What does it take to be a nurse? Nurses are amazing people. They work long shifts and deal with people at their lowest. It’s not often that you see a nurse who isn’t smiling; they’re empathetic and a joy to those who are suffering. But what skills do you need to be a nurse? We’ve mentioned a few of them already, like empathy or kindness, but what are the other essentials to being a nurse?
In this article, we’ll go through the essential skills you need as a nurse and how you can cultivate them.
The hard skills you’ll need to learn
Hard skills are the technical skills you’ll need to practice as a nurse. Skills like how to handle difficult patients, recording patient data, and assisting doctors in medical procedures. Most of these skills will be taught to you during your nursing courses, but getting a basic understanding of them would certainly put you on the right foot as you pursue your studies:
The basics
As a nurse, one of your primary responsibilities will be to care for patients. That means bringing them food, ensuring they’re comfortable, and, most importantly, monitoring their health while they’re in the hospital. These are a few basic skills you’ll have to learn:
- How to assess patients
- Getting accurate vitals
- Giving injections
- Helping the doctors during treatments
- Understanding the different medical terms
Specific skills related to specialising
Many people think that nursing is simply working in a hospital and looking after patients, and in the broad sense, yes, it is. But, like doctors, nurses can also specialise, and if you’re planning to do so, you’ll need to learn the skills that revolve around that medical field to succeed. Here are a few of the medical fields that you can specialise in:
- Aged care
- Intensive care
- Maternal care
- Adolescent care
- Prenatal care
- Paediatric care
- Surgical care
- Home care
- Emergency care
- Rehabilitation
How to transport patients
As a nurse, you’ll also be responsible for transporting patients. This might mean you have to take them to their surgeries or to different departments in the hospital to get their treatments. However, transporting patients isn’t always easy. Some patients are unable to move or support their own body weight, so you need to know how to get them moving in the safest way possible.
Talking to families
In movies, it’s always the doctors communicating with the family members, which isn’t always the case in reality. While doctors might still communicate with families about treatment options or a diagnosis, nurses also have to be able to do so. To communicate with parents or family members effectively, you need to:
- Explain treatment
- Educate them about disease, illness, or trauma
- Explain what prescriptions are and how often they take them
- Inform patients and/or their caregivers about the potential side effects of certain treatments
You need to be familiar with the technology
With the advancements in technology, especially in the medical industry, you need to know what you’re doing. Now, most of this kind of training will be done during your Nursing courses, but gaining an understanding of what machines, computers and software the medical system uses will definitely help you grasp it faster when you study.
Here’s the kind of skills you’ll need to develop in this:
- Keeping electronic records of patients
- The setting up and usage of medical machinery
- Keeping records
- Keeping the database updated
The soft skills you’ll need to learn
Being a nurse is more than just being able to work the machinery and take down information. Yes, you’re there to assist doctors and ensure patients are well looked after, but you’re not a robot. Some of the best experiences people have in hospitals or other healthcare facilities are due to a kind, welcoming nurse who makes them feel at ease. This is where soft skills come in. For some, these skills come naturally. Others need to be strengthened like a muscle. Here are some soft skills you need to develop for nursing:
Good communication skills
One of the most important skills you need as a nurse is effective communication. As a nurse, your day can change at the drop of a hat, so you’d need to be ready. During emergencies, doctors will need you to act fast and communicate well with them and other nurses. Not doing so could potentially put someone’s life at risk.
Likewise, having some tact when talking to patients or families is also important. Understanding how to communicate bad news or treatments will help families deal with the information better.
Understanding how to deal with people
It’s horrible when you go to a hospital and are treated like another number in a bed. As a nurse, you’re dealing with people, some of who are frightened, confused, and anxious.
Plus, you’re also working alongside other nurses and medical professionals. So, you need to know how to effectively work with patients and colleagues in a professional way.
Being empathetic
Think of empathy as a nurse’s superpower. Now, not only does it help you comfort your patients, but it also gets them to open up about their condition and sensitive information, which could be crucial.
Paying attention to detail
Nurses are the professionals charged with monitoring patients and notifying the doctor if anything changes suddenly in their condition. Sometimes, the changes are super subtle, and you need to know what to look out for and pay attention to all the small details.
Having good time management
There’s no time for procrastination in nursing. As a nurse, you’ll often have to juggle between multiple patients, paperwork and other responsibilities. Good time management is going to help you stay on top of your duties and make sure you lighten the load for fellow nurses.
Final Thoughts
Being a nurse is pretty rewarding, but it can also be tough. Use the list above to assess what skills you need to develop and actively work on them. You can set yourself up for a successful career in nursing before you even begin studying. We wish you all the best!