If you’re currently studying healthcare and want to become a nurse once you graduate, it’s important to remember that there is more to this role than getting a degree and the necessary qualifications. When it comes to nursing, there are many traits you need to hone to be at the top of your game and become the best nurse possible. Here are some important attributes to be successful in this career.
Communication
As you’d imagine, after completing your on-campus or online nursing certificate program and becoming a full-time nurse, one of the first skills that will be tested out is communication. All nurses, no matter their specialty or location, need to have exceptional communication abilities, in both speaking and writing, because so much of the job depends on it.
For example, you’ll need to be able to listen attentively to your patients and learn to read their body language and hear the things they’re not actually saying, but thinking or feeling. You will have people from a wide variety of backgrounds, cultures and ages to interact with and will often be talking about challenging information at difficult times (and need to convey important medical information while trying to minimize medical jargon), so effective communication skills are a must.
When faced with stressed, anxious, irritated, angry, frustrated, scared, sad or lonely patients who may lash out at you because of heightened emotional states, you’ll need to keep your cool and refrain from saying things you regret. Nurses must work to keep patients calm, so they have to stay that way themselves.
In addition, communication skills are vital when you’re working with other nurses, a variety of medical staff members, administrators, security officers and other people in multidisciplinary teams in high-stress environments. Nurses have to ensure patient information is shared correctly at all times and that no miscommunications or errors occur.
Empathy
Of course, the best nurses always display plenty of empathy in their roles. This trait helps to make those who are ill and injured feel more comfortable and in-control. Nurses need to be compassionate people who can understand that patients are often in pain or otherwise suffering (whether emotionally, mentally or physically) and who have patience for the needs and wants expressed by these people. Nurses must show empathy for the loved ones of patients, too, as they are often stressed and upset themselves, particularly in life-or-death situations and where children are involved.
If you have a high level of emotional intelligence, you will better understand why tempers flare and tears flow, and you won’t take offense at potentially rude comments or harsh tones directed your way. Nurses who are particularly great at their jobs are non-judgmental and accept the many different habits, beliefs and values demonstrated by their patients.
Stamina
Another trait nurses must have is stamina. Being a nurse is a demanding vocation. It requires physical stamina, since the role can involve lifting, carrying and moving people, as well as working hours on your feet. However, mental and emotional stamina are just as important.
Nurses are faced with long hours, trying people and the reality of illness and death on a daily basis. To last in this kind of role, then, you must be strong and healthy and be able to handle the job over the long term.
Ability to Multitask
An ability to multitask is also imperative for nurses. When you’re working in busy hospitals, clinics, nursing homes or other spots, you will continually have to juggle tasks. For instance, there will be multiple patients and their varying needs to attend to, doctors and other medical staff to communicate with, schedules to follow, medications to administer, reports to be written and read, shift handovers to be completed and more. Multitasking is essential to ensure that everything gets done on time and correctly.
Detail Orientation
Similarly, all nurses need to have an eye for detail if they want to complete their role effectively. In this kind of job, you deal with life and death matters during every shift, where the actions you and those around you take can have large and far-reaching consequences. This means you need to be detail-oriented, so you don’t make any dangerous mistakes, such as writing down the wrong medication or dosage, patient name, symptoms, etc., or following a doctor’s instructions incorrectly. You also need to be on the lookout for potential errors made by other staff members.
