The Nurse Professional

Deborah Dolan Hunt, PhD, RN, is a Professor and Associate Dean of Nursing. She is also a Professor Emerita from The College of New Rochelle, and a Fellow in the New York Academy of Medicine. She is thrilled to be publishing this book and has published three prior books with Springer Publishers; The New Nurse Educator: Mastering Academe, The Nurse Professional: Leveraging Your Education for Transition into Practice, and Fast Facts About Nursing Practice: Historical Facts in a Nutshell. She is on the editorial board of DailyNurse.com. and serves on the Personalized Medicine Coalition Advisory Panel and a guest editor for Frontiers. She is an Ambassador and Reviewer with PCORI (Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute) and serves as Co-Chair of the Health and Human Services Committee at Community Board #10 where she spearheaded a healthy lifestyle initiative. She is currently serving as Co-Chair of the Talent Acquisition Committee at the Westchester County Association. She was the PI of the HRSA grant at CNR and facilitated its transfer to Mercy College and is currently serving as one of the Activity Directors for the Title V Access grants. Her research interests are in leadership, patient outcomes, new nurse transition, and mentoring.

"Nursing school did not adequately prepare me for this role" and "Why didn't anyone tell me about this when I was a student?" are commonly heard complaints from new nurses during their first two "rite of passage" years following graduation. But this transition to professional practice¿¿fraught with challenges, anxiety, triumphs, and tears¿¿does not have to be so difficult. The Nurse Professional helps novices prepare for their transition into a "real world" role from being a student through graduation, NCLEX success, job search, first job, and beyond. It is the only book to cover all of the steps that new nurses must take to ensure a smooth transition into the professional role.The author is a nurse educator and mentor with extensive experience in recruiting and orienting nurses. Dr. Hunt is also co-founder of the Nurse Advocacy Forum, providing advocacy, support, networking, professional development, leadership, and mentoring to students and new graduate nurses. She offers sound advice regarding the most current issues facing new nurses and practical strategies for obtaining a job of one's choice, describes steps to take well before graduation to ensure a smooth transition to professional practice, and addresses the various indicators of academic achievement that are required for employment at some nursing facilities. She also discusses the benefits of externships, internships, professional development, and networking, how to develop a winning portfolio, and how to successfully transition into professional practice. This book provides information on workplace bullying and how to deal with it; the importance of self-care, self-advocacy, and networking; writing a r¿àsum¿à; interview skills; and much more. "Top 10 Tips" in each chapter concisely highlight important topics. Samples of useful forms and documents are available in chapter appendices. A PowerPoint presentation and templates for role play/simulation scenarios for faculty use are also available.Key Features:"Top 10 Tips" in chapters concisely highlight important topicsSamples of useful forms and documents are available in chapter appendicesDelivers specific, practical strategies and exercises for a successful transition and entry into practiceWritten by an experienced nurse/educator and nurse mentor who has extensive experience regarding how new nurses transition into practice

Foreword Afaf I. Meleis, PhD, DrPS (hon), FAAN