By 
Thinkstock | Wavebreakmedia Ltd
Do you consider yourself a personal brand? No? You’re not alone–many nurses don’t, or have never even considered the thought before! But Brittney from The Nerdy Nurse makes a compelling case for why it is important for nurses to think of themselves as a brand. Read on for her reasoning and tell us: Do you agree?
But I Love What I Do Right Now
Even if you’re gainfully and happily employed, you still need to be aware of your personal brand as a professional nurse. Treat your career as a business and market yourself accordingly. Are you happy with the your current income level, your current role, and your current opportunities for growth? Or do you want to to do more in your nursing career? Do you want to grow in your profession? Do you want your business to be a long-term success with constant growth, or do you want to stay exactly where you are in your nursing career?
Being Content in Your Role
If you are content with your current nursing role, pat yourself on the back. I’m envious of you. It would be so much easier to just be content. There would likely be a lot less stress in this world if we could all just be content. Then again, we’d also never innovate, never seek improvements, and I’m pretty sure we’d still be trying to figure out fire, the wheel, and silly things like that. Those crazy non-content ancestors of ours really stepped up to the plate on some of those things.
I sometimes wish I could be content. I sometimes wish I could stop wanting to do just a little bit more. I sometimes wish that I didn’t care so much. It would certainly be easier. It would certainly be less exciting. But it would also be boring.
Believe in Yourself
The best tool any nurse can have in their toolbox is confidence.
Your patients, coworkers, and administration will value you for it. Let us not confuse confidence with arrogance, because no one will value you for that. You should be aware of your strengths and use them to provide the best patient care possible.
Market yourself as confident. Even if you are not trying to get another job, use every professional encounter as an opportunity to show someone you’re confident in the care you provide. Your confidence in your care will improve the relationships you have with your patients and coworkers and you will be seen as a resource to others. You should always be aware of how you are perceived by others. You never know when an impression you’ve made can lead to bigger and better things for you and your career.
Branding Is About What Makes You Unique
You have to show why your star shines a little brighter. It’s not about trying to be better than anyone, but it is about giving your personal best and highlighting what it is about YOU that is unforgettable, unmistakable, and irreplaceable. If you’re interviewing for a job, you don’t want them to put your resume in a pile. You want them to have conversations about you. You want them to see a spark in you that they didn’t see in anyone else. You want them to call the other applicants and tell them to not even bother.
Determine Your Value and Sell It
You are probably sitting here confused at this point. Have you ever stopped and thought about what makes you unique, valuable, and an asset to a company? If you haven’t, then now is the time. Make a list. Find your top three personal attributes (charisma, dedication, focus, teamwork, self-motivations, creativity, team player, leadership, and so on). Determine how these can be best applied to the nursing role you are after, and work out your game plan. Write your nurse elevator pitch and be prepared to sell yourself whenever the time arises.
If you want others to see you as successful, you have to see yourself as successful first. Own your expertise today and your job will likely find you!
Read the rest of the article on The Nerdy Nurse and give us your own thoughts on personal branding in the comments below!
