Starting my nursing journey...What can I do to set myself apart?

TheCommuter, BSN, RN · Jun 11, 2015

Now that subjective patient satisfaction scores affect Medicare reimbursement rates, my workplace hires nurses strictly for personalities. After all, most patients rate nurses with bubbly personalities more positively than those of us who may have dry or reserved personalities.

When seeking a job as a new nurse, be cognizant that personality matters to the interviewer. Come across as pleasant and portray yourself as a team player and a great person to have as a coworker.

ArtClassRN, ADN, RN · Jun 11, 2015

So, if you are a nursing instructor, what sorts of qualities do your most successful students display?
If you work as a nurse, what traits do you respect most in your coworkers?
If you are in leadership, what do you look for most in new nurses?
Thank you for any advice you can share with a VERY eager newbie :)

Listen. Study hard. Work hard. Don't complain.

ArtClassRN, ADN, RN · Jun 11, 2015

Now that subjective patient satisfaction scores affect Medicare reimbursement rates, my workplace hires nurses strictly for personalities. After all, most patients rate nurses with bubbly personalities more positively than those of us who may have dry or reserved personalities.
When seeking a job as a new nurse, be cognizant that personality matters to the interviewer. Come across as pleasant and portray yourself as a team player and a great person to have as a coworker.

Why would you ever NOT want to "Come across as pleasant and portray yourself as a team player and a great person to have as a coworker"??? Since when is personality considered a new consideration?

Patient satisfaction scores are three tenths of one percent of CMS reimbursement rates (when measured against similar hospitals). What moronic organization do you work for that hires "strictly" based on such a tiny percentage of reimbursement?

TheCommuter, BSN, RN · Jun 11, 2015

What moronic organization do you work for that hires "strictly" based on such a tiny percentage of reimbursement?

I work for a multinational company that has existed for 30 years and operates several hundred hospitals, home health offices, and outpatient therapy centers across the US and abroad.

Why would you ever NOT want to "Come across as pleasant and portray yourself as a team player and a great person to have as a coworker"??? Since when is personality considered a new consideration?

When I first started nursing 10 years ago, anyone with a license and a pulse was hired. Several of my workplaces suffered with the 'Warm Body Syndrome' because that's all they could get. Many of these nurses had unpleasant personalities, poor communication skills, or were difficult to work with.

Nowadays, the nursing employment market in my area is glutted, so employers can be more selective about who they hire.