mama_d

It takes all kinds...I don't think that there's any one particular type of person who makes a good nurse. There's only been two nurses I've worked with in my whole career thus far who embodied all the traits of a "perfect" nurse in my eyes. One of them used to be a nun, the other raised five or six boys; I think those experiences prepared them for nursing in ways that nursing school never could.
IMO, a "perfect" nurse would have never ending patience, an unlimited supply of compassion, a backbone made of adamantium, be able to suffer fools gladly, never loose their cool, have an encyclopedic knowledge base and the ability to be the best teacher you've ever seen, be able to gracefully manage other staff, be a real team player, and be able to run a code by themselves with a hand tied behind their back.
Obviously, none of us can measure up to that! So what you can do is take the parts that you do well at and work to excel there, and take the parts you're not so good at and work to improve them. For me personally, I think I have a pretty good knowledge base and enjoy teaching others, so I seek out opportunities to help my coworkers and over the years have gotten to the point that it's not unusual for people to come to me and ask "hey, have you ever heard of this?" However, I tend to run a little short on patience with some kinds of patients, so I rely on my coworkers to sometimes remind me to take a deep breath before I go into some rooms...it's a constant struggle sometimes, but I recognize that I need to work on it and am doing so.
A lot of people will tell you that if you're just there for the paycheck, you won't make a good nurse. I've seen this, but I've also seen people who are able to be good nurses who claim to just be there for the paycheck. Honestly, if you don't have the personality to enjoy nursing on some level, you won't stay in it for long.
Most of the practical skills you need you'll learn by experience. Time management is very important, but something that you really can't learn until you're out on your own. Always remember to be respectful to everyone, because it takes everyone to keep the facility running, from the maintenance guys to the CEO.