Ep 11: Why Networking Matters in Nursing

In this solo episode of My Nurse Specialty, I talk about one of the most overlooked parts of building a nursing career: networking.

Many nurses work hard, gain experience, and still feel stuck when it comes to moving into a new specialty. Often, the difference is not talent or effort. It is relationships. In this episode, I share why networking is not about using people or self-promotion, but about building genuine connections that can open doors, offer insight, and help you move forward with more clarity.

I also walk through a simple, realistic way to start building your network as a nurse, even if it feels uncomfortable or unfamiliar.

In this episode, I talk about:

• Why networking often makes the difference in who gets access to new nursing opportunities
• How nurses can build genuine professional relationships without feeling fake or self-promotional
• A simple, practical way to start reaching out and growing your network over time

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Transcript

0:02

Welcome to Minor Specialty, a podcast for nurses who want a clearer view of what's possible in this profession. I'm Rebecca, a registered nurse, nurse career strategist, and someone who has spent decades working across different nursing roles. Nursing School teaches us how to pass boards, but when it comes to careers, most of us are introduced to only a handful of specialties. It just depends on who you talk to after you get out of school or while you're in school. And then we're expected to figure out the rest on our own. That lack of awareness is where confusion and misalignment begin. This podcast exists to expand that awareness. Throughout this podcast, you'll explore nursing specialties, some you've likely heard of, and some you may not even know exactly. Along with the insight that helps you understand what's best for your career at any stage. This is my nurse specialty: real nursing, real stories, and real possibilities. Hi, welcome back to my nurse specialty. I'm Rebecca Emery, nurse, career strategist, and someone who has been in this profession for over 35 years. If this is your first time here, I'm glad you found us. And if you're a nursing student or you're thinking about becoming a nurse, stay for this one. You're going to want to hear this early. And if you've been here since the beginning, thank you. We're building something real, and I'm grateful that you keep showing up. Today is a solo episode. Just you and me. I want to tell you about something I've watched happen over and over again in my 35 years of nursing. Two nurses, same skills, same drive, same desire to move into a new specialty, or find a better fit for their career. And one of them gets there, the other one doesn't. And when I look closely at the differences, when I really pull it apart, it almost never comes down to credentials or experience or even how hard they worked. The nurse who got there had a relationship that opened the door. A former colleague who made a call, a nurse they met at a conference who said, come talk to my manager, or someone who knew their name outside of their own unit. The other nurse did everything right, and doing it completely alone. And that is what I want to talk about today. The relationship nobody ever taught you to build, the one that changes everything. We're talking about networking. And before you tune out, I promise this is not gonna sound like anything you've heard about before on the topic. And if you've been listening, you know that a few of the nurses and we ask how they got their job, it's usually from somebody they met. So let me start by saying something clearly. If networking feels uncomfortable to you, that is not a personality flaw. That is a completely predictable response to the culture you were trained in. Nursing does not teach self-promotion, it teaches self-sacrifice. From day one, the message is focus on your patients, be part of the team, put your head down and do the work. And that is not wrong. That commitment to patience is something I deeply respect. But there is a side effect. Nurses often reach a point in their careers where they need to advocate for themselves, for a move, for an opportunity, for visibility in a new area, and they have no idea how. Some might be very good at this. So if you're doing that, keep going. But for those of you who's never seen it modeled before, no one showed you how to do it, the culture league quietly signals that wanting it is a little bit selfish. So networking doesn't feel right. It feels like you're using people, it feels like you're bragging. It feels like something that people in suits do at a conference, not something a nurse does on a Tuesday. And I want to tell you, for me, it was uncomfortable. I want to offer you a different way to think about it. And this is actually something somebody taught me. Networking, real networking, is not about using people. It is about building genuine relationships with people. Building genuine relationships with people over time. So that when you need guidance or a door opened, or just an honest conversation with someone who has been where you want to go, you have people to call. That is not manipulation. That is how every career in this field actually moves. The difference is that in nursing, nobody tells you that. So nurses end up isolated in their own units, trying to make career decisions without any visibility into what is actually out there. And then they wonder why moving is so hard. It's not hard because you're not good enough. It's hard because you're trying to do it alone. I want to take a minute to be very direct with you and what is actually at stake here. Because I think when nurses hear networking, they think that would be nice. They file it away with all the other things they get to do eventually. But here is the reality. Most of the best nursing jobs, the ones that aren't posted publicly, the ones that get filled by a manager reaching out to someone they know, the ones where the hiring decision is made before anyone even writes a job description, those opportunities live inside someone's network. And if you're not in anyone's mind with those conversations happening, you're not in the running. And beyond job opportunities, your network is where you find out what a specialty is. Find out what it's actually like before you commit to it. Not what it says on a website, what it actually is like on a random Monday or Tuesday. Your network is where you find a mentor who has already made the move you're trying to make and can tell you what they wish they had known. It is where honest information lives. I have watched nurses spread spending years trying to figure out their next move by researching job postings and reading articles. And I have watched nurses make the same move in six months because they knew the right person and had one honest conversation. Your network is not a nice to have. It is career insurance. And the time to build it is when you need is when you need it, and it's also when you don't need it. The time to build it is now before you need it. So when the moment comes and it will come, you already have people in your corner. Okay. Here is the part where I give you something practical. A simple three-part framework for building your network in a way that is substantial, genuine, and actually works for how nursing moves. Start with what you already have. The network already exists. You're just not thinking of it that way. Every nurse you have worked with alongside every preps preceptor who has trained you, every charge nurse, manager, educator, or instructor who's ever been part of your nursing life, those are relationships, right? And relationships are the foundation of every network that has ever worked. So before you think about meeting anyone new, I want you to think about who is already there. Who is in your nursing world who has made a move you're curious about? Who is working in a specialty or setting you want to know more about? Who do you admire and have lost touch with? Reach out to one of them. Not with a resume, not with an ask, but just with the genuine curiosity. Something like, I've been thinking about making a move and I know you went through something similar. Would you be open to a short conversation? I'd love to hear what that transition was like for you. Most people will say yes to that. Because being asked for your experience or perspective feels good. It is one of the most human things there is, and the one that conversation might be the most valuable career move you make this year. So start with what you have before you worry about anything else. And then next, show up to where there are other nurses. Once you are ready to expand beyond your existing circle, you need to go where other nurses gather. And there are more places than most nurses realize. Your state nursing association is one. I am always surprised by how many nurses have never attended a single association event. Because that means is there a room full of nurses from different specialties, different settings, different stages of their careers who you've never met? And some of them are exactly the people you need to know. Specialty nursing organizations are another. If there is a specialty you're interested in moving into or that you're curious about, that specialty has a professional organization. And that organization has events, conferences, online communities. And those where the nurses are talking to each other, that is the room you want to be in. It's very good to go and look at those organizations if you have an interest in that specialty. Might help you make the decision. Because they talk a lot about things that are of value in that specialty. They'll bring in speakers, and if what you're listening to excites you, then that might be a signal that that's a specialty you want to go into. I want to say that online counts as well. And you can even go into groups of LinkedIn, specialty Facebook groups, nursing communities. There's groups on Reddit for nurses. There are real places where real relationships form. Showing up consistently, asking genuine questions, contributing when you have something to offer. That builds credibility and connection over time. Slowly, but it builds. You do not have to do all of this at once. Pick one place, show up, be genuinely yourself. That is the whole strategy for this part. Make it small, make it consistent. This is the piece that most networking advice completely skips. And I think it is the most important one for nurses. Because nurses are already stretched then. And the idea of adding one more big thing to the list is enough to make you close your laptop and never think about it again. So I'm not asking for something big, just something small and consistent. One real conversation per month with someone whose work interests you. One event per quarter, where you show up and introduce yourself to at least one new person, one online community, where you're a regular. That is a networking practice. It is not overwhelming, and over the course of a year, two years, five years, it builds something that will carry your career further than any resume ever will. Think about it like this. You would never give a patient one massive dose of education and expect it to stick. You give them what they can absorb right now, and you build on it over time. Your network works exactly the same way. Small, consistent over time. So what do you actually say? I want to spend a few minutes on the moment that stops most people cold, which is okay, I know I should reach out to someone, but what do I actually say? Here is what I want you to remember. You're not pitching yourself. You are not asking for a job. You are expressing genuine interest in another person's experience. And that is something almost everyone responds to because it feels good to be seen and asked. And let's be honest, that's what you want to know, right? You want to know, oh wow, how is that name the specialty? Keep it short, keep it real. Something like, hi, I've been thinking about making a move into name the specialty. And I know you have experience there. I'd love to hear what it's actually like. If you'd be open to a short conversation, even 20 minutes would mean a lot. Don't be surprised when they tell you they got there the same way. No resume attached, no list of accomplishments, no lengthy explanation of your situation. Just one human being asking another for a little of their time and perspective. And if they say no, don't respond. That is not a rejection on you. People are busy, life gets in the way. You move on and try the next one. The nurses who build strong networks are not the ones who never hear no. You're the ones who just keep asking anyway. So here's what I want you to do this week. Just one thing. Think of one person in your nursing world whose career path interests you. Someone who has made a move you're curious about, or who is working in an area you want to know more about, and reach out. Message them. Do it this week. Not next week, but this week. Remember, you aren't asking for a job. You're not asking for anything except a conversation. And conversations, that one small reach, might be the thing that changes the entire trajectory of your career. I have seen it happen more times than I can count. And when I look back on my own career, I didn't know that's what I was doing. But a lot of times how I moved and got to where I ended up and worked for the last 20 years was from networking. If you're ready to take networking and everything else we talked about on this show and turn it into a real career strategy, a plan where you're going and how you were going to get there. And you need some help, go ahead and reach out. You can find all that on my website. Thank you for being here. If this episode was valuable to you, share it with the nurse who needs to hear it. Leave a review if you're enjoying the show. It helps more nurses find us. And if there's a specialty you want to know more about, there's one more thing you can do. Send me a message on my website. And I will see what I can do to get that nurse on the show. Until next time, keep exploring and keep networking. Thank you for listening to my nurse specialty. I hope what you heard today gave you real insight into this specialty and helped you see what's possible for your nursing path. If you're watching this on YouTube, please subscribe. And if you're listening on audio, follow the show so you don't miss what's next. If you know a nurse or even a student nurse who's learning about their next steps, tell them about the show or send them this episode. And tell me, what specialty should we feature next? If you're a nurse in a unique specialty that you'd love to share, apply to be a guest on my website. I'm Coach Rebecca. Until next time, keep exploring.