5 personality qualities that makes for successful nursing

According to the NMC, there are almost 400,000 registered nurses working in the UK within the NHS. Voted the most trusted profession in the UK in 2015, nursing is a hugely valued industry in Britain. But what makes up the personality of a successful nurse, and why are these traits so vital to nursing?

Organised

Well organised nursing is a must. As with any healthcare position, paperwork plays a large role in the day-to-day work activities of any nurse – no matter their specialism. Diligence here is key, as a mistake in your paperwork could lead to serious repercussions. It’s also not unusual for a nurse to be completing paperwork whilst talking with and meeting new patients – so nurses must make sure that they are adept at multi-tasking too!

Social

Being able to talk to and meet with new patients & patients’ families is a core trait of any successful nurse. Remember, a nurse is the emotional manager of any medical crisis, and must be highly skilled at comforting and helping those that are around them. On a daily basis a nurse meets lots of people, many of whom will be new faces – therefore a nurse has to be very comfortable with a very social, patient facing environment.

Patience

As mentioned above, paperwork and other tasks that many would consider to be frustrating play a key part in nursing. A calm, patient attitude can be the difference between a successful nurse and a nurse that is unhappy in the workplace. Many patients in the UK, and across the world, have a tendency to avoid the medical advice that they have been given – e.g a patient of yours may decide against finishing their prescription – and may end up getting readmitted to your ward. Your patience in caring for such patients and putting aside any frustration you may have with them, is very important.

Empathetic

Whilst you might not be able to relate to some of the conditions that your patients are suffering from, that shouldn’t prevent a nurse for being empathetic towards their patients. Being in-tune with what your patients are suffering from, both physically and emotionally, can help your patients' healing process. Over time a lot of nurses become desensitised by medical conditions. Nurses who remain empathetic throughout their career usually get the best results.

Positive

One would argue that a positive working attitude is the strongest attribution that a nurse can have. Typically you will be dealing with patients with injuries and illnesses that will affect their moods in a negative way. By turning their spirits around through your positive attitude, you will help them to get better, faster.

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