Will I Make a Good Nurse?: 4 Ways to Know You're Ready to Begin Nursing School
Few professions can give you the opportunity to make a concrete difference in the lives of people who really need it. The success of healthcare institutions and to the physical and mental wellbeing of patients highly depends on good nurses. Apart from applying their acquired knowledge, they offer a piece of their heart to their patients. Great nurses have the ability to bring their best qualities and use them alongside the skills they acquire in formal education.
Skills and Qualities of a Good Nurse
Caring: A good nurse is caring, nonjudgmental, understanding, and empathetic to patients from different lifestyles. RNs (Registered Nurses) assist the injured, sick, and their loved ones on a daily basis while showing them that they care about their situation. Sympathetic nurses also improve patient care. In some cases, what patients need most are empathetic nurses.
However, good nurses also need to control their emotions. Nurses often face stressful situations such as traumatic events, emergencies, and tragic illnesses. To become a successful nurse, you should learn to always remain calm and think rationally when faced with stressful events.
Exceptional communication skills: To become a good nurse, communication skills are essential. Great nurses have exceptional speaking and listening skills. You will only be able to solve problems if you’re able to communicate effectively with your patients and their loved ones. Patients want nurses that understand what they are experiencing before even administering any medication. A good nurse should be able to anticipate and fulfill the patient’s needs.
Team-oriented: The ability to collaborate with other healthcare workers is an important quality of any good nurse, especially during scheduling. Due to the several vacant openings in hospitals, nurses are often asked to switch their shifts with other nurses for holidays or to do overtime.
Professionalism: Good nurses should be professional in their work. Whether it’s attending to a patient, maintaining patient records, or administering medication, good nurses do all these in an ethical and skilled manner. As a nurse, you will deal with patients of different races, gender, age groups, and socioeconomic backgrounds. Therefore, it’s imperative that you don’t make generalized assumptions based on your patient’s appearance. Instead, focus on their injury or illness.
Responsible: Good nurses are aware of their responsibilities and they perform them with high standards of detail and accuracy. Such nurses play an important role in treating their patients and there is little room for errors when dealing with the health of other people. Good nurses also have to record and keep track of minor changes in the health or behavior of their patients because neglecting something may lead to serious consequences.
Signs that I should Start Nursing School
Nurses are important people that make up nearly 3 million people who choose to enter this profession to serve patients and the healthcare community. Although nurses are always in high demand, those who choose to enter this profession have to juggle emotional situations, physical pressures, and mentally taxing experiences. Therefore, nursing isn’t for the weak. If you’re considering this profession, check for the following signs:
1.You’re empathetic and compassionate
You might have heard the saying that skills can be taught but the heart cannot. Patients want nurses that can be their advocates. To become a great nurse you should feel compassion towards other and provide them with comfort.
2.Patience
From working in the fast-paced hospital environment to comforting family members, only nurses who are patient can be able to treat and care for patients. Patience will also enable you to deal with different aspects of customer care while still trying to save lives, comfort the grief-stricken family members, and deal with confused patients.
3.You don’t get fatigued easily
Have you been woken early in the morning by the rumbling of your stomach and you thought it was lunch hour already? This is what most professional nurses experience because they have to work for long hours without breaks. If you want to join this profession, then you must have both mental and physical strength.
4.A good listener
To conduct a thorough examination of your patients, you must be a good listener. You will not only listen to physician instructions but also observe the non-verbal cues of your patients and the remarks of their family members. Regardless of the time, you spend with your patients, you will never know them at their emotional depth like their relatives. Therefore, when you hear a relative say that something seems different, you should be alarmed that something may be wrong.
Are You Ready to Become a Nurse?
Nursing can be challenging, yet rewarding. Are you considering joining these proud ranks? If you want to earn a Bachelor of Science in Nursing – Traditional Track, consider ECPI University for this exciting opportunity. For more information, connect with a helpful admissions officer today.
It could be the Best Decision You Ever Make!
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Gainful Employment Information – Nursing - Associate’s
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