Essentials of Nursing Leadership and Management, 5th Edition

chapter 14 | Your Nursing Careerr 221

Ownership of the company may be public or pri-
vate, foreign or American. The company may be
local or regional, a small corporation or a division of
a much larger corporation. Depending on the size
and ownership of the company, information may be
obtained from the public library, chamber of com-
merce, government offices, or company Web site. A
telephone call or letter to the corporate office or
local human resources department may also gener-
ate valuable information on organizations of inter-
est (Crowther, 1994). Has the organization recently
gone through a merger, a reorganization, or down-
sizing? Information from current and past employ-
ees is valuable and may provide you with more
details about whether the organization might be
suitable for you. Be wary of gossip and half-truths
that may emerge, however, because they may dis-
courage you from applying to an excellent health-
care facility. In other words, if you hear something
negative about an organization, investigate it for
yourself. Often, individuals jump at work opportu-
nities before doing a complete assessment of the
culture and politics of the institution.
The first step in assessing the culture is to
review a copy of the company’s mission statement.
The mission statement reflects what the institution
considers important to its public image. What are
the core values of the institution?
The department of nursing’s philosophy and
objectives indicate how the department defines
nursing; they identify what the department’s
important goals are for nursing. The nursing phi-
losophy and goals should reflect the mission of the
organization. Where is nursing administration on
the organizational chart of the institution? To
whom does the chief nursing administrator report?
Although much of this information may not be
obtained until an interview, a preview of how the
institution views itself and the value it places on
nursing will help you to decide if your philosophy
of health care and nursing is compatible with that
of a particular organization. To find out more
about a specific health-care facility, you can
(Zedlitz, 2003):

■Talk to nurses currently employed at the
facility.
■Access the Internet Web site for information on
the mission, philosophy, and services.
■Check the library for newspaper and magazine
articles related to the facility.

Writing a Résumé

Your résumé is your personal data sheet and self-

advertisement. It is the first impression the

recruiter or your potential employer will have of

you. With the résumé you are selling yourself:

your skills, talents, and abilities. You may decide to

prepare your own résumé or have it prepared by a

professional service. Regardless of who prepares

it, the purpose of a résumé is to get a job inter-

view. Many people dislike the idea of writing a

résumé. After all, how can you sum up your entire

career in a single page? You want to scream at the

printed page, “Hey, I’m bigger than that! Look at

all I have to offer!” However, this one-page sum-

mary has to work well enough to get you the posi-

tion you want. Chestnut (1999) summarized

résumé writing by stating, “Lighten up. Although

a very important piece to the puzzle in your job

search, a résumé is not the only ammunition.

What’s between your ears is what will ultimately

lead you to your next career” (p. 28). Box 14-1 sum-

marizes reasons for preparing a well-considered,

up-to-date résumé.

Although you labor intensively over preparing

your résumé, most job applications live or die

within 10–30 seconds as the receptionist or

applications examiner decides whether your

résumé should be forwarded to the next step or

rejected. The initial screening is usually done by

box 14-1

Reasons for Preparing a Résumé

Assists in completing an employment application quickly

and accurately

Demonstrates your potential

Focuses on your strongest points

Gives you credit for all your achievements

Identifies you as organized, prepared, and serious about

the job search

Serves as a reminder and adds to your self-confidence

during the interview

Provides initial introduction to potential employers in

seeking the interview

Serves as a guide for the interviewer

Functions as a tool to distribute to others who are willing

to assist you in a job search

Adapted from Marino, K. (2000). Resumes for the Health Care Professional.

N.Y.: John Wiley & Sons; and Zedlitz, R. (2003). How to Get a Job in Health

Care.N.Y.: Delmar Learning.