In a Word document, develop your own career mapping concept map (which highlights your own stages of progression). Your concept map should include and identify future stages of your nursing career progression, as well.

As a registered nurse, my career progression concept map may look like this:

• Stage 1: Entry-level registered nurse
  • Acquire nursing license
  • Work as a staff nurse in a hospital or other healthcare facility
  • Gain experience in a variety of nursing specialties
• Stage 2: Advance Practice Registered Nurse (APRN)
  • Earn a Master’s degree in nursing
  • Become certified as an APRN in a specialty area such as family, adult-gerontology, pediatrics, or women’s health
  • Work as a nurse practitioner, clinical nurse specialist, nurse midwife, or nurse anesthetist
• Stage 3: Leadership and management roles
  • Pursue a Doctorate of Nursing Practice (DNP) or a Master’s degree in Nursing Administration
  • Work in a leadership or management position in healthcare, such as nurse manager, director of nursing, or chief nursing officer
• Stage 4: Nursing education
  • Teach nursing in a college or university setting
  • Earn a doctoral degree in nursing, such as a PhD or Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)
• Stage 5: Entrepreneurial nursing
  • Start a nursing business, such as a home health agency, consulting service, or health coaching practice
  • Pursue additional education or certification in business or entrepreneurship

Each stage of the concept map represents a potential path for career progression, and there may be other paths or opportunities that arise along the way. The map also includes potential future stages, such as obtaining a DNP or pursuing entrepreneurship, which may not be immediate goals but could be considered in the future.