Every person who makes the decision to enter the career field of nursing needs to be aware that the profession includes an amount of responsibility like no other. It also involves working with individuals who have begun to experience a high amount of vulnerability. This is why a nurse needs to be able to handle mental, emotional, and physical experiences while on the job.
For a nurse to be able to treat and care for patients effectively, they must be able to utilize the qualities that come naturally and the acquired qualities in order to be a perfect nurse.
Traits that are highly regarded involve:
Being Teachable
A nurse must be willing and able to learn any new techniques, methods, and equipment that their job requires. Because of the constant change in healthcare, nurses need to be able to change along with it to keep their skills fresh.
Most states require a nurse to complete a certain amount of continuing education in order to maintain a valid nursing license. Many of the continuing education courses are made up of basic subjects as well as those that cover medical equipment like a vital signs monitor and other ACLS equipment. Nevertheless, all this knowledge can seem like a waste if the willingness is never there, whether it is by their initial training, maintaining their license requirement, completing CE, or even furthering themselves through certifications.
Being Compassionate
Being compassionate is a highly sought after skill that is paramount for nurses. Due to the important traits of concern, empathy, and kindness, there are many facilities all throughout the health care field that uphold high standards of compassion from nurses.
Professional Dedication to Their Field
Being dedicated is one thing, but being dedicated to their nursing profession is a whole other story and is a quality that should be inside each nurse.
You’ve got to realize that it takes a lot to make it in the nursing field. You need a yearning deep down inside that will allow you to be the difference in someone’s life. This difference is required in order for another person to heal.
Many different motivations exist that pertain to the commitment of a nurse like:
- Having a naturally caring personality
- Being inspired by stories told by others
- They want to “pay it forward” and give the same care that they once received
- A truly compassionate demeanor
A Drive to Advocate
Being able to effectively advocate allows a nurse to provide their patients with the most up-to-date information so that they can feel empowered and confident in order to understand their condition as well as being able to communicate feelings a lot better. A nurse must also be able to advocate when a patient wants something that is different than what a doctor or family suggests.
A nurse needs to be able to be a good advocate who can expect what the needs of their patient will be if the patient cannot.
The ability to be non-judgmental as well as empathic is an ability that must be had in order to provide excellent nursing care regardless of the patient’s background.
Although being able to advocate is a fundamental skill to have among nurses, there are many who have a natural approach to it which makes them even more desirable in the field.
In order to be a great nurse advocate, they must show a tremendous amount of patience due to their emotional connectedness with the ones that are under their care.
Being able to engage is also a skill that is highly necessary when advocating for patients as it lets them know that they are meeting the needs of the patient for times that the patient is not able to.
Today, nurses as a whole continue to come into contact with difficult patients or patients who are unappreciative. Regardless of that, if they use an advocate’s attitude, then they will be able to turn the patient’s attitude around. When the patient realizes that they have an advocate that can speak for them, it changes their entire attitude and helps their overall health to improve.
A Ton of Patience
No matter which department you are assigned to as a nurse, your ability to be patient will be the determining factor in providing excellent patient care to those who need it.
Being patient is so important for a nurse because of the amount of both responsibility and accountability. When trying to follow a doctor’s orders, being compliant with the legalities while implementing care plans can be pretty overwhelming, to say the least.
When a nurse has patience, they are able to deal with many aspects of their job a lot better. After all, in just one instance, they might be helping to save a life, comfort others, and help patients who are confused. When you are sick or injured, the help you receive from a nurse can make all the difference.
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