Editorial
Happy 2022 , Imprint readers !
It ’ s a fresh start to a new year and what better way to start 2022 than to set goals and plan . What is your resolution / goal for 2022 ? As a new year begins , I challenge you to think about your nursing journey and start planning ahead . Are you prepared for clinicals , the NCLEX exam , or graduation ? Have you decided on a nursing specialty you want to pursue after you graduate and pass the NCLEX exam ? If you haven ’ t , there is no need to fret ; it ’ s never too late to start and this issue of Imprint is here to guide you through it .
This January issue of Imprint is all about career planning . There is loads of information on school involvement , NSNA membership , leadership , and nursing specialties . I chose the theme , “ Choose Your Fighter : Career Planning and Specialties Guide ,” for this issue because I want to focus on nursing specialties . Think about a video game where you can choose your character — your fighter — to play the game as . Now think of a nursing specialty that you can choose to play a role in for your future career . There ’ s many choices but you can only choose one specialty . If you ’ re uncertain about what nursing specialty you want to pursue , information is essential . Ask questions and research for information on what each specialty is and what is required to specialize in that field . We did all the work for you and provided you with a complete career planning guide on page 38 for you to get started ! There ’ s probably a specialty you never even heard of !
To further focus on nursing specialties , there is a wonderful spread of features in this issue including travel nursing , clinical nurse specialists , gerontological nursing , and more . Interested in travel nursing ? Turn to page 34 to explore the benefits and challenges of travel nursing , a popular but controversial specialty , with Ryan Bannan and Brandi Borden . Let Alexis Roam inspire you to specialize in gerontological nursing on page 19 . Advance nursing practice and become a clinical nurse specialist — read the feature on this specialty on page 17 . Social media is also a popular way to get inspired and learn more about nursing . Read “ Insta- Inspiration ,” on page 22 to see how five nurses use Instagram to showcase and inform about their nursing specialty and what they do on a daily basis on the job .
As you ponder on the right nursing specialty for you , remember to stay involved and participate in student activities and build on your leadership journey in nursing . Be a leader and run for an NSNA leadership position or become a Project InTouch Recruiter and encourage other nursing students to join NSNA . There are many opportunities to get involved and look outstanding on your resume . There are also many other nursing organizations you can join to enrich your nursing journey — turn to page 73 for a full list of nursing organizations . As an NSNA member , you can join participating organizations in the NSNA Partnership Program at a discounted rate . See page 7 for more information .
I hope you found this issue to be a great resource you can refer to over and over again throughout the year as you plan your nursing career . Make sure you read to the very end ; take the quiz on page 78 and enter to win a $ 500 scholarship . •
Sincerely ,
Megan Johnston Imprint Editor
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