7 Ways to Excel as a Nurse and Contribute More to the Healthcare Industry
You may think doctors are the primary healthcare providers when it comes to ensuring the welfare of patients; however, that is not the case. Nurses make up a significant part of the workforce in the healthcare industry. Driven by a passion for helping others, nurses are recognized for their roles and responsibilities that make a difference in the community.
From working in doctor’s offices to outpatient centers, successful nurses are empathic and focus on providing quality care to their patients by paying attention to every minor detail. Even though nurses are only qualified to practice if they have the required skills, there is still room for new knowledge. This includes skills that will help advance their career and help them achieve goals of being the best nurse to their patients.
Being a nurse is an honorable profession that continues to grow. It’s a challenge for many to keep up with the latest technology and a wide range of treatment options. So how can you succeed in the field of nursing while keeping up with new advancements?
Below are seven ways to help build a successful nursing career. The article includes skills that are essential for your growth as a nurse and qualifications you might need.
- Higher Education
Students and nurses who aspire to leadership roles in the field face the dilemma of choosing a path that will advance their careers. Several guides are available online that help students distinguish the characteristics of various nursing programs. A master’s degree, nursing certificates, and other nursing programs prepare graduates for a thriving career. Read more about the significance of NCLEX in advancing your career and why you should prepare for the exam.
If you’re a practicing nurse and can’t spare some time to visit a university, online post master’s certificate nurse practitioner programs can help you enhance your knowledge and skills. With a post master’s certificate, nurses can provide better healthcare services to any patient and educate future nurses.
- Strong Communication Skills
Interacting with family members and professional colleagues is an integral part of decision-making when providing care to patients. Nurse practitioners must have a team player mentality and confidence in their abilities to make tough decisions if the occasion arises.
Good communication between nurses and patients contributes to the ability to provide individualized care. Nurses with strong communication skills can better understand their patients’ concerns and face difficult challenges with sheer determination.
Strong communication skills also create job opportunities. Knowing how to communicate effectively can lead to travel nursing jobs in high-demand specialties, providing the chance to learn additional skills and travel to new places.
- Critical Thinking
A successful nurse should always think and adapt according to the patient’s needs and situation. Without the ability to make quick decisions, as a nurse, you will always find yourself struggling, even if you are a pro at dressing a wound or inserting IVs. Nurses must be able to think quickly in panicky situations and otherwise to anticipate patient needs.
Using critical thinking skills, nurses can dig deep to look for changes in the patient’s health. Regardless of the overflow of patients and limited staff, nurses might face decision-making situations that ultimately impact patient outcomes. Critical thinking skills play a vital role in evaluating which patients need treatment first and the consequences of delaying treatment in each case.
It comes down to the ability to analyze a situation and develop an appropriate solution that separates the good nurses from the great ones.
- Leadership Qualities
A successful nurse will focus on the quality of patient care and direct other nurses to create a professional and positive work environment. To cultivate continuous growth in the healthcare system and enhance the learning experience, nurse leaders with their interpersonal and motivational strategies can lead trainees to become better leaders in the future.
Conflict is unavoidable even in the health care sector. Conflict resolution is vital for patient satisfaction and improving teamwork. A nurse with commendable leadership skills can resolve disputes. Such a quality is also effective in developing a care plan for patients with other members of the health care team who may have different opinions.
- Empathy
Patients might feel anxious and even terrified when they have to undergo treatment. It may hurt their emotional health. The empathic nature of nurses can help alleviate the stress that patients go through during tough times. Empathy is essential in building a connection with patients that helps in understanding their point of view. It further strengthens the communication between nurses and their patients.
Empathy is a significant component of quality care. Nurses who express empathy show that they are committed to patients’ needs. Incorporating empathy in nursing practices results in more effective communication and improved patient care outcomes. Through simple changes and gestures, nurses can make a huge difference in their patients’ overall health.
- Lifelong learning
Health care practices are constantly evolving. Nurses often have to deal with older patients who suffer from one or more chronic health conditions. To treat senior patients and manage illnesses such as heart disease, cancer, and Alzheimer’s, nurses must have the necessary expertise.
Lifelong learning equips nurses with problem-solving and analytical skills that come into play when encountered with issues while taking care of patients. Staying up to date with new techniques helps build a collaborative relationship with coworkers and reduces the chances of errors. Nursing is not a stagnant profession. Nurse practitioners can always learn a new skill to advance their careers and provide quality care to patients with new procedures and policies.
- Strong Work Ethics
Regardless of who needs help, what beliefs a patient holds, or their attitude in the past, professional nurses adhere to work ethics. Strong work ethics requires providing care to patients to relieve their pain, maintain patient privacy and promote patient safety. The most important code of ethics is maintaining a boundary between personal and professional life.
Nurses encounter situations that require a strong understanding of ethics. Ethical guidelines offer a framework for nurses to help them ensure the safety of patients and that of their fellow health care providers.
Unprecedented circumstances can compel nurses to let go of their ethical beliefs. Strong work ethics provide nurses with a moral compass to do their jobs fairly without any personal bias or grudges.
Final Thoughts
Nursing is an ever-growing profession that will always have room for new technologies, treatment options, and policies. These skills shape nurses into quality healthcare providers and help students fine-tune their skills with time and experience.
A strong foundation of various skills will make any nurse an irreplaceable asset in the workplace.
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