If you are newly qualified within the medical profession, you will want to be sure that you will be working in a place that will provide you with true job satisfaction. As such, when applying for employment in a hospital there are certain traits that you want to look for.
Of course it is important to note that individual preference can affect the appeal of any hospital. For example, one nurse may consider an inner city hospital a dynamic and great place to work, offering a constantly changing and therefore interesting workplace. Another nurse could consider the exact same hospital to be an overly busy and noisy workplace that is a cause of unnecessary stress.
However, whatever your personal preferences, there are some traits which are common to any good hospital; we run through a few below.
Community
When deciding where to work, a hospital which displays a degree of professionalism and respect are key qualities.
However, it is equally important that you feel at home in your place of work. If everyday you’re living in a cut-throat environment, this can really take its toll and build up high stress levels. As such, you want to try to find a welcoming hospital filled with warm and friendly staff, where you can really fit into the established community within the workforce.
Opportunities for Career Development
A good hospital is not only a source of steady employment, but also a place with potential for development and growth in your career. When joining a given hospital you want to know that you won’t end up stuck in a dead-end position when instead you could be climbing the ladder elsewhere.
Linked in with a hospital’s efficacy at being a place of growth is the size of said hospital. It follows logically that the larger a hospital is, the more positions there will to be filled and therefore the more opportunities there will be.
Flexibility
In any line of work, there can be a delicate balance in deciding how much time should be devoted to work and how much is dedicated to social and leisure pursuits. As such, it can be a great idea to check that a hospital offers reasonable and sociable hours and can accommodate holidays before applying for a position.
It could be argued that time to relax and unwind is even more important in the field of medicine than in many other professions because of the potential consequences of making an error due to fatigue or stress. Working in a hospital can be very rewarding and at times exhilarating, but this does also mean it can be very draining, both physically and emotionally. As such, ensuring that your work-life doesn’t hamper your personal life too much is very important, and this should be taken into consideration when looking at different hospitals.
Stress Levels
Different people handle different levels of stress, for some, a more docile workplace is ideal, whereas others are suited to high-stress environments and thrive in them. As such, when considering hospitals while seeking employment it is good to consider the typical stress levels found in that hospital before you decide to become a Nurse there.
If you know that you may be prone to stress-related problems and are aware that you find high levels of pressure difficult to cope with, it may be a good idea to consider a hospital in a quieter, maybe more rural area. Conversely, if you like to rise to a challenge and relish a very demanding and dynamic workplace, an inner city hospital might be just the thing to ensure you don’t get bored with your job.
Putting Patients First
Regardless of personal preference, one consistent, and arguably the most important trait to look for in a hospital, is its attitude towards its patients. A good hospital always puts its patients first and seeks to treat them with the utmost respect and dignity. The extent to which a hospital truly cares for its patients can be considered the best means of evaluation as care for patients is surely the raison d’être of any hospital.
Conclusion
It’s true that different hospitals will provide varying workplace environments that will suit different people. However, it is also important to consider certain factors such as the established community within the staff, the levels of stress, the flexibility of the hospital and its attitude towards patients before applying for a position.
Image Credits: Germanna CC and timefornurses