Nursing is a calling, thereby it is a lot more than a career. To be a nurse you just not only need to be compassionate, and calm but you also need to have the innate drive to care for those who are vulnerable.
Alongside, there are set criterions, educational requirements and certifications that help you excel as a nurse. So, if you intend to pursue your career as a nurse and be successful as well, then here are a few traits that you need to possess.
1. Care
The first and by far the most important trait of a nurse is care. If you don't care about yourself and others, you will never be compassionate to care for others.
Nurses are there for their patients during some of the most scary and vulnerable times of their lives and are generally the most accessible and consistent point of contact for patients and their loved ones. A great nurse is one that shows compassion, care, sympathy and concern for all patients.
2. Exceptional Communication Skills
To be a successful nurse, you need to have impeccable communication skills. You need to have good communication skills not just to talk to patients and their families, but to also follow direction effectively. Patients who are sick generally don't have the strength to speak for themselves. Therefore, they look up to nurses for such support. A good nurse is one who is an advocate of the patients and strives hard for their comfort.
3. Being Empathetic
Empathy, care and compassion are sometimes confused to be the same, but there is a difference. Empathy is the skill to understand and share how a patient feels. For this, you need to understand the pain of others along with the suffering they are experiencing. Moreover, you need to try and understand their struggle, where they are coming from and what you can do to ease their pain.
4. Precision to detail
When you are working in the healthcare sector, attention to detail is pivotal. Even in the busiest of environments, a nurse needs to be detail oriented. They need to ensure that all instructions are followed to precision. As obvious as it may sound, you can mess up dosages or enter incorrect patient records.
If you have a patient at home who requires nursing care, the nurse will take care of all the patients. A good nurse will observe changes in the patient's medical and take necessary action vested in the best interest of patient.
5. Troubleshooter
A great nurse is one that has excellent judgment. A good nurse will leave no stone unturned anticipating, understanding and addressing the problem. It needs to be understood that not all nurses are the same, but all have one vested interest to offer optimal care to the patient ensuring their wellbeing.
Those nurses who have a conventional approach and tend to do things in one particular fashion tend to fail. As a nurse, you need to be dynamic and adaptable. A flexible nurse will adapt to the circumstances and make decisions that will result in better healthcare for the patients.
6. Respect
When you are making important decisions at your job, you need to balance well. In the field of nursing, giving respect is pivotal. Whatever the situation may be, as a nurse, you have to respect boundaries and ensure that your patients and their families feel valued.
A nurse needs to be respectful towards everyone. Be it patients, families or co-workers, your demeanor needs to be mindful and respectful with high regards for patient welfare.
7. Self-awareness
If you want to be a great nurse, the first thing you need to do is learn about yourself. Not all medical settings will be suitable for you. For instance, some nurses love the hustle bustle of an emergency ward, while others may be comfortable with the gynecology ward welcoming a new life.
The job of nurses varies in terms of how physically and emotionally demanding they can be. A good nurse will be self-aware and opt for work opportunities that resonate well with their personalities.
8. Learning, Evolving and Conquering New Milestones
The field of medicine and technology are adapting at a rapid pace. A good nurse is one that adapts to the changing need of time and continues to develop professionally, learns new thing and improves her skill set.
All in all, if you want to excel as a nurse, these traits are pivotal to your growth and success. While these skills are essential for everyone, but for nurses these are simply their parameters to success.