QUALITIES OF A GOOD NURSE
Nursing is not just a career; it’s a lifestyle. To become a good nurse, you must possess the following qualities.
Caring
A good nurse is passionate about their job; they show compassion, empathy, concern for every individual they serve. Nurses are there for people going through a hard time; they are the point of contact for patients and their families.
Communication Skills
Communication is a critical part of a nurse’s job description; they have to follow directions and communicate effectively with patients and their families. Patients in critical condition can speak for themselves and often rely on their nurses for support. Good nurse advocates for their patients when they see a problem or the families raise a concern that requires attention.
Respect
A good nurse respects healthy boundaries and values of the diverse people they serve and work with. Nurses earn a high level of respect when they respect their patients, families, and coworkers. This respectfulness is distinguishable in nurses who maintain a professional demeanor. They abide by the rules and regulations, maintain confidentiality, and regard the patient’s wishes as much as possible.
Empathy
The ability to empathize means hearing and sharing the patient’s feelings; it doesn’t mean that you have to agree with what the patient or their family thinks. It just means that you listen and try to understand the pain and suffering your patient and their family is facing. For a nurse, being empathetic means to hear your patients without judgment, respect their perspective, and set of values.
Self-Awareness
Self-awareness plays a crucial role in creating a nursing career that works for you. You must think about the environment you want to work in, whether you prefer working in a busy environment of an emergency room or provide care in the quiet environment of a patient’s home. The emotional and physical demands of a nursing career may vary greatly; nurses can easily become good at their job if they are self-aware and choose their work environment according to their preferences.
Problem-Solving
A good nurse can think on their feet, exercise excellent judgment, anticipate problems, and address them accordingly. A good nurse is flexible and not set in their ways; they can quickly adapt to the dynamic and unpredictable requirements of health care and unforeseen circumstances. Nurses have to manage hectic schedules, effectively respond to sudden events, and make calm decisions by finding creative ways to make a difference for their patient’s health.
Attention to Detail
Attention to detail is vital if you wish to provide exemplary medical care. A good nurse does not break under busy and hectic environment; they follow instruction to the letter, offers proper medication dosages, and maintains accurate records. A nurse provides detail-oriented patient care and notices even minor changes in a patient’s condition; they alert other members of the care team in time, which helps avoid severe damages to the patient’s health.
Desire to Learn
Medical knowledge and related technology are always evolving; a good nurse keeps up with the advancements so they can provide better patient care services. A good nurse has a genuine sense of curiosity, works on their professional development, improves their skills, and learns new things.
How nurses can increase their income
Although nursing is not all about making money, what makes this profession noble is its pursuit to serve humanity – patient care and serving lives. Nevertheless, being a nurse doesn’t necessarily mean not having a healthy bank statement. Nurses working in hospitals can maximize their income by taking the right steps in their professional life. Here are some ways and strategies that nurses can use to increase their overall income. Let’s have a look at those strategies!
Work in night shift:
Many people don’t like to work in the night shift, including fresh graduates. But in some hospitals, only the night shifts have vacancies available because of a shortage of nurses. If nurses work in the night shifts, they will get the premium wage: from one to three dollars extra per hour or the employers may just include an extra percentage of whatever time the nurses are giving. In this way, nurses can increase their income.
Networking:
Networking is all about getting to know individuals and keeping in contact with people associated in the field. A nurse can build a solid camaraderie. They can keep up with the people associated with different professions and can help each other out. Networking can pay off because sometimes it is not about the skills but who knows you. Networking pays off for nurses from time-to-time.
Work in critical areas:
This is another way through which nurses can get additional income on the same amount of time and the same workload. Critical areas like ICU, ER, have a lot of pressure or stress in hand, and the nurses need to focus on every small detail of the patients. A little more skill will help the nurses to get more income by working in critical units.
Obtain additional certifications:
Nurses aren’t usually aware that there are additional certifications of every department of nursing in which they work. The nurses need to obtain those certifications to be able to increase their productivity and income as well, as the nurses are given promotions based on these certifications every year also.
Participate in ladder programs:
There are ongoing programs that many hospitals and healthcare agencies are offering to nurses, and the idea behind it is to improve their work efficiency. Acing those nursing programs will help the nurses to secure highly lucrative jobs or get an increment on their respective monthly salaries.
So, this is the list of strategies that nurses should implement in their profession to cope up with their skills along with increasing income. This will also lead to motivation in the field of nursing.