The Pulse | Thursday, May 20, 2021

What Is Your Sphere of Influence? A Book Review for Professional Development

Beverly S. Karas-Irwin, DNP MS RN NP-C HNB-BC NEA-BC

“We will never know our full potential unless we push ourselves to find it.” —Travis Rice

Today’s registered and advanced practice nurse has more career options than ever before. Many of these opportunities are outside of the traditional hospital setting. Many of these opportunities are yet to be realized and are waiting for a nurse entrepreneur to forge the way. “Fast Facts for Making the Most of Your Career in Nursing,” by Dr. Rhoda R. Redulla, RN, provides a playbook for nurses to find their core values, be engaged in the profession and embrace career development opportunities, while assisting nurses to achieve higher levels of health in the form of self-care.

Key Takeaways

Now more than ever, nurses need to lead the way to evolve structures, processes and outcomes to improve health care and achieve health equity. Every nurse is a leader. You do not need the word manager, director or chief in your title to be a leader. Every nurse has a sphere of influence.

We are individually responsible for our own professional development. Take the time to reflect on your career. Are you doing what you imagined when you graduated? Do you have a plan on where you see yourself professionally in five years, 10? Are you an innovator or laggard?

Have you challenged yourself to step outside your comfort zone? Are you a member of a professional nursing organization? If so, are you active in the organization beyond paying your annual dues? Have you advocated for a nursing practice issue in your organization or on a state or federal level?

The pandemic has caused us to pause and remember what is important and why we chose nursing as a career. Use this book as a guide to chart your own personal career road map moving forward. Key features in the book provide resources to find your ‘why,’ aspire and achieve, embrace opportunity, be involved in your organization and beyond, seek to make a difference by being involved in nursing research and quality improvement activities, seek a mentor, become an expert, effectively network and embrace a new environment as we strive to improve the well-being of nurses.

This book is full of perspectives that will inspire you to take the next step in your career. Read the success stories from a diverse group of nurses who challenged themselves to either choose nursing as a second career, advance their education, explore a different nursing role, embrace their curiosity, generate new ideas while meeting new colleagues or transition as a new nurse immigrant.

No matter where you are in your nursing career, this is the book for you. Throughout your nursing journey, there is a wide variety of paths from which to choose — some obvious and some not so obvious. Let this book be your guide to exploring options. What are you waiting for? Pursue your dreams of professional nursing success and personal fulfillment. Invest time and energy to leverage your own power to become the best version of yourself. Enhance the voice of nursing. Remove any fear and self-doubt.

This book is an excellent resource for all nurses. I give it 10 out of 10 stars.