What are some personality traits needed to be a great nurse?

Nurses General Nursing

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I'm not a nurse yet but based on what I've been told I would say one would have to have pretty tough skin. My mom's been a nurse since I was born and she's the toughest person I know.

With certain people in certain situations, and where you hold little power of influence, it's the ability to put up with an absolutely enormous amount of crap--and still keep going--all while not becoming like the absurd or insecure crap-disher-outers.

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Don't take yourself so seriously. Don't sweat the small stuff. Realize that NOBODY, including yourself, is perfect. The ability to rise above your environment. The ability to make the decision to be happy. Flexibility, flexibility, flexibility. And the ability to realize that the only person you will ever be able to control is yourself.

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I graduated nursing school Dec. 2011, and since I didn't get hired by any hospital i wanted, I had no choice but to accept a school nursing job at the last minute bc I had bills needing to be paid. Needless to say, I have no place to speak for nurses who work in hospitals day in and day out. But from seeing my friend's posts on FB, I know in order to do that, you need to be STRONG. Not just physically (bc you're sometimes lifting 300 lb patients on your own) but mentally. Doctors yell at you, patients yell at you, CNA's yell at you, your own fellow staff yell at you, other departments, ect. The nurse is the one who gets blamed when something goes wrong, and you need to be strong enough to hold your ground. Take responsibility. The day comes when you make that med error (trust me, it happens to every nurse) you need to be STRONG. On those days you went in at 6:30am and don't leave until 10pm, your body needs to be STRONG, and your mind STRONG. Nurses have a strength no other professional in the hospital can measure up to. Our minds and bodies take the toll.

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You also have to be a little bipolar. You may have one patient who is actively dying and another patient how is about to be discharged after overcoming many health issues. For one patient you'll have to empathize with the greiving family, and usher the patient into deaths doors, for the other patient: you'll have to be his biggest fan and cheerleader and be overly excited for his success.

Must be able to modulate these emotions and do it very well. Patients don't care how much you know until they know how much you care.

Have to be an actress. Even though you may feel like crap and rather be home doing anything else then to be at work, you cannot show this on your face. You need to pull up your big pants, put a smile on your face, and sell your customer service.

In nursing you have to be SELFLESS. It is not all about us.

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Specializes in Certified Med/Surg tele, and other stuff.

If you did your best and you didn't get everything completed, let it go. Don't beat yourself up.

Never think you know everything. You never will. The day that you think you do is the day you have become dangerous.

Never, ever show doubt in front of the pt. You can be panicked inside, but keep it calm on the outside. Nurses that use their inside head with their outside voice..OMG...drives me nuts! Don't say OMG, Wow, Oops, I have no clue, hear goes nothing, etc.. in front of the pt.

Nobody wants to be your science experience!

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Specializes in LTC, Education, Management, QAPI.

Integrity is #1 to me. Know your own limits, be able to admit your faults. Reveal your shortcomings and do something to compensate. Maintaining integrity is hard sometimes, but it is the base of the profession to me. If you are honest and work hard, that too is wrapped up with integrity.

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Specializes in Pediatrics, Emergency, Trauma.
Integrity is #1 to me. Know your own limits be able to admit your faults. Reveal your shortcomings and do something to compensate. Maintaining integrity is hard sometimes, but it is the base of the profession to me. If you are honest and work hard, that too is wrapped up with integrity.[/quote']

^^^Agree 1,000,000%!!!

Integrity GIVES you that "tough skin." What you will do and what you will DO (noticed I said what you won't do ;) )...

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Specializes in Certified Med/Surg tele, and other stuff.
^^^Agree 1,000,000%!!!

Integrity GIVES you that "tough skin." What you will do and what you will DO (noticed I said what you won't do ;) )...

Very true

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I'm new but I have a few. I know it's been said, but I don't think it can be said too much: thick skin. Also....- Balance of self confidence and humility (you want to come off confident but not cocky) - Professionalism (sounds simple, but really ponder what it means and think of examples.)- The ability to respectfully stand up for yourself

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Specializes in OB (with a history of cardiac).

I agree with the thick skin comments- it's something I have been working on. Humility is another one I think will work in your favor, especially when you have been taught to do things one way in school and then your preceptor or another nurse who has been a nurse since before you were born has a different way of doing it and would like to show you. You might go with the nurse who has had this routine down pat for years and years over a textbook. Sometimes the nurse with the least amount of letters behind their name has the most knowledge and will be a reservoir of information you can tap. Try not to have the know it all air. Your textbooks and sim labs are useless in real life land.

Another one would friendliness. This is inspired by a new nurse to our unit- this is her first job and she came early for one of her orientation shifts, she was sitting in the breakroom and I popped in for something and I said hello, and she was really kind of curt, like her defenses were seriously up big time. She had that "don't mess with me, I'm a serious nurse!" vibe. Every time I've seen her since she just looks like she's trying to be tough and well really it just makes her look cranky. SMILE for petesake! You're on the baby unit. Or if that doesn't do it, how about, smile...you have a job.

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Specializes in Transitional Nursing.
Courage. Sometimes you have to take a deep breath then go talk to that doctor who has a reputation for chewing nurses up and spitting them out. .[/quote']

THIS!! I'm not even a nurse yet but i work a lot of secretary shifts and I can't tell you how many times a day nurses hang up the phone after talking with docs and totally didn't get their point across or the doc just wouldn't hear them. I've made a mental note to "grow a pair" as I can see myself doing the same thing. Doctors are just people :)

"No day but today"

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Specializes in CRNA, Finally retired.

When you read all the posts about nursing "eating their young" (no more cliches!!!) remember all the people who took the time to impart the incredible wisdom in these posts. I think Allnurses should print a date book for nurses with these quotes on the pages. You can tell how old I am just using the word "datebook." After 40 years of nursing and still working, I never felt like I made the wrong decision. I was fortunate enough at the age of 35 to inherit enough money (plus food stamps) to just cover MSN which had a lot to do with giving me staying power. At 65, I could not still be working on the floor!

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