March Into Leadership!

While most anyone can recognize that care providing and successful outcomes are a team effort, it's integral to stand up and stand out as a leader! This March we encourage you to build on your strengths and tune-up your weaknesses to become a stronger leader in any healthcare setting and impact the people around you in a positive way.

To heck with the box!- Thinking outside of the box to provide positive outcomes in a healthcare setting is an amazing skill. Being able to think on the fly or do with limited resources is a skill that few possess. Of course you should rely on standards, policies, and precedents as a base, but when faced with challenges tap into your unique knowledge.

Be strategic- Considering the grand scheme of things when making decisions makes it that much easier. If you can understand how one small change can shape the distant outcomes, you will rise above in your team. Always keep in mind who decisions will affect and how.

Know the difference between leading and managing- The best listeners are the best leaders. Sometimes it's OK to take a hands-off approach, and other times one may have to step in and take the lead. You can lead the charge without commanding members of your team, and you would be amazed at the productivity of a highly-motivated and well-lead team. 

Be part of the team!- Lead by setting an example! Lead more so by your actions and less by your words. Emulating a horizontal structure throughout a (healthcare) system is great because everyone feels equally accountable and responsible. 

14 Reasons to Fall In Love with The Medical Profession

We always hear that nursing and all things medical are "labors of love", but there's much more to it! Regardless of your Valentine status, you can fall in love with your career! Here's why we love it:

1. The challenge! 

2. Never waste time picking out your clothes - you've got scrubs for that!

3. The humor of it! 

4. The pay's not too shabby, as nurses and medical professionals are in high demand.

5. You'll always feel needed.

6. The appreciation from patients and their families!

7. You serve as the primary care provider and go-to for everyone in your family!

8. You can set your own pace - from the fast pace of the NICU to the easy pace of a long term care facility.

9. You're a lifesaver -- literally!

10. Getting paid to do something you love.

11. There is never a dull moment.

12. With medical advances so often, you're constantly learning, growing, and changing!

13. Being part of a team is the best feeling.

14. The stories and the memories are priceless. 

Making Your LinkedIn Work For You

94% of recruiters use LinkedIn to source and vet candidates, but only 36% of LinkedIn users are actively updating their profiles and using the site! Those statistics are encouraging for any users who want to make themselves stand out in the sea of candidates! A lot of people don't know where to start when it comes to updating their LinkedIn to attract recruiters and organizations; thankfully it doesn't have to be hard. 

1) Your personal tagline should be relevant to your current or desired profession.

2) Think of the summary box as your elevator pitch, and use as many keywords as possible! You should be creative but also remember to keep it short and sweet. This makes it easier for recruiters to find your profile and to see what you're all about!

3) Always avoid grammatical and typo errors, just as you would on your resume! This is an instant turn-off and an easy way to weed people out (in the eyes of a recruiter).

4) Collect recommendations and testimonials from colleagues, supervisors, and industry professionals so they can speak to your experience and abilities! Think references 2.0.

5) Update your privacy settings to allow for people to contact you in the ways you would like.

Best of luck!

Why Being Mindful Matters

Thanksgiving is tomorrow, and after that is Black Friday. You've probably got a turkey to baste, a house to decorate, gifts to buy, flights to book, and a life to keep in order. But if you can't take a moment to be thankful for what you've got then does any of it matter? Take these five things with you this season:

1. Things could always be worse.

2. Reach out to someone you haven't kept up with, you'd be surprised how refreshing this can be.

3. Reflect on this year's accomplishments before 2014 is over!

4. Ask yourself if you're on the right track to reach your goals.

5. Friendship is something we all could use during this time of year.

- From the team at CR! Have a great Thanksgiving!

Revise Your Resume!

We see thousands of resumes each week, and we would like to think we have "good resumes" down to a science. Having a resume with simple formatting, correct grammar, and the right information can take you very far. Have a look at our example here if you are considering re-vamping your resume(No, we don't know any Jane Nurses!):

Does your resume look like this?

The Future of Nursing and How to Get There

With the passage of the Affordable Care Act in 2010 came a complete transformation of America's healthcare system, from the way care is administered to the standards healthcare providers adhere to. Nursing, an integral part of any healthcare system, has been tremendously affected by the ACA and now more than ever, highly-skilled and qualified nurses are needed to answer the call. The future of nursing depends on a few factors, and educating tomorrow's nurses is at the forefront of concerns.

The need for highly educated nurses has gone largely unnoticed, but it will become a much more visible issue in the coming years. 20% of America's population will be over the age of 65 in the year 2030, and care for chronic conditions will be in high demand. Diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and mental health illnesses like dementia and Alzheimer's are on the rise, and educated nurses make all the difference in providing critical care. This means a change in education is absolutely crucial, seeing as 20th century nursing education focused primarily on treating injuries and illnesses, not chronic conditions.

Improving the system that churns out future nurses seems like a no-brainer, but it hasn't been. By focusing more on community settings like those found in long term care, future nurses are better prepared for the care settings they are more likely to deal with in the near future. Teaching good decision making, quality improvement methods, a systemic way of thinking, and team leadership is crucial for proper nursing education in the 21st century. Increasing the number of nurses with BSN's (Bachelors degrees) is very feasible and very critical to the growth of the field of nursing. RN-to-BSN programs, traditional 4-year programs, educational collaborative programs, distance and online learning, and other partnerships have made a nursing degree more accessible. 

The future of the field of nursing depends so much on the education of and advocacy for future nurses. Tell someone you love or know to consider it as a career option, and help that change the world for the better. 

(We just thought this was funny)

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17 Ways We're LUCKY to Have You!

An ode to Health Care Professionals:

1. You're there when someone else can't be.

2. You adapt to new environments quickly!

3. At the very heart of your profession is helping others.

4. You're willing to work diligently with us!

5. You trust us!

6. You build and maintain relationships with everyone on our team.

7. You help heal people just like us!

8. Remaining calm under pressure is your specialty.

9. You smile on the outside even if you're not smiling on the inside!

10. By working with us you are helping fix the critical nursing and health care shortage!

11. Traveling to cities near and far, you are everywhere at once!

12. You improve the quality of care for those who need it most.

13. You administer life-saving medications to patients.

14. You rarely take no for an answer.

15. You're there for us when we need you.

16. You simply do the things that others aren't strong enough to do.

17. You persevere.