What are the Qualities of a Good Nurse

The nursing field is a pivotal one in today’s healthcare system.

Nurses are the pillars that hold up our hospitals and allow them to function properly, especially at times of increased patient load or emergencies.

They go beyond just providing care; they also provide a listening ear and emotional support for patients as well. Nurses are unparalleled in their ability to take care of others and see beneath the surface and into the hearts of people.

Nursing includes many diverse skills, ranging from infection control to medication administration, from assisting physicians with surgeries to taking vital signs and electrocardiograms (ECGs).

Nurses are everywhere in hospitals -at the front desk, within the emergency room, providing assistance to patients and families.

While nurses are highly trained professionals, they come from many different backgrounds; some nurses have worked side by side with doctors for years and others have degrees in specialist fields.

The scope of nursing is varied, but one of the most important characteristics that demonstrate this is the extent of experience and education a nurse has had throughout their career.

Experience & Education

Experience plays a big role in developing skills – exposure to new situations can help a person further learn vital information, which leads to better decision-making.

Nursing is a field that has a steep learning curve, requiring the skills and experience of both the nurse and their coworkers to provide the best care possible.

The type and level of nursing degrees one can attain vary, with some nurses attaining associate degrees (two years) or baccalaureate degrees (four years), while others go on to get graduate education in areas like a family nurse practitioner or nurse anesthetist.

Specialized nursing career paths will require extra education and qualifications. For example, if you want to become an FNP, you’ll need to look into college courses and find out what experience you’ll need. For more information, read this article to find out how to become a Family Nurse Practitioner.

Nurse Qualities that are Important for Healthcare Providers

As a nurse, you will need a number of qualities that can’t be taught at university or college in order to be good at your job.

These qualifications range from your experience to your personality, empathy, and communication skills.

Nurses are often placed in high-stress situations where they have to make quick decisions and provide accurate information, which can be taxing on the mind and body.

Here are a few skills that you should consider developing if you are on the road to becoming a nurse.

Independent Thinking

Independent thinking is a critical skill for anyone who works in healthcare, but for nurses it’s especially important.

As a nurse, you will be a part of the team, but you need to be able to find your way on your own and make decisions when the doctors are absent.

In these cases, it is imperative for nurses to think on their feet and trust their instincts on what treatment to provide for each patient without having all the facts, which can only come from experience in making critical decisions.

Empathy and Compassion

Nurses are often required to deal with very difficult situations; patients and families may experience some form of trauma or illness that affects them emotionally.

As a nurse, you need to be able to work with the patient and family, knowing that you can still offer them support.

You need to be empathetic and compassionate towards each person; your actions should show that you care about them and feel deeply for their wellbeing.

Communication Skills

Working in a hospital setting can require you to communicate information as quickly as possible while still providing care in a compassionate way.

This will require excellent communication skills (whether it be verbal or written) because of the rapid pace at which nurses need to work or else risk losing the patient’s trust.

Knowledge of Medical Terminology

Understanding medical terminology is a must for any nurse since this is the way we communicate with other healthcare providers and the patients themselves.

Even when working with patients that speak English as a second language, such as Spanish, it’s imperative to know the words you’re using and understand what they mean.

This will also help in communicating with your doctor, should you need additional instructions on how to care for a patient or if they are sending over a prescription.

Emotional Intelligence

While this may not seem like a skill that needs to be improved to do your job well, emotional intelligence is an important part of working in healthcare.

Your patients are going through very difficult times, and you need to respect that by being supportive and understanding.

You also need to be able to understandtheir feelings and emotions so you can provide them with the best quality care possible.

Critical Thinking

Critical thinking is needed on a daily basis when providing care to your patients.

You will have information coming from different sources, whether it be other patients, family members or doctors; you need to be able to discern which information is relevant and what it means for your patient’s care.

Critical thinking also involves the ability to evaluate alternatives, consider the pros and cons of a situation and, ultimately, make good decisions.

If you aren’t able to think critically on your own, it may be in your best interest to look into classes offered at a nearby community college.

This will give you the opportunity to practice critical thinking skills with other students and get valuable experience that can help develop into a successful career.

Humor

The hospital setting can be stressful, which leads to a lot of people being on edge.

This may mean that you have to deal with difficult patients and family members, who may not be too happy with your care or lack of communication.

With a good sense of humor, you can diffuse these situations by making light of the situation instead of getting angry.

Humor will help reduce stress in the hospital and allow you to focus on what’s important; ensuring that your patients receive fair and compassionate care.

Stamina

As a nurse, you will have to work long shifts that can ultimately lead to fatigue.

Being able to work while exhausted and still provide quality care is important in the healthcare setting.

This also means that you’ll need stamina to remain on your feet during long shifts, as well as being able to keep your emotions level even if you’re going through personal hardships.

Selflessness

As a nurse, you will be the one taking care of the patients and individuals that depend on you.

This can mean anything from assisting someone in their daily activities, to help them recover from an illness or emotional trauma.

If you are not willing to put yourself out there to help others, then there may be a problem with your work ethic and lack of professionalism.

Emotional Support

Providing emotional support to patients and their families while they’re going through difficult times can be a very difficult feat.

In order to do this well, you must be understanding and compassionate towards others.

You will also have to speak with patients about any problems or struggles that they may be having, which can take a toll on your own mental health as well.

How to Be an Outstanding Nurse in Your Community

A nurse is a person who promotes health and wellbeing. If you are to be among the best nurses in the world, you need to draw inspiration from people that have succeeded as well as learn from their mistakes.

What makes a great nurse is a skill set that can only be made possible after years of training, education, and experience.

Looking at the world in such a way is not easy and it will take time to develop these skills. You can always work on your potential as a nurse by taking small steps every day to improve yourself.

A great nurse should always be patient with their patients, no matter the situation.

They can be calm and cool even during bad situations, knowing that their response is what will make all the difference for the patient.

You need to provide good education to your patients; without this, they might not fully understand how to take care of themselves when they go home.

You also need to communicate well with your family members in order to make sure everyone’s on the same page regarding various aspects of their care.

In Summary

Being a nurse is not a simple career path. It requires all of your attention, and you can’t afford to be distracted by other things.

This means that you need to put in the hard work and determination required to be one of the best nurses in your community.

Your patients will become dependent on you, so it’s imperative that you do things right.

From the most important skills to necessities such as emotional intelligence and critical thinking, look at what this could mean for your future career.