What does it take to be an RN?

[maggijo]

Please tell me the ideal personality characteristics of a successful RN. What kind of person will love and be good at this profession?

[TazziRN, RN]

One who likes science and helping people. One who likes to make a difference.

[jamonit]

One who likes science and helping people. One who likes to make a difference.

it is an art and a science, don't forget that. being an RN means that you have a lot of responsibility to be an excellent advocate, educator, advisor and communicator. an RN has to react well under a lot of pressure and cope with stress.

organization and time management are difficult to learn, a nurse has to find his/her own niche with that.

i hate to say it, but as a nurse you are also dealing with customer service and customer satisfaction. by customer satisfaction i mean that a nurse has to deliver her/his service (nursing care) and do so in a professional manner.

days are long, feet get sore, nurses often get the short straw in crises. to be a nurse you really have to garner the desire to help others. the money and days off are nice, but to truly love the job, you have to have a passion for caring.

[TheCommuter, BSN, RN]

Whatever you do, please do NOT believe in the stereotypical qualities of nursing (angelic, passive, compassionate, pliable, inferior to doctors, unintelligent, trusty, and yielding). We are not all huggable angels! We do not have tails on our buttocks! We are not customer service reps, waiters, and pillow fluffers, so I urge you to not ascribe to these outdated stereotypes!

I believe that an individual needs honesty, powerful resolve, emotional maturity, inner strength, intellectual curiosity, energy, stamina, a good memory, a fluid fund of knowledge, professionalism, comfort with death/dying issues, and impeccable time management skills to survive in nursing. Nurses also need a great deal of courage to draw upon, because we are sometimes the targets of abusive family members, rude doctors, demanding patients, and managers that are devoid of integrity and conscience.

[Jo Dirt]

You need to be like Nurse Ratched.

[Diary/Dairy, RN]

I think to be a good nurse you have to be stong, ethical, be flexible when being pulled into 7 directions at once, compassionate but firm, hold yourself to the highest standards.

[maggijo]

Whatever you do, please do NOT believe in the stereotypical qualities of nursing (angelic, passive, compassionate, pliable, inferior to doctors, unintelligent, trusty, and yielding). We are not all huggable angels! We do not have tails on our buttocks! We are not customer service reps, waiters, and pillow fluffers, so I urge you to not ascribe to these outdated stereotypes!

I have been on the patient's end of it, and I have had RN's with little warmth and compassion. While I know what you are getting at here, please don't forget what it feels like to be a patient and how vulnerable and scary it can be. Please remember to be empathetic in these situations to put the patients' minds at ease. Compassion's a must.

[UM Review RN, ASN, RN]

I have been on the patient's end of it, and I have had RN's with little warmth and compassion. While I know what you are getting at here, please don't forget what it feels like to be a patient and how vulnerable and scary it can be. Please remember to be empathetic in these situations to put the patients' minds at ease. Compassion's a must.

:welcome:

Compassion is certainly necessary, but compassion isn't going to know what that lab result means if the patient is weak and confused, has a fast heart rate and a scary rhythm and a tight belly because he's bleeding to death inside. If you really have compassion for your patients, you'll sop up all the education and knowledge that you can so you can get them as healthy as possible and get them home.

I guess my definition of "compassion" has changed pretty radically over the years, because once I thought like you too. :)

Here's an interesting link that describes many of the duties and requirements of an RN:

http://www.careerplanner.com/Job-Descriptions/Registered-Nurses.cfm

Best wishes to you in this endeavor. We're happy to help you with any questions or concerns.

[maggijo]

:welcome:

Compassion is certainly necessary, but compassion isn't going to know what that lab result means if the patient is weak and confused, has a fast heart rate and a scary rhythm and a tight belly because he's bleeding to death inside. If you really have compassion for your patients, you'll sop up all the education and knowledge that you can so you can get them as healthy as possible and get them home.

I guess my definition of "compassion" has changed pretty radically over the years, because once I thought like you too. :)

Compassion: a feeling of deep sympathy and sorrow for another who is stricken by misfortune, accompanied by a strong desire to alleviate the suffering.

I think it should be one of many characteristics of a good RN, not on a list of things that a nurse SHOULDN'T be, as you originally wrote. Again, I know your point, but if you don't go into a career with idealism, burnout's inevitable. I didn't go into teaching just because I needed to pay the bills. I wanted to make a difference, and I know I did. Of course, a lot more than that goes into both professions, but it's good to remember the emotional reasons that drew us to the field. Your original post just saddened me a little because it seemed rather cold and jaded.

[TheCommuter, BSN, RN]

I have been on the patient's end of it, and I have had RN's with little warmth and compassion. While I know what you are getting at here, please don't forget what it feels like to be a patient and how vulnerable and scary it can be. Please remember to be empathetic in these situations to put the patients' minds at ease. Compassion's a must.

I'd hate to sound like a party-pooper, but I have been asked to do many things that are more reminiscent of 'waitressing.'

1. I have been asked by manipulative family members to run to the soda machine and get them a can of soda. If I refuse to run these errands, I'm supposedly not 'compassionate.'

2. I have been asked by almighty doctors to give up my chair at the nurses station because they need a place to sit. If I refuse to give up my chair, I'm supposedly not 'compassionate.'

3. I have been asked by demanding patients for another chef salad, because their current salad has roma tomatoes instead of red vine tomatoes. If I inform the patient that the kitchen has no red vine tomatoes, I'm supposedly not 'compassionate.'

I am not too good for any task, and will readily wipe butts and empty urine bags. However, many patients and family members expect the Healthcare Hilton when they walk into the facility. I am empathetic toward the patients who really want my help. However, there are patients who will accuse you of lacking 'compassion' because the facility cannot serve them from head-to-toe like a waitress would. I have 15 patients to care for and, frankly, I do not have the time to run to the soda machine. I am not a bellhop...

I have said that some misguided people believe 'compassion' is synonymous for 'doormat.'

[Diary/Dairy, RN]

Amen, Commuter - some days I DO feel more like a glorified waitress than a actual skilled professional.

[UM Review RN, ASN, RN]

Compassion: a feeling of deep sympathy and sorrow for another who is stricken by misfortune, accompanied by a strong desire to alleviate the suffering.

I think it should be one of many characteristics of a good RN, not on a list of things that a nurse SHOULDN'T be, as you originally wrote. Again, I know your point, but if you don't go into a career with idealism, burnout's inevitable. I didn't go into teaching just because I needed to pay the bills. I wanted to make a difference, and I know I did. Of course, a lot more than that goes into both professions, but it's good to remember the emotional reasons that drew us to the field. Your original post just saddened me a little because it seemed rather cold and jaded.

Sorry if that's how it sounded to you, but I assure you, I'm neither cold nor jaded.

Old and tired, maybe.