Here’s what it takes to become a successful nurse:
Natural Abilities And Characteristics Common To Success
- Good math ability.
- Good communications skills (is able to read, write and speak effectively; understand and follow written instructions; nursing requires a great deal of recordkeeping and verbal interaction with people)
- Is a detail person.
- Must be able to make quick, good decisions based on the use of good logic and analytical skills.
- Must be able to work under stress.
- Should be a person of character, honesty, and integrity.
- Has the ability to work cooperatively as part of a team.
- Abstract thinking, which is necessary to understand concepts.
- Believes that people are worthy of respect and dignity.
Facts to Help You Decide on Nursing as a Career Choice
- Nursing is a demanding career that requires dedicated, caring professionals.
- Registered nurses make decisions that affect the quality of their patient’s lives.
- Nursing is a wonderful, diverse career choice, and the need for nurses is great.
- Registered nurses are required to calculate medication dosages, safe dose for weight, IV meds and solutions, and determine ratios for mixing some solutions. This requires math and critical thinking skills.
- New RNs report the five most important areas they use in their work: communication, pathophysiology, knowledge to perform skills, pharmacology, and clinical decision making.
What Does A Nurse Do?
- Makes decisions quickly.
- Anticipates a patient’s needs.
- Calculates safe dosages and accurate dosages of medication, IV rates, solutions.
- Manages licensed and unlicensed personnel.
- Provides care for patients without direct supervision.
- Identifies changes in the patient’s condition and documents and communicates this to other health care providers.
- Uses computer skills.
- Performs specific procedures that require manual dexterity.
- Develops a plan of care for the patient.
- Provides patient care with respect for the individual and family.
Â
Â