Top 5 Qualities all Leading Nurses should have Out of all the classes you attended during your training to become a nurse, was there ever one on setting your career goals, or how to be a good leader? Those with natural leadership qualities will shine. And those who are respected, efficient and in control will be the ones chose for advancing their career. If you think about being a nurse, you are using leadership qualities every day as you ‘lead’ your patients to good health, ‘lead’ your nursing team towards more growth and understanding, and you can even say you ‘lead’ the doctors – to a certain extent – to better communication skills withal nurses. All of this can be achieved with a little input from yourself – maybe go to your own leadership classes – it will be money well spent in your future. Related: 5 Struggles Only Nurses Understand Let’s have a look at the top 5 qualities you should have in order to further your career as a nurse: 1. Self-Confidence & Respect Are you taking charge of your duties and growing in understanding of your patients? Do you feel like you are learning new things every day? Do you respect those more qualified than you? Do you respect the rules your profession is bound by? All of these are important on the road to success if you respect other people, you will usually find the favor returned. Confident nurses are impartial in any conflict situation. They also respect other traditions and cultures, and most important of all, they respect their patients.
2. Quick Response Nurses have to be ready at any given time to respond quickly to a crisis situation without panicking. They need to keep a cool head, and they need to be able to assess the situation as fast as possible. They should always be prepared for something unexpected. Keeping calm and in control will spread will spread to your colleagues as they follow your example. 3. Communication Skills When in a crises situation, can you take the lead and still be letting others know what to do in a clear and concise manner? Good communication skills are very important in a job like this. At the same time, you also have to be able to listen – to your colleagues, to your superior nurses, and especially your patient. These people all have to feel comfortable talking to you. You also have to be able to speak to the patient’s families. A great nurse will be able to anticipate her patient’s needs and make them comfortable. 4. Emotional Stability Being a nurse is a particularly stressful job. Dealing with human lives can often become very sad and upsetting. That is why having the stable emotional maturity, and the ability to accept what one cannot change is a great plus to have. You can go through weeks of tough decision making and patients dying, and you have to be able to stay on top of everything and in control all the time. On the other hand, nursing can be extremely rewarding when you see patients recovering, and babies being born. It certainly makes all the bad times worth it when you see a new little life come into the world. 5. Empathy Special nurses are able to feel great empathy when they see others suffering and they are able to provide comfort and compassion.
However, you have to be aware of ‘compassion fatigue’ – and if you find you are not coping very well, then you need to talk to your superiors about how you are feeling. Patients really appreciate it when their nurse can empathize with them – sometimes, they are so sick that all they have to look forward to is a kind and caring nurse. Related:
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In addition to these top 5 qualities, a nurse should have, come to a few more characteristics that would really show you going the extra mile. These are not things you are expected to do; they do not even teach you these at nurse’s college – these go above and beyond – and exceptional nurses put their patients before everything else in their life. Sometimes this can upset the balance in a nurse’s life, but if it comes naturally to you, then you know you are in the right career. These would be things like: ● Flexibility – working long hours and overtime; ● Attention to Detail – follow the correct protocols and do not skip some steps to get it done faster: nothing can be left to chance as a nurse – you have human lives in your hands; ● Interpersonal Skills – nurses are the glue that holds a hospital together. They are the link between the patient and the doctor. They look after their patients with care, and they report back to the doctors timeously, so no patient is left in pain or uncomfortable for longer than in necessary; ● Physical Endurance – nurses stand for a long time. Sometimes the whole day is spent on their feet looking after patients and doing the extra comfort things to make sure the patients are happy. You can get so involved that you actually forget to take a rest. This can be dangerous so make sure you are always on top of every
situation, and that you are taking care of yourself. A strong, healthy nurse can do far more than a tired, stressed nurse; ● Problem Solving Skills – a great nurse gets things done before they are asked – they can anticipate their patients’ needs and they have everything the doctor needs to know at their fingertips. It is essential to be able, to sum up, a situation quickly and to act fast – that way you are always in control. The Bottom Line With the job market tightening up and managers employing less staff to share the workload, all nurses are expected to give of their best – and more. Some nurses take it in their stride and respond positively seeing a gap that they can fill to help out. Others see it as ‘unfair’ and why should they work harder when they are already overworked? The complaining nurse will not get much further in her career. But the nurse who takes on the extra responsibility in her stride finds ways to solve problems and defuses potential difficult situations will be noticed. They are giving quality care and adapting to the changing times. They have a vison, and they use their creativity to solve problems, not make problems. Be one of this nurse – see opportunity, not obstacles, see challenges, not barriers. They leave work feeling fulfilled and satisfied because they are in control of their career. These are the nurses of the future – these are the top exceptional nurses. Which nurse are you? In closing, here is a quote to help you along the path to being a great nurse: “They may forget your name, but they will never forget how you made them feel” ~ Maya Angelou, American Poet Related: International Nurses Association Please follow us on Facebook, Linkedin, Pinterest and Twitter