Nursing can seem like a complicated field, with the variety of acronyms and definitions that make up the broad classification of roles - and as a result, sometimes it can be difficult to understand just what a nursing course teaches you and how it can empower you in the workplace.
As a highly regarded profession, a qualification in nursing, whether it be an online MSN or DNP, can enable graduates to tackle nursing roles across a wide spectrum of roles. Ultimately, there are skills and attributes that are relevant to the success of nursing graduates that lie outside of these roles, that are learned outside of coursework and on the job - from an ability to demonstrate resilience to be able to provide empathy and comfort during distressing moments, let's discover some of the professional and interpersonal skills that are critical to the success of nurses, no matter your qualification.
Time Management: Essential For Nursing
One of the critical elements of nursing is the ability to manage competing needs, often at conflicting times. Nurses often work in high-pressure environments, whether in a nursery or an emergency ward. While many regulatory bodies encourage a ratio of one nurse to four patients, this can vary drastically between states.
Resilience is an interpersonal skill that often forms a critical component of a nurse's skill set, complementing their ability to manage their time effectively - enabling a nurse to respond to the pressures of the job without it becoming overwhelming. This is not necessarily a skill that is acquired in the classroom - it's developed over time as you work with patients and stakeholders to foster positive patient outcomes.
Nurses who are unable to manage their time effectively often experience increased stress levels at work. Over time, this may lead to these graduates exiting nursing careers entirely, as they're not able to manage the pressures that are present as a nurse. Additionally, nurses who cannot manage their time may lead to potentially dangerous health care outcomes if they are not appropriately monitored.
Empathy - The Heart Of Nursing
Many people interact with nurses at some of the most difficult moments in their lives. This can be quite common for oncology and palliative care nurses, who often assist in maintaining the care of patients near the end of their lives. For those in the field, managing the expectations of friends and family at a particularly difficult time is a constant challenge.
A skill that is critical for nurses to master is their ability to demonstrate empathy rather than sympathy when working with patients. Sympathy can often be confused with pity, which can often stir up feelings of anger and frustration amongst patients, whereas empathy demonstrates the ability of a nurse to try and understand the way a patient may be feeling. Empathy allows nurses to validate the feelings and emotions that others may be feeling while also allowing nurses and patients to connect on a level not normally seen in a clinical setting.
Having empathy can be a powerful tool in any nurse's skillset and often enhances the ability of a nurse to communicate with their patients.
Being A Team Player - Teamwork Essentials
Another attribute that is essential to the success of nurses is their ability to work as part of a team. Nurses often work rotating shifts with various medical staff, including other graduates who may have completed a Master of Science in Nursing or Doctor of Nursing Practice.
Nurses must be comfortable working in teams - while they may not tackle all of their patient's needs, they must demonstrate confidence that the teams they work in have the skills and knowledge necessary to take effective care of patients. As a team player, a nurse often forms just one part of a patient's broader care regime - often involving the work of doctors, specialists, and other medical professionals.
To be successful, a nurse needs to understand that they are part of a broader circle of care and not let their personal biases and views get in the way of appropriate levels of patient care.
Nursing Is More The A Qualification
Nursing, ultimately, is more than a qualification. The knowledge you learn in a classroom is part of an effective nurse's skill set. However, it's complemented by the ability of a nurse to develop effective soft skills and attributes that enable them to work with a wide range of stakeholders, often with competing needs.
Empathy, time management and being a team player are three critical pillars that any prospective nurse must master to have any success in the workforce. These attributes often interact with the qualification you have to help supercharge your ability to provide compassionate, effective care - and as such, it's important that the capacity to develop soft skills alongside academic qualifications is not overlooked.
This article is part of the HealthManagement.org Point-of-View Programme.
