We are often asked what makes a good nurse?
It’s clear many of us want to know exactly which characteristics make a good nurse, or even a great nurse.
Defined as qualities, traits, abilities, talents, strengths, values, beliefs or morals — characteristics can be personal or professional.
I believe it’s a combination of both of those qualities that we find in good nurses.
- Respect, kindness, fairness, confidentiality, caring, trustworthiness, emotional stability, empathy and compassion are part of who we are as people on a personal level.
- Strong communication skills help us talk with patients and colleagues, sometimes at their worst life moments.
- Critical-thinking skills allow us to solve and identify problems to improve protocols and patient care.
- Our attention to detail helps us follow detailed orders from colleagues and individualize each patient’s care.
- Time management and delegation skills help us keep up with patient care responsibilities throughout our shifts.
- We must embrace flexibility and adapt to changing scenarios and situations on the fly.
- Teamwork is vital so we can work fluidly with patients, families and interdisciplinary healthcare teams every step of the way.
We develop, work on and strengthen all of the skills above through our years of education, training and practice.
Bedside nurses embody what makes a good nurse
For nearly two decades, the American public has ranked nurses No. 1 in Gallup polls as the most admired, ethical and trusted profession.
“More than four in five Americans (84%) again rate the honesty and ethical standards of nurses as ‘very high’ or ‘high,’ earning them the top spot among a diverse list of professions for the 17th consecutive year,” Gallup reported again in December.
What higher words of praise can all your years of working with patients and their families translate into than “honest and ethical?”
We all value the great nurse leaders whose many contributions are moving the nursing profession and healthcare forward. We’re proud of the seats they have at our nation’s healthcare planning and decision-making tables.
But the nurses who work on the front lines of patient care are the ones who interact with patients the most and are who we think of when we answer the question about what makes a good nurse.
Those nurses constantly work toward professional licensure, certifications, advanced degrees, training, experience and clinical expertise to improve patient care.
Bedside nurses are the source of nursing’s outstanding Gallup poll results, and continue to earn the admiration and praise of patients across America. They truly embody what makes a good nurse.
It’s not just the polls that demonstrate how highly regarded we are, or how much we are admired. Similar messages often come from:
- Various sources in anecdotal stories
- Patient satisfaction surveys
- Letters from grateful patients
- Commendations from physicians and other healthcare colleagues
And who among us hasn’t known nursing students who said they chose nursing because of a nurse they admired?
Maintaining such a position of esteem in the minds and hearts of Americans for so many years is proof positive that we are good at what we do.
We all have a desire to help
We are at the center of every healthcare setting …read more
Read full article here: nurse.com
