Nursing is one of the noblest professions in the world. They are responsible for people's lives every day in their career and they are key players towards their patients' recovery. Therefore, their conduct is supposed to be excellent with a humane heart while handling their patents. The nursing code of ethics has it that the patient comes first regardless of their class or character. They need to understand that human life is divine and to understand that is not an easy task for they are always on the move as the link between the patients and the doctors. Therefore, to be classified as a healer or a nurse, apart from the educational background, an individual must possess some traits to help in coping with the daily schedule of the hospital and interaction with the patients. In this paper, I am going to demonstrate my strengths which will assist me for a successful career in nursing.
For instance, I possess great communication skills which are crucial in nursing. A nurse is always communicating either with patients or doctors. Therefore, it is important that one gets to know how to communicate with different patients as each patient is unique. They should also get the message that is being communicated by the patient right. Nurses should also get the message from their superiors right for proper treatment. Again, communication skills will help them avoid conflicts and know how to handle difficult situations. The communication skills still entail nonverbal methods like a smile. I am well blessed with talking and listening skills.
Another strength point of a nurse that I possess is the ability to show empathy, compassion, and care towards a patient. A nurse should show the patients how he or she understands their pain in a strong way that gives the patients relaxation and confidence in their misery. Showing empathy ensures that a nurse listens and shares the patients' feelings while not subjecting themselves to the pain. A caring nurse, therefore, understands that every patient is different and understands their pain without judgment. Compassion from a nurse gives a lot of hope to the patients.
I have always been known to have attention to detail character which is a major requirement for a successful career in nursing. Nurses are responsible for the lives of their patients as they are the people who spend long periods of time with them. Therefore, the nurses have the responsibility of not leaving anything to chance. They should make the right judgments about the urgent cases and make sure to remember them, read the patients' charts correctly, and give the right medicine in their right dosages to the right patients. They should understand that a small error may greatly affect someone's life, and therefore attention to detail is mandatory.
A nurse should be honest and trustworthy, another trait that I am known for. Honesty involves reporting to the superiors any mistake that you have committed for early rectification. The same should also apply if a nurse notices a colleague messing too. Apparently, those small and insignificant mistakes may cost someone his or her life or cause another great negative consequence to the patient. Trustworthiness too entails keeping the patients' personal life details private unless it is a matter of integrity, which should then be reported to the right person. Therefore, nurses ought to be honest to themselves, to their patients and to their superiors too.
Problems solving skills are skills that I have and are necessary for a nursing career. There are always cases to solve in a hospital concerning the patients or their families. The case may be directed to the hospital itself and the nurses have to get in between and solve the crisis. The nurses have the responsibility to understand that all patients are different and should, therefore, learn to adapt to the situations and be the big person willingly. They should, therefore, think quickly and provide a solution immediately while avoiding being biased.in this case, critical thinking skills are added advantage to solve the problem quicker and return the focus to providing good healthcare.
I am reliable and flexible, another feature needed for a nurse. The patients will always need some assistance and the supervisors rely on nurses to assist in such situations. A nurse should ensure making it to his or her duty on time to avoid any inconveniences which may hinder the deliverance of good healthcare. A career in nursing is a calling and attending to patients should be always on top of priorities. It is where flexibility gets in. The nurse should always show up when called for duty even if their shift is over. Therefore, being called to work in off days, weekends, and holidays should not be a big deal for a nurse. Again, a nurse has a duty to assist in a medical situation that is not necessarily a hospital setting.
Lastly, as a person aspiring to build a career in nursing, I always make sure to show respect to people. A nurse should respect seniors, equals, juniors, and patients too in order to earn respect in return. Respect still entails being impartial in all cases. The code of respect involves respecting the wishes of patients too at the same time respecting the rules of the hospital, but always keeping in mind that patients come first. Nurses should always refrain from abusing the fact that they have the patients' lives on their hands. The only reason that they have the upper hand in that is that several people respected them enough to allow them to get into the lives of the patients. A nurse who shows respect is a nurse who is highly respected.
In conclusion, people should not consider only their educational background when they are deciding their career in nursing. A good character tags along. People should consider their strengths and check against the expectations of a good nurse. As much as a good educational background is mandatory for a nurse, a strong character is important such that the main focus of the nurse is the patients. An individual may not possess all the characters for a good nurse, but he or she should have a number of them and be open to learning more and letting go of what is not needed in the field. I have always fancied a career in nursing and, therefore, I have always been on the check of my character as well as my studies. With the possession of the strengths discussed above, I, therefore, consider myself ready for the rest of my life as a nurse in the profession. I am willing to soar to great heights as a nurse with the quoting of a social thinker by the name John Ruskin in mind, 'When love and skill work together, expect a masterpiece.'
