Healthcare is the fastest-growing industry in the U.S. For nurses, this means increased demand for their services, particularly due to the Affordable Care Act and other efforts to improve public health.
With a rising demand for nurse labor, nursing schools are experiencing an uptick in applications as well.
Not all graduates of nursing programs are qualified to be exceptional nurses. In fact, some nurses are poor at their job and could be doing better.
What qualities should high-performing nurses have? Keep reading to find out!
What it Means to Be a Good Nurse
The role of a nurse is varied but it always revolves around the delivery of high-quality nursing care to patients.
If you are hoping to become a nurse, or you’ve just started on your nursing journey and you want to make sure you’re being the best that you can be, these qualities will help you get there.
- Be Patient Advocates
Nurses need to have an excellent bedside manner, which is crucial in developing strong relationships with their patients. These strong relationships enable nurses to advocate for their patient’s best interests, including adequate pain management and dignified death.
In addition, they are able to communicate effectively with patients, imparting information while ensuring that they are well-understood by the patient.
- Be Observant
Nurses need keen observational skills that allow them to spot problems early on and take appropriate action. Good observational skills are needed to be aware of signs and symptoms of infections, changes in vital signs and blood work, as well as issues with wound healing.
These skills also allow nurses to identify early on if a patient is becoming unstable and notify the on-call physician of the changes in the patient’s condition.
- Be Well Qualified
Nurses need to be well-trained and qualified in order to provide the best care to patients. They must make sure they have the right credentials and licenses in order to perform their jobs competently.
You can obtain your nursing degree online or get experience in the workplace in order to be able to take your licensure exams.
They should also be able to handle paperwork, register their own patients, communicate with other nurses, and communicate effectively with patients.
- Be Accountable
If you’re not taking accountability for your work, you’re not doing your job well enough.
Good nurses keep close track of the patient’s progress and status throughout the course of treatment.
They also make sure that everything is done in a standardized manner, receiving feedback from other nurses or physicians and using the information to improve on their work.
- Be Observant and Communicate Effectively
While being mindful of patient signs and symptoms enables good nurses to be excellent communicators, good communication skills are also necessary for good nursing care.
Good communication helps both patients and nurses feel as comfortable as possible when they’re in the hospital, allowing them to recover properly after any complications or issues arise.
- Be Knowledgeable
Good nurses are knowledgeable about their specialty.
They have a solid grasp of the basic sciences and clinical sciences that they need to provide high-quality care.
Since nursing is a constantly-evolving field, they also keep themselves up to date and informed by reading medical journals and attending continuing education seminars.