What makes a good nurse?
Registered nurses (RNs), the largest healthcare profession in the country, are staying strong. They plan to maintain their leadership position, influence and job growth. Hospitals and health systems that want to retain and attract the best nurses can benefit from understanding the characteristics of a good nurse, given the large projections of RNs’ national and global growth.
Hospitals and health systems can identify and encourage specific nursing qualities as new nurses enter the workforce. This will allow them to hire strong nurses and recognize which nurses would be great leaders. There are an estimated 2.86 million registered nurses in America. It’s important to think about these 13 characteristics of a great nurse. They will be able to navigate and thrive in today’s rapidly changing healthcare environment.
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1. Caring
Although it might seem obvious, many people assume that nurses are drawn to nursing because they are passionate about caring. However, this is not a common assumption. Nursing is a career that many nurses choose because they want to be secure in their job and have the opportunity to pursue other careers or lack alternatives.
Caring is a key nursing quality. Nursing success is directly related to the ability of nurses to care for their patients.
2. Communication skills
A nurse must have strong communication skills. A nurse’s role depends on being able to communicate effectively with physicians, nurses, other disciplines, patients, their families, and other healthcare professionals.
Medical errors are more common if nurses need to gain the skills to interpret and communicate information correctly. Patients often feel neglected and misinformed, and the whole unit will suffer. Nurses can provide safer care for their patients and their entire hospital/health system by prioritizing communication and practising it. This will also benefit their career and long-term future.
3. Empathy
It is easy for nurses to forget what it was like being a nonclinical person or become de-sensitized when caring for thousands of patients over their careers. Good nurses show empathy for patients and try to understand their needs.
Empathy is a key component of nursing. It allows nurses to be more compassionate with patients and care for them as people instead of following rigid guidelines. Patients will be more satisfied with their care if they have the opportunity to meet good nurses.
4. Attention to the Details
As nurses must balance the demands of physicians and their critical thinking to provide high-quality patient care, they are under tremendous pressure. The risk of human error is almost guaranteed when multiple patients are cared for simultaneously.
Good nurses know that the stakes can be high. A nurse’s personality trait is to pay attention to details. This will determine their success in their job.
5. Problem-Solving Skills
Although clinical knowledge and training are taught during a nurse’s education, on-the-job training is the best way to develop a nurse’s problem-solving skills. Although years of experience may help to improve this skill, many nurses are naturally better at problem-solving because of their skills and characteristics as nurses.
Nursing requires problem-solving skills. Nurses often have the best one-on-one contact with patients and are responsible for most of the decisions related to their care. If made incorrectly, even the smallest decisions can majorly impact patient outcomes and lead to adverse patient outcomes.
6. Stamina
One of the most overlooked aspects of nursing careers is their physical demands. A nurse can lift an average of 1.8 tonnes per shift (roughly the same weight as a hippo) and also has to adjust patients. Studies have shown that nurses can walk 4-5 miles per shift on average.
Nurses work 12-hour shifts and have unique physical and mental stamina. This skill is essential for a good nurse. This skill is vital for nurses and their coworkers as well as patients. A great nurse must have enough stamina.
7. Humor: A Sense of Humor
Nurses who can have a good time and laugh are often satisfied in a physically and mentally exhausting job. Nurses are subject to varying levels of stress. Nurses must take the time to relax and have a positive attitude.
A good sense of humour can help spread positivity among other nurses, patients, families, and their families. A good sense of humour is a hallmark of a nurse leader and reminds patients’ families that nurses are also people. It ultimately improves trust and allows them to share their concerns and feedback. Patients and their families are grateful for any effort to bring some cheeriness during stressful times.
8. Commitment to Patient Advocacy
This is the core principle of healthcare, from the Hippocratic Oath to almost every hospital’s mission statement. It states that patients should be safe and receive the best care. This means that you must be a champion for patients and pay special attention to their safety.
A great nurse knows that patient advocacy is one of the most important qualities of a leader in nursing. It must be practised with each patient at every stage of the care continuum. Patients often arrive at hospitals or healthcare settings needing clarification and clarification. They are often unable to speak up and advocate for their safety. A nurse passionate about patient advocacy will ensure they are always advocating for the best possible care for their patients.
9. Willingness to learn
The healthcare industry and healthcare workers must be able to adapt to technological advances and scientific breakthroughs to deliver the best possible patient care. A nurse can spend more time at the bedside with patients than in any other healthcare role. They also can learn new skills and are eager to put them into practice.
Education approaches can be improved (e.g. personalized learning, multidisciplinary training). While these improvements can foster successful learning environments, a nurse willing to learn must be a good one. This skill applies to all nurses, regardless of age, at any stage in their careers, from newly graduated to experienced.
10. Experience
It is important to remember that veteran nurses who retire from the healthcare industry bring decades of experience and knowledge that can only be replaced slowly. Nursing leaders are trying to find new nurses to fill the gaps. Most of the available candidates are mostly new graduate nurses. This is a stark contrast to the previous nurses. They have much more experience, as well as the patient care skills and knowledge that only time can provide.
Nursing leaders can help new nurses succeed by engaging with them and instilling a desire to continue learning.