What is the most important trait to have as a nurse?

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Empathy? Patience? Good Attitude? I know all these traits are important, but what is the key trait to have as a nurse? I want to be a nurse and I just wonder if I have it in me. :nurse:

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There is no one trait. I assume you will get a lot of answers. A nursing teacher wrote on the chalk board CCC, competence without compassion is crap, compassion without competence is crap.

I vote for common sense, but I think you get that from your upbringing, can't be taught.

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Specializes in Critical Care/Coronary Care Unit,.

There is no one single trait needed to be a nurse. There are multiple traits needed...compassion, empathy, common sense, patience, the ability to think analytically and logically, etc.

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Specializes in Emergency Nursing.

There is no single trait that is more important than any of the others.

As an aside, if you have to ask whether or not you have what it takes to be a nurse, you don't. That's my philosophy on many things. If you have to ask if a school is right for you, it isn't, if you have to ask whether you should date John/Jane Doe, you shouldn't. ect. ect.

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I guess that is a bad question. Just give me all the important qualities of a nurse.

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Specializes in Emergency Nursing.

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Scotte, your answers are amazing. Thanks for the nursing link. Please start an Ask Scotte site, I have a lot of issues I'd love to hear your thoughts on!!!!!!!

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Specializes in pediatrics, public health.

I was asked this question in a job interview, and my answer was "compassion". I do agree that it takes lots of traits, and compassion alone isn't enough, but to me it does seem like by far the most important trait.

And BTW, I disagree with the person who says that if you need to ask, you don't have what it takes. It took a lot of self-reflection for me to get to the point where I decided that I do have what it takes to be a nurse. Nursing is a very challenging profession, and I think that trying to learn as much as you can about the profession and reflecting on whether or not it's right for you is a very important first step in making a decision about pursuing it or not. The fact that you don't already know the answer to that question does not mean that the answer must be "no".

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Specializes in 10.

I think you must have patience and most of all intergrity..

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Specializes in acute care med/surg, LTC, orthopedics.
I know all these traits are important, but what is the key trait to have as a nurse? I want to be a nurse and I just wonder if I have it in me. :nurse:

You need to be able to hold your bladder for very long periods.

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Specializes in Emergency Nursing.
I was asked this question in a job interview, and my answer was "compassion". I do agree that it takes lots of traits, and compassion alone isn't enough, but to me it does seem like by far the most important trait.

And BTW, I disagree with the person who says that if you need to ask, you don't have what it takes. It took a lot of self-reflection for me to get to the point where I decided that I do have what it takes to be a nurse. Nursing is a very challenging profession, and I think that trying to learn as much as you can about the profession and reflecting on whether or not it's right for you is a very important first step in making a decision about pursuing it or not. The fact that you don't already know the answer to that question does not mean that the answer must be "no".

You miss the point. If you are not 100% committed to something such as nursing you are not going to be successful in it. The second you start to ask yourself or someone else whether or not it is for you, you are no longer 100% committed. At some point the decision needs to be made on whether or not someone is willing to give 100% commitment to becoming a nurse and then 100% to the nursing profession. I don't want my nurse wondering whether he or she has what it takes to continue to be a nurse, do you? Until you can answer the question Do you want to be a nurse? with a resounding YES, nursing isn't for you.

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Good prioritizing skills, able to take constructive criticism, and abiltiy to stand up against bully coworkers and doctors. Compassion and caring with even the most difficult of patients. Desire to learn and enhance your skills.

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