Have you ever thought of owning your own business or working for yourself? There could be multiple reasons that you would consider this move. Maybe you are beginning to experience burnout, or you feel that you have something to offer that goes beyond the bedside. You are not alone when you experience these feelings. There are nurses who are living their dream and doing what brings them pleasure and provides a needed service at the same time. They have taken their nursing knowledge and skills to a whole new place.
The skills we learned in nursing school can be generalized to the larger market place and universe. I first heard about all the wonderful skills and knowledge we were acquiring that would serve us well beyond the bedside when I was a student many years ago. The concept stayed with me even though I didn’t know if I wanted to be a part of the entrepreneurial world or how to operationalize it. Well, last month, I spend two days with a group of amazing nurses who (1) own businesses, (2) work as independent contractors, (3) work in industries related to nursing, or (4) were dreaming and exploring the possibilities. These nurses are intelligent, passionate, and committed to making a change in their lives and in the lives of the people they serve. Examples of some of the roles included a nurse professional speaker, a nurse coach, a nurse who blogs, a nurse who sells products for health, and a nurse musician/comedian. Some of the nurses have written and published books. Can you imagine the energy that was in that room?
All of the speakers, except one, were nurses. These nurses serve as role models. They shared the steps they took, shared some missteps, and gave each attendee hope and instilled a vision for the future if they dared to dream. This conference was inspirational, motivating, and powerful. Nurses were sharing their knowledge and allowing themselves to be used to create networking opportunities. Those of us who had attended previous conferences, were able to connect and see what progress had been made since the last conference.
Can you see yourself living your dream? There was even a ‘Shark Tank’ contest where nurses presented their ideas for funding. Just like the TV show, they were quizzed about their idea by judges who decided on a winner. The winning nurse received a generous prize package and she is invited back next year to give us an update. How awesome is that???
There are a lot of resources that can be found on the internet and read, but there is something to be said for meeting with like-minded nurses in a climate of collegial community. For any nurse who is thinking about their future in a different role, the National Nurses in Business Association is a wonderful organization. You meet the famous, those who are beginning their journey, those who fall somewhere along a continuum, and those who are still dreaming. The organization membership is a manageable size. The president is reachable and helpful. Please let me know if you have any comments or thoughts about this topic.