Increasing healthcare needs demand a higher workforce in the industry. As a result, healthcare facilities are continually hiring nurses. The nurses, in turn, gain motivation from their passion for serving the community. All the nurses go through a lot of medical training that focuses on teaching them clinical skills. The emphasis of this training is on clinical conduct and making patients feel better. So the skills and qualities that make a nurse practitioner successful in the field are:
CLINICAL SKILLS
The process of becoming a nurse is extensive. It requires you to have a lot of practice and experience in the area. The journey begins when a nurse registers. But there are additional educational requirements for a person to become a nurse. They need to have an undergraduate or graduate degree to take on this work and regular CE courses later.
Most healthcare facilities require their nurse practitioners to take on continuing education courses. These courses keep the nurses up to date about the latest advancements in the medical field. They need constant updates on the trends and new practices in the care and treatment of patients.
The importance of continuing education for nurses is not just for their current field of practice. Because of CE, nurses can explore other areas in the field, such as wound care, pain management, case management, etc. This way, they get the liberty to choose their niche.
COMMUNICATIONAL SKILLS
A nurse practitioner should have polished communicational skills. A nurse has needs to communicate with the facility management, doctors, staff, and patients. So the nurse’s communication methods have to be clear, precise, relatable, and understandable to everyone. The fact is that about 89-90 million adults have limited knowledge about healthcare. So nurses have to deal daily with patients who won’t understand health information.
Educating the patient about health information will increase their trust and satisfaction and keep them aware. So if a nurse takes their time polishing their communicational skills, it will be worthwhile.
DETAIL ORIENTATION
When it comes to dealing with patients and working in healthcare, detail orientation is necessary. Every small detail is essential because each little thing holds the key to health or fatality in this field. For example, suppose the nurse practitioner fails to mention an allergy or a small symptom. In that case, it may lead to a wrong diagnosis. The doctor may give medicines that may not work, or worse, make the patient even sicker. So nurse practitioners are to stay very cautious when relaying details back to the physician or doctor.
ABILITY TO HANDLE STRESS
A nurse practitioner is sometimes in difficult situations. They have to answer demanding answers, deal with many patients simultaneously, or deal with stressful situations. A nurse needs to be calm to give clear directions for optimum patient care.
Stress can cause frustration. So it is essential in a stressful situation to not take things personally. A nurse has to understand that patients can experience frustration at the problem and not at people. Even when patients and other people are under stress and frustration, a nurse must stay calm. In turn, a nurse can find ways to release tension and cope with frustration on their own.
HAVE A FLEXIBLE ATTITUDE
There is never a reliable formula for dealing with people. You experience new situations each day. That means that a nurse has to adapt and be flexible. If a nurse is too rigid in their practice, it can be concerning in the long run. A nurse should accept changes and act accordingly.
QUICK THINKING
A nurse should be quick on their feet. They have to think quickly and react actively. They may face urgent cases that will need immediate action. In those times, a nurse may not have any time to consult with a doctor. So they must do what is necessary by themselves. That means that nurses must also have decision-making skills. Their responses to the situation must be logical.
MENTAL AND PHYSICAL ENDURANCE
Suppose you want to be a successful nurse practitioner; physical and mental endurance in the key. It is the kind of job that requires tireless long hours of work. You will have to see that all patients need care and have to go through a situation that will require mental endurance. A nurse has to deal with patients and caretakers who are grieving, pain, angry, and confused. Dealing with them requires a person to be mentally healthy.
CONCLUSION
On top of every other skill, a nurse has to remain endlessly optimistic to deal with situations. Their empathy for the patient’s condition makes them perform their job better. A nurse practitioner has many responsibilities, and they need soft skills on top of their clinical knowledge to practice efficiently. Without the soft skills, a nurse won’t be able to perform their practitioner duties. So a positive mindset, physical endurance, decision-making skills, and communication skills are necessary. Once a nurse possesses all these soft skills, they can progress in their career and be successful.
