5 critical professional nursing skills
There is no standard blueprint for a great nurse, but there are certain skills and characteristics that will help you succeed in the position. Learn about a few valuable skills many successful nurses share. Do these sound like you?
1. Effective communication
As a nurse, you’re on the frontline of care. You’ll often find yourself the middleman, relaying critical information from a physician to a patient. You will also need to be able to foster an open dialogue with patients and their families so they fully understand their diagnosis, medication and any other medical concerns.
Effective communication amongst fellow nurses and doctors is also vital as you share the responsibilities of caring for your patients. Additionally, you may find yourself facilitating dialogue with worried or uncooperative patients, concerned families, busy doctors and everyone in between. Strong communication will be crucial for all of the above.
2. Flexibility
As a nurse, you never know what the day will bring. Last-minute changes constantly keep you on your toes while you juggle heavy workloads, paperwork, physicians and patients’ families. An ability to adapt to the busy, ever-evolving schedule of a nurse is essential to their success.
“You need to be mentally flexible because if you have a patient that is non-compliant or a doctor who is having a bad day, you need to have alternative ways to solve problems and make everyone happy,” says Michelle Katz, LPN, MSN. Without the ability to quickly adapt to changes, a nurse simply can’t keep up.
3. Critical thinking
A sharp and critical mind is needed to excel in the nursing field. Nurses must be able to assess a situation and make crucial decisions on the spot. In nursing, there are often multiple options for treatment, which means critical thinking is essential for analyzing the situation and determining the best solution.
Nurses must also be able to quickly and confidently find best-outcome resolutions in high-pressure scenarios. Critical thinking skills are absolutely necessary in the nursing profession.
4. Desire to learn
“The most effective nurses are curious and avid learners,” says Antonio Pizarro, MD.
Earning a nursing degree doesn’t mean you’re no longer a student. The best nurses are the ones who continue to question, explore, learn and develop throughout their entire careers. Because the field of medicine is always changing and evolving, nurses should be prepared to continue learning, says Fiona Spearing, clinical lead nurse.
“Always ask questions. Whether you're a student nurse or a qualified nurse; there is always something that you can be learning,” Spearing says.
5. Attention to detail
Paying attention to minute details is important in the nursing profession, especially when you have a lot on your plate. For example, nurses must document everything they do on patients’ charts, listen closely to their description of symptoms, ask the right questions and remember to bring medications at appropriate times.
It’s critical to remember even the smallest detail amidst all of the commotion. At the end of the day, one small slip-up could become a fatal mistake.