Skills that Nurses should Possess
Five Skills that Nurses should Cultivate for the best Performance
A job as a nurse in a clinic, hospital or private practice facility will be a rewarding career. However, make no mistake about it. It is a demanding career and requires someone who is capable of going above and beyond the minimal requirements. Even long after you go to school and interview for a job, nurses that possess the following five skills, are the only ones capable of serving for the long-term and truly making a career out of this challenging job. In addition to note taking, an understanding of medication and medical procedures, here are five skills worth developing now, at the outset of your career path.
Communication
Communication is vital because you will be communicating with others in the hospital for the greater part of your day. You will have to record patient history, report information, contact administration, convey information to groups, and sometimes communicate mistakes others have made. The better the communication, fewer problems will develop. Bad communication can lead to wrong diagnosis and potentially lethal errors. In addition to explicit communication, you are also expected to “read people” extremely well, documenting non-verbal signs. Accuracy is paramount.
Compassion
A nurse is not merely an assistant to the doctor, and an employee to the hospital, but is also an advocate for patients. This means that all nurses are expected to have compassion. It’s not about acting or expressing sympathy. It’s about being able to empathize with your patients, and taking their interests seriously. This is extremely challenging because you cannot become overly emotional or take your work home with you, since patients and doctors both depend on you for professional and fast communication. This is a job surrounded by death, emergencies and high stress. Learn to balance compassion with control for the best results.
Critical Thinking
Critical thinking is the ability to safely and prudently make quick decisions. No medical staff member should ever make an impulsive decision. Critical thinking abilities can help you make educated decisions, while wasting no time. Bear in mind, critical thinking skills do come with experience, but even in the beginning stages, you can still practice and start thinking critically and logically.
Organizational Abilities
Organizational skills are imperative, as you must work with many patients, each with extremely different histories and medical needs. You must always be on time, be professional in your speaking and behavior, and be able to work with others, always following procedures that sometimes changes. You can just imagine the disaster that could happen from poorly organized files.
Patience
Patience is a virtue, all right, and you will be beloved by patients, your staff members and higher-ups if you can manage to be patient at all times, calmly and logically dealing with problems—even while all havoc breaks loose around you. Nurses have to deal with clashing hospital personalities, stressed out families and patients, and other volatile emotions on a daily basis. You must be stronger than the people around you, and be able to repair a heated situation with patient, helpful behavior.
These five skills will help you to become a nurse, and become one of the best nurses in your city. This is a demanding and yet truly satisfying career path that will feel like you’re making a difference in the lives of others.
