Being the Best Nurse I Can Be

What qualities of my character will I need in order to be a nurse? Well, all of them, of course! Nursing is a multi-faceted occupation, and requires a well-rounded character to successfully perform the job functions in a fast-paced environment. Patience and compassion generally come to mind when one thinks about nursing, and those are certainly core competencies every nurse needs to possess. But for me to be able to skillfully and gracefully carry out my essential duties, I will need to call upon all of my human qualities and strengths in order to be able to provide the best care for my patients, and to also remember to care for myself in the process.

Working in a hospital, or even providing home care, can and will be hectic at times. When emergencies arise, I will need to make important decisions that affect the people whose health and wellbeing I am responsible for. I will need to think quickly on my feet, and be adaptable to change. A situation may come up which calls for treatment that deviates from traditional textbook methods. A mentally disabled patient, for example, might urgently need special treatment or accommodations, and I need to feel confident in my decisions and trust my ability to make those quick judgment calls. Creative problem solving is useful in any occupation, but it is especially important to be able to locate that quality within myself when someone’s life depends on it.

A large part of caring for patients depends on routine, and so it will be critical for me to make sure I keep myself organized in order to adhere to it. Prioritizing my day and keeping as close to my schedule as possible will help me to provide better care to my patients and help establish a familiar pattern of administering medications, changing dressings, checking vitals, etc. It will also be necessary for me to be flexible, in case of unexpected changes beyond my control. And they will come up. Staying organized will better prepare me for things like having to adjust my schedule to allow for taking on extra rounds to cover for sick coworkers, or being able to quickly refer to medication charts if a concerned family member of a patient wants to know the last time his mother received her pills. It will also allow me to more easily and thoroughly deliver status reports to the next shift, which will provide for a smoother transition, and will make my coworkers jobs easier.

Effective communication is another important aspect of nursing that I will need to master. I will be required to communicate critical information about a number of different patients to other nurses, doctors, and patient family members, and I will need to make sure I am understood when discussing the details of a particular patient’s case that could mean the difference between life and death. When a patient’s well-being is held in the balance, I cannot afford to be vague or general. I will make every effort to ensure that the information I relay to others is as accurate as possible. I will also take the time to listen to the concerns of the patients and understand exactly what they need so I can do my best to provide it to them. There will also be times when the patient asks me to provide things that would be detrimental to their health, like a cigarette for example, or foods that are specifically restricted from their diets. I need to be able to tactfully decline their requests, and help them to understand the reasons I am unable to provide them what they want, and explain that it is in their best interest. Good, clear communication will be crucial to my success as a nurse and especially crucial to the patients’ wellbeing.

A nurse’s duties can be very invasive to a patient’s personal space, so I will need to make sure I pay close attention to their privacy and personal comfort level when providing intimate care, like administering sponge baths, or changing catheters for example. Empathizing with a patient will be helpful in these situations, because I know I would want the highest level of privacy possible if I were in the same situation and had to rely on a stranger to care for me. I will do the best I can to ensure the patient is comfortable both physically and emotionally, and make special accommodations where needed.

Just like the patients I care for, I am human, and I will make mistakes. I have to make sure I take responsibility for them, utilize methods of effective nursing, and learn from these experiences. Integrity is important in the nursing profession, and that means admitting when I’ve made a wrong decision, or failed to perform a duty. Missing a round of meds for example, which could lead to a patient’s discomfort. I need to be honest and hold myself accountable so that I don’t lose the trust of my patients, or the respect of my coworkers and supervisors. As I become more adept at handling all the stresses and responsibilities of my job, these mistakes will happen less and less, but when they do happen, I will act responsibly and do my best to correct them as quickly as possible and move forward. Always acting with honesty and integrity will gain the respect I deserve, as long as I am always striving to do what I feel is in the patient’s best interests.

Perhaps most importantly, I need to love what I do! Nursing is not simply a job to pass the time, or make a quick dollar. It is a very demanding occupation that requires 100% commitment. There will be days that test every aspect of my character, and I need to be able to reach deep within myself to remember the reasons I wanted to become a nurse in the first place, and use that inspiration to keep me focused and committed to providing the best possible care I can give. There will be difficult and trying times, but the reward of doing what I love and sense of fulfillment that I get from helping others will always outweigh any challenges that arise on the job.