, problem-solving, the ability to work in any atmosphere, etc.
8. What Are The Most Challenging Areas Of This Career?
Every career path has some challenging areas that you need to be aware of. Understanding those challenging areas at the initial phase of your career and dealing with the same can make you more strong mentally.
9. What Qualifications Do You Have For Your Field?
Qualifications for each sector differ, and you need to prepare for that sector in which you have an interest. So, this can be the best question that you can ask from your inspiration and acquire all those skills beforehand.
10. What Is The Best Bit Of Advice You Have For Someone Looking To Move Into This Area?
This question will be very helpful to you to achieve your dreams. An experienced individual can give better advice to someone who is willing to consider the same career path as him/her. So, this is one of the most important questions to ask someone about their career path.
The Final Thoughts
Words can inspire a person to a great extent. It can change someone’s life if he/she takes it too seriously. This is the reason why you should never give up and try till the end. Hence, the above listed are the top questions to ask someone about their career path or job, and these are surely going to change your life in a positive manner.
Due to high employee turnover and understaffing, aspirants need to be aware of overtime before diving into the nursing profession. Many nurses state that healthcare facilities utilize overtime to counter the after-effects of understaffing. Unfortunately, this usually leads to overworked nurses, resulting in medical errors, treatment inaccuracies, inaccurate diagnoses, driving away aspiring candidates from the nursing field altogether.
That said, medical facility owners and healthcare leaders must focus on overstaffing issues and try to solve them with a different approach. A viable way to do this is by hiring more competent nursing staff. In addition, they must encourage aspiring medical students to give nursing a go over other health-related careers. After all, nurses are frontline warriors, working at the heart and soul of every healthcare organization worldwide.
Healthcare professionals such as nurses and doctors face work-related stress and burnout, primarily stemming from the unpredictable nature of their work. It mainly affects nurses dealing with high-volume urban departments, senior care, acute psychiatric services, and more. Not to mention, excessive workload and fatigue are ever-present in every healthcare workplace. And nurses bear their fair share of burnout issues, as discussed above.
That said, such a thing shouldn’t put off aspiring candidates. ANA, OSHA, and other government organizations work tirelessly to control workplace stress through education, guidelines, and regulations. After all, nursing staff shouldn’t have to deal with burnout, whether it is because of their workload or job nature.
Every workplace in every field has its fair share of hazards. However, the nursing profession, in particular, faces more than usual. Some potential hazards include exposure to pathogens, injuries, contracting viruses, and other germs. Not to mention, these healthcare professionals are at constant risk of hazards from patients carrying the deadliest viruses.
The Covid-19 pandemic serves as an unfortunate reminder of how working in the healthcare sector can prove fatal. Many nurses and frontline warriors lost their lives battling the virus and serving the ailing. However, it explains why nursing is one of the most prestigious professions of our era. Nurses devote endless hours and put their lives at stake to ensure the well-being of their community and people.
