As I write this, I have a slight irritation in my own nose and I fear the chilly wind might have gotten the best of me too. It is a feature of this season. Freezing winds, runny noses, whooping coughs, and a lot of tissues are added to our daily word usage. All the while we are left with watery eyes and soaring temper as we deal with all of our left over work. This is the cold season folks, and it is in many ways one of the most bothersome seasons you can be exposed to.

How can you advance your nursing career and why is that even important? You may be perfectly happy in the job you are currently in and have no desire to advance your career path. That’s great, but why not be prepared in case you decide later to advance, or worse, are given no choice but to move onto a different path?

Some nurses do not appreciate what they have but this does not really mean that nursing is not a worthwhile career. Nursing is one of the best career choices someone can ever make in their life. There are other careers that are more interesting and livelier than nursing, but when you think long and hard about the immense impact nursing has, you will start to appreciate the great importance it has.

Nursing is a demanding job and it can often feel as though there are not enough hours in the day to complete all of your tasks. Unlike other jobs, priorities can change rapidly. When a patient is in urgent need of your attention, your to-do list can change rapidly. The hectic pace of the job is one of the reasons that many nurses get burned out and stressed out. Using these time management tips for nurses is one way to make your life a little easier, as well as getting more done!

The US Department of Labor projects much faster-than-average job growth for nurses through 2014. That means as employers seek to recruit and retain talented nursing staff, nurses will enjoy improved salaries, benefits and working conditions.

According to the recent nurse.com article, the American Association of Nurse Practitioners released data Jan. 21 showing the number of NPs licensed in the U.S. has nearly doubled over the past 10 years, rising from about 106,000 in 2004 to 205,000 as of Dec. 31, 2014. AANP data also showed that more than 15,000 men and women graduated from NP programs during the 2012-2013 academic year.

Who doesn’t think about getting that promotion? We all want to be our own boss someday, but before we can rule the hive, we have to tough it out as a lowly worker bee. These days, moving up is less like climbing a ladder and more like picking your way through a maze. There are many ways you can move your nursing career forward, but any one of them could be a dead end. Avoid game over with these eight ways to get ahead at the hospital. Just try not to step on too many toes.