what makes a good nurse?

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hi, so i've been considering becoming a nurse (most likely an RN) and i was wondering what type of person makes a good nurse? is there a specific type, or can anyone be a nurse? Is being social important? i get along well with lots of different people but im not talkative and i am a little bit shy sometimes, would that make a bad nurse?

Thanks!

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Well you said you're shy. As a nurse you do have to talk to new patients daily in most settings....other then maybe LTC......the patients and their families and you do need to be able to go in and talk to them and be friendly and need to talk to explain what you are doing, why, answer questions, and to help the patients feelmore comfortable. Yeah sometimes you may not talk to them much--if they are sleeping a lot, in a coma, etc. but that may just mean you are talking to the family instead.

You need to be okay with the crazy schedules you will likely have--working evenings, nights, weekends, holidays etc.

You need to be organized and able to prioritize. Be able to stay calm in a crisis.

....Just a few ideas. Now there is also the idea that different areas of nursing fit different types of personalities. Some are more fast paced, some more routine, some more chaotic. So finding a niche in nurisng that best fits your personality helps too.

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Specializes in PeriOperative.

When I have been a patient, I preferred a nurse that was not talkative. there are some nurses who like to talk about things that are quite irrelevant to patient care. When people are sick, they need someone who is compassionate, and a good listener, not a good talker.

Organization is helpful, but I know lots of good nurses who are not very organized (they can be a pain to work with, but they get the job done).

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Personally I think either you have it or you don't. If you don't have it, but you're determined and stick to nursing you will eventually find it. There are many different nurses with many different presonalities; so it is hard to say you have to have A B and C characteristics. I think you have to be in it because you LIKE choas:no:, crazy yet flexable schedules, and thrive in knowing you are helping someone (even if it is a patient that has driven you up a wall and back:madface:). I like the fact that when most people in the community find out I am a nurse there is a certain level of respect. . . but on the flip side certain Doc's will treat you like you barely graduated high school. There will be double standards, tears:bluecry1: as well as laughter:D, politics, people who you don't get a long with and people you couldn't get through the day without:redpinkhe ect. At the end of the day I wouldn't and couldn't be in any other profession. I might be a little crazy:uhoh3: ha ha Good luck with your decsion.

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Specializes in pediatrics, public health.

Being able to "get along well with lots of different people" is very useful for a nurse. I think "a little bit shy sometimes" might be ok as long as you are not so tongue-tied that you can't communicate -- being able to communicate with your pts and families is very important.

If you want to be a nurse, be one. It is a broad enough profession that I think that pretty much anyone who is willing to work hard and has a desire to help people can find a niche that works for them.

Good luck!

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Specializes in Nursing Professional Development.

I always thought the quote from the TV show ER said it best. (The quote was used in the pilot and then echoed in a later, key episode.)

"The patients' needs are more important than how we feel."

A good nurse is someone who overcomes whatever gets in the way of meeting the patients' needs -- be it administrative hassle, workplace hardships, or personal preferences.

That doesn't mean that we become martyrs who allow ourselves to be abused. But it means we separate the politics, the personalities, and the personal preferences from the actual patient care. When we are "on duty" and responsible for the well-being of other people -- their needs come first, not ours. We take care of those other things at other times.

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Must, must, must be objective and a hard worker.

I used to be sensitive, and it took all of one month to rid me of that. I don't think personality type really matters as long as you respect others and let things roll off your back.

Being a nurse is the best thing I have ever done. I have gained infinite knowledge of myself and more importantly, other people from this job. There is not a day that goes by that I don't learn something new and cool! I love being a nurse (today :) )

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Specializes in ICU, ER, EP,.

Well I was shy, had no people skills, had never been an aid or LPN.... my worst fear was talking to patients, had no idea how to do it.

I did it the hard way while getting my AAS RN and never became adept at it. So on orientation I was forced to learn and I learned the hard way how to relate with these crazy folks and their crazy family. It took time, I failed along the way, learned every day where I went wrong. 16 years later, I can call out a crazy person on admit, reign in the dysfunctional family of 15 kids to behave and only call once a shift and I can work really hard to an comfortable end of life decision.

What makes a good nurse is knowing how to deal with the most difficult orifices and get them to put thier family as a priority over their own greedy needs. To stop the ingrained family issues to come forward and help them let them go to put the patient first.

A real nurse is not afraid of all the crazy family dynamics, they find a way around them and find a way to keep the PATIENT the center of our care.... It's not about them.....

To learn this, practice this and become an expert at this is the best that we can do for our patients.

Several years in , this will make more sense... for now, you just think I'm nuts. The patient, that management and family puts last is your only PRIORITY... you must FIGHT.. and FIGHT to keep this so. If you have the strength to do so , your patient wishes and achieving them DO come at a great cost to you, many times, and many times at the cost of your career. It's a hell of a job, and you're always at the battle front and defending yourself, if you are a good nurse. No one will thank you in the end, just so you know.

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It doesn't matter so much what type of person you are as long as you take care of the patient.

Of course, to do this, you will need a strong sense of responsibility, maturity, work ethic and intelligence to learn and grow.

A lot of the other qualities are extra.

Shyness is no handicap unless you let it become one.

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Specializes in Geri-psych, corrections, wound care, MDS.

I think some of the best assets I've noticed in nurses I respect are (1) an ability to "read" people, e.g. knowing when to joke, when to play it straight, and when to just shut it and let the patient lead the way, (2) the ability to reason/connect things that may initially look unrelated, (3)the ability to know when they are out of their depth and the humility to ask questions, and finally (4) the desire to BE a nurse. The last one is of the utmost importance, IMHO; I know too many people in my area who go into nursing because it is one of the few decent paying professions around. They usually make it through school and go on to find jobs, but they're miserable and it's obvious to their patients for the most part. If you have the desire to be a nurse and are willing to work to learn all you can, you will most likely succeed. Good luck, and God bless :)

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Specializes in Geri-psych, corrections, wound care, MDS.

I forgot to add, some of the best nurses I've ever worked with weren't "talkers". They were not they type to chat with anyone just because they were nearby; but when they DID say something, it usually turned out to be worth listening to! ;)

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Specializes in LPN, Peds, Public Health.

I was once shy... then I became a nurse :)

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