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9 Traits of A Great Nurse
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9 Traits of A Great Nurse
by N.P. Lee
Nursing can be a wonderful career choice, however, it's not an easy job. Some nurses seem like they were born to be a nurse, while others may decide early on during nursing school or halfway through their career that nursing just isn't the right career choice for them. Whether a seasoned nurse, a new nurse, or maybe someone considering a career in nursing, here are ten characteristics of what makes a great nurse great. 1. Leadership
Not everyone is a natural born leader, however, developing leadership skills throughout a career in nursing is key to being an effective nurse. Leadership skills in patient advocacy, in establishing clinical and professional standards, and communicating within a team of healthcare professionals are important leadership skills for nurses to develop. 2. Caring nature
Nurses have a great privilege of being with people through some of their best experiences, such as having a healthy newborn, to some of their worst experiences, such as trauma and supporting families through the death of a loved one. At the core of this is caring. The concept of caring isn't necessarily something that is taught in school; however, nurses can develop their awareness of how they show that they care in terms of communication, listening, and support. 3. Eye for detail
Nurses have long been touted as the eyes and ears of doctors. Particularly in hospital settings where a nurse may spend 12 hours of the day with a set patient load, nurses are pivotal for detecting changes in patient status. Having a strong set of head-to-toe assessment skills is crucial for noticing changes in patients that can be lifesaving. Everything from the mental status of a patient to a change in the color of their fingers can be important in providing good patient care. 4. Patience
Patience for patients is a key trait in awesome nurses. Patience in listening to patients to know them well can help nurses provide good care. Explaining procedures as often as necessary so that patients are comfortable with their care, and teaching patients at the bedside or in an outpatient
setting so that they can be as independent as possible with their own care are just a few of the many ways that nurses require patience. 5. People person
It's hard to think of an area of nursing that does not involve working with people. Even a research nurse is dealing with findings that will ultimately have an effect on patients and the people within their profession. Some nurses may find working in higher technical units, such as intensive care, may mean less talking with patients, as patients are usually intubated, but they are still working within a team and need to be comfortable working with people. 6. Love of learning
Nursing is a lifelong learning process. As new science and research findings develop, nurses need to stay up to date on best practices for patient care and evidence-based care. Having a genuine passion for learning can make this process natural and enjoyable. Even experienced nurses need to be open to self-reflected learning and stay current. Experienced nurses and new nurses can learn from each other as each share what they already know and what they have recently learned. 7. Team player
Whether working independently as a home care nurse or within a visible team in a hospital setting, teamwork is essential. A team can be small including the patient, the nurse, and the doctor providing nursing care orders or can be huge as seen in some hospital settings.
For example, a patient in the intensive care unit can have a nurse, an intensivist, a cardiologist, a respiratory therapist, a dietician, a physiotherapist, and a pharmacist all involved, in addition to the patient and their family. Nurses need to be comfortable sharing assessment findings and receiving input and feedback from the team, all in the name of providing optimal care. 8. Strong communicator
Both strong written and verbal communication skills are important for nurses to be comfortable with. Communicating as a nurse includes everything from effectively providing a handover summary about the status of patients to the next nursing shift taking over care, to providing patient education about their care. 9. Ethical
Treating people fairly and equally in of utmost importance for a nurse. Nurses need to have the self-awareness required to identify their own biases and leave those behind. Nurses need to be aware of their judgements and stereotypes that they may have been raised with and ensure that they treat patients all the same with equal opportunity to optimal care. For example, judging a person with chronic pain as a drug-seeker and holding back necessary pain medication can treat patients unfairly as well as cause detrimental physical effects.
Being a nurse is a privilege that allows nurses to dive deep into the personal lives of people and their loved ones. While there are millions of nurses working worldwide, only a certain percentage of those are amazing nurses. Whether new to nursing or nearing retirement, a few moments of self-reflection are worth it to consider what nursing traits make a great nurse great.
