Networking in Nursing: Why It Matters for Students and Professionals

Building a robust network can be beneficial for anyone in any industry, including nursing students and registered nurses. Networking in nursing can be particularly helpful for those who are still in nursing school. While you’re earning a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree, networking can support the development of your professionalism and lead to career opportunities.

At Concordia University, St. Paul’s Accelerated BSN (ABSN) program, our students can begin networking while still earning their degrees, thanks to our clinical learning experiences that take place at local healthcare facilities.

What Is the Importance of Networking in Nursing?

Networking is all about building professional relationships that are mutually beneficial. Networking for nurses can allow RNs to develop relationships that may support career development and lead to new opportunities. Let’s take a closer look:

Early Networking Benefits for Nursing Students

Even as early as nursing school, networking is beneficial. You can take the opportunity to forge good working relationships with other members of your nursing cohort, as well as with your nursing instructors and the RNs with whom you interact during clinical learning experiences.

What is the importance of networking in nursing school? As a nursing student, you will have opportunities to build connections with people who may:

• Help you develop your nursing skills and judgment
• Provide career development advice
• Offer insight and guidance on different nursing specialties, workplaces and career paths
• Serve as mentors
• Improve your cultural competence

Networking for Nurses: Setting the Foundation for Professionalism

Networking in nursing also provides opportunities to strengthen your sense of professionalism. What is professionalism in nursing? It’s a combination of behaviors and personal characteristics. A nurse who exhibits professionalism:

• Arrives punctually for each shift
• Manages their time effectively
• Takes responsibility for their own work and behavior
• Conducts themselves with honesty, integrity and professional ethics
• Strives to meet high standards
• Communicates appropriately

Professionalism also involves presenting oneself well by dressing appropriately for the role and maintaining a neat and clean appearance. Professionalism is a necessary complement to networking, as it allows you to build a good reputation and work toward advancing your career.

Some of the most important skills you can work on to improve your professionalism include:

• Communication
• Conflict resolution
• Time management
• Problem-solving
• Professional etiquette
• Work ethic
• Leadership skills
• Interpersonal skills

How to Network as a Nursing Student

Now that you know the importance of networking in nursing, how can you go about it? The first step is identifying opportunities for networking. As a nursing student, you can actively work on building your network:

• While participating in discussion forums for your nursing classes
• When getting together with your nursing cohort for in-person labs
• As you work in various healthcare facilities during your clinical learning experiences

You can also look beyond nursing school. Consider creating a profile on professional networking sites like LinkedIn and AllNurses. You might also join a professional organization, such as the American Nurses Association (ANA) or the National Student Nurses’ Association (NSNA). It may even be possible to find a community event, such as a health fair or blood drive, where you could volunteer to work as a nursing student.

Networking involves more than just meeting people and exchanging pleasantries. You can exchange contact information and connect to your new associate on LinkedIn to nurture the relationship. Cultivating a network requires keeping in touch with your connections; exchange emails and schedule meet-ups periodically.

Remember that networking is a two-way street. Just as you hope your connections might aid your career in some way, you’ll also need to add value to the relationship by being a sounding board and offering support or insight.

Long-Term Benefits of Networking in Nursing Careers

Networking for nurses is not something that happens overnight. It takes time to build a robust professional network, and relationships need continual work. However, as your network strengthens, you're likely to see multiple long-term benefits. These can include:

Access to Job Opportunities

Every healthcare organization is a little different. You might want to talk to a current employee about the work culture before accepting a job offer. With a robust professional network, you might already know someone who works at that particular organization whom you can turn to for guidance.

Knowledge of Different Nursing Specialties and Roles

Networking can allow you to explore a range of specialties and roles. In nursing, there is a tremendous amount of choice. For example, you can choose from dozens of nursing specialties and workplace settings. You might decide to specialize in bariatric nursing, for example, or pediatrics. You might become a nurse at a university, working with college students, or you could work as a flight nurse.

Research nursing specialties and roles that appeal to you to determine if you think they’re worth pursuing. One way to do this is to talk to RNs in your network who are actively working in that role or did in the past. You can gain insight that you might not have uncovered otherwise.

Information on Industry Changes and Innovations

Keeping in touch with your contacts is important. One of the reasons for this is it allows for the exchange of knowledge. When you talk with someone in your network, they may inform you of emerging nursing research or technological innovations that could affect your work in the future.

A Robust Support Network

Nursing is a highly meaningful and rewarding profession, but it can also be stressful and challenging at times. Sometimes, individuals within your professional network may also serve as a support system. Discussing common challenges and giving and receiving emotional support can be beneficial for all nurses.

The Ability to Make an Impact on the Healthcare System

Did you know that networking in nursing can even have a positive impact on the healthcare system as a whole? Nurses who network with each other can share best practices, promote organizational efficiency and even advance nursing research projects. Networking for nurses promotes greater collaboration and advances in the profession.

Begin Building a Nursing Network Through CSP Global

At CSP Global, you will have plenty of opportunities to practice your networking skills and add to your professional network. Through experiential learning at our ABSN Learning Centers in St. Paul, Minnesota and Portland, Oregon, you’ll have opportunities to grow close to other members of your nursing cohort. You’ll also be placed at local healthcare facilities for clinical learning experiences, where you’ll be able to network with working RNs across different nursing specialties.

Here, we aim to provide a transformative education that instills values and prepares future nurse leaders to tackle modern challenges in healthcare with compassion and evidence-based practice. If you’re ready to work toward a rewarding career in nursing, we’re here to help. Contact an admissions advisor today to learn how to get started.