A nursing career is thoroughly rewarding and truly inspiring like no other. However, for all the things that nurses experience daily, there are some challenging aspects to a nurse’s duties. These include work stress, maintaining a healthy work-life balance, working long hours, to name a few. Yet, despite these issues, the nursing field is full of caring people who are doing amazing, life-changing things for their patients.
As new aspiring nurses enter the healthcare workforce, identifying particular nursing qualities will help healthcare facilities and systems. It will help them recognize candidates that they should hire and the ones who can become future leaders. If you have decided to give the nursing profession a try, you likely had a run-in with some wonderful and caring nurses, approximately 3 million of which are In the USA alone. These nurses provide comfort and care in the most accurate way possible. And, these are the ones who can excel in their profession. But what makes them so caring and inspirational? While characters can differ from nurse to nurse, there are a few qualities that these nurses possess that make them masters of their art- The art of nursing!
- A Good Nurse Has Impeccable Communication Skills
Strong communication skills are vital to become a good nurse. Nurses’ role depends on their ability to properly communicate with patients, their families, surgeons, physicians, other nurses, and other related healthcare professionals.
By practicing and prioritizing communication skills, a nurse will provide better and safer patient care, run their unit more efficiently, and improve the overall healthcare system. Suppose you are already in the nursing profession and want to grow your career. In that case, you should continue your education while performing your regular duties. Consider earning a bsn to masters in nursing online to improve your communication abilities and become a successful nurse.
- A Good Nurse is Empathetic
Nurses have to provide care to millions of patients throughout their nursing careers. However, they can quickly forget their real reasons behind choosing the nursing profession and become desensitized. Good nurses show never-ending empathy to their patients. Through compassion, nurses will treat their patients very well. When patients encounter an empathic nurse, it will make their healthcare experience a lot better. It is, by far, one of the most critical qualities a nurse can possess.
- A Good Nurse is a Great Problem-Solver
Training and clinical knowledge are core competencies of any nursing degree program. On-the-job training is the best and most effective way nurses can improve their problem-solving skills. While years of experience may promote this skill, but some naturally do have this quality.
Practical problem-solving is vital to becoming a good nurse. They are amongst the healthcare workers who deal with a patient face-to-face more often. One-to-one interactions with patients allow for better resolutions and a much better patient experience.
- A Good Nurse Has the Stamina to Work for Long Hours
The nursing profession is a physically demanding one. When working a twelve-hour shift, nurses balance their emotional and physical stamina. Managing such a skill is the hallmark of a good nurse. It leaves an everlasting impact on other nurses, coworkers, and, most importantly, their patients. Having impeccable stamina is one of the best qualities of a good nurse.
- A Good Nurse Shows Great Attention to Detail
Nurses are continually working under the grinder with immense pressure between orders from surgeons, physicians, and other professionals and utilizing their knowledge and critical judgment. Add this to the responsibility of providing care for multiple patients at once. The risk of errors in judgment will be inevitable.
Good nurses know that the stakes are high because they are responsible for their patients’ overall well-being and lives. Having strong attention to detail will determine whether nurses will successfully provide the best care possible to their patients.
- A Good Nurse is Caring
While such a thing is a given, most of us assume that every nurse forays into the nursing profession because they care about their patients. However, this is not necessarily a quality that every nurse prioritizes. Most nurses prioritize job security and pay over everything else. They take it as the first step towards a specialized healthcare career or lack alternative career ideas or options. A nurse who has an instinct to care about their patients makes a huge difference in providing overall, exemplary patient care.
- A Great Sense of Humor
To promote job satisfaction in such a physically and mentally hectic profession, nurses who find time to laugh with their coworkers or patients are more successful than ones who don’t. A good sense of humor spreads positivity throughout the workplace and positively affects patients, families, and even other healthcare professionals.
- A Good Nurse Always Commits to Patient Advocacy
Patient advocacy is the foundational aspect of healthcare, from a hospital’s mission statement to the Hippocratic oath. In other words, good nurses advocate for their patients, especially when it comes to their overall safety.
A nurse must understand that patient advocacy involves having a mindset that every patient deserves the same care, irrespective of their race, background, or social stature. Being a nurse who prioritizes patient advocacy over everything else will always stand up and fight for their patient’s interests at all costs.
CONCLUSION
The list of qualities that a good nurse must have is long. A good nurse also provides care for multiple patients, balances work with home life, and carefully manages a stressful work environment. Having excellent time management skills is the hallmark of a successful nurse. However, it should not intimidate anyone. Nursing students must remain thoughtful and take their profession seriously.
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