What makes a good nurse?

Farawyn · Feb 16, 2016

What do you think some of the qualities may be?

honeyforasalteyfish · Feb 16, 2016

What makes a good nurse? a nurse as a co-worker? a care taker? and a human being. I realize that there are times in your life that make you feel inadequate at what your doing, and many times the last couple of years in school I have thought I am not smart enough to do this. My question is what makes you feel you have what it takes to be a good and competent nurse?

While I am just a pre-nursing student, and a CNA at this point. I to get down on myself, that I am not smart enough to do this.

It happens all the time, for many of us the reality is we have doubts.

One of the advice people gave me from a nurse was that I could take my ability to pass right off the table. I wouldn't begin to learn how to be a good nurse until I was in nursing school, and then perhaps for some time after.

My advice if its what you want is try to adapt, change evolve, know what your profs want to teach you, and why. So you have a shot at achieving what you want.

Only you can decide if you think you have what it takes, but at the end of the day you won't know unless you try. Furthermore you won't learn what you need to be a competent nurse unless you learn what people are trying to teach you.

Best of luck.

Sorebeth89 · Feb 16, 2016

Knowing your limitations, being kind to students because lets face it we truly know only the surface and I really am there to learn from you and not cause your life to be harder, I also think being able to articulate to others your meanings and whether those are discharge instructions or speaking to another nurse. Also not being afraid to get to know your patient or your residents. Being strong and advocating for your patients. just to name a few.

joanna73, BSN, RN · Feb 16, 2016

1) Patient advocate

2) Ability to recognize own limitations and seek guidance appropriately

3)Competence: willingness to invest time and resources to continue learning

4) Critical thinking: Can you question inconsistencies? Apply knowledge? Make inferences?

5) Ability to work independently and as part of a team.

6) Self care: Do you take care of your own needs in order to effectively care for others?

In no particular order.

LVHI_RN · Feb 16, 2016

Realize that you're never gonna know everything! You will never have all the answers! Always ask questions. If you don't know something, look it up.

NOADLS · Feb 16, 2016

You need a realistic outlook to be a good nurse.

Want to advocate for your patient? Advocate for realistic outcomes, don't advocate for an unaffordable utopia.

Want better staffing ratios? More staff = more money. Don't expect to have more staff without having to give something up.

Note to new grads: you aren't going to save the world, and no one is going to thank you for trying (at least I won't thank you, which means that anyone with an opinion that matters will not thank you)

Farawyn · Feb 16, 2016

You need a realistic outlook to be a good nurse.
Want to advocate for your patient? Advocate for realistic outcomes, don't advocate for an unaffordable utopia.
Want better staffing ratios? More staff = more money. Don't expect to have more staff without having to give something up.
Note to new grads: you aren't going to save the world, and no one is going to thank you for trying (at least I won't thank you, which means that anyone with an opinion that matters will not thank you)

Note to new grads: If you do save the world? Hey...thanks.

Davey Do · Feb 16, 2016

Note to new grads: If you do save the world? Hey...thanks.

That's very nice of you, Farawyn! But you know New Grads don't save the World: