Nurses play an important role in the medical industry. Nursing officers serve the majority of people who become ill and visit health clinics, either directly or indirectly. The nursing profession is a vital discipline whose major mandate is to ensure quality service delivery in healthcare systems to the community, people, and societies at large, in order to ensure a high quality of life (Kallas, 2011). Yet, while nurses collaborate with other medical professionals, their specialty is distinct in terms of training, patient care and approach, as well as the scope of practice and expected competencies. So as to share and gain insight into the competence and characteristics of a skilled nurse, a registered nurse educator was interviewed to share her experience too. Her name is Mary Natalya (not her actual name because of privacy and confidentiality). She is 32 years of age, with educational background as a nurse educator registered as her area of clinical practice and she has a working experience of four years. Therefore, other than analyzing the characteristics of an excellent nurse based on the interview and personal understanding, it is critical to further reflect on the implications related to the nursing career if needed improvement is not made (Vahey, Aiken, Sloane, Clarke, & Vargas, 2004).
There are many characteristics of an excellent nurse based on the rationale of the interview with Mary. One is that there is need to recognize and embrace professionalism in one’s nursing career. Without professionalism, the ethical and moral standards of the respective nursing officers will be at stake. Whether dealing with patient assessment, drug prescriptions, or educating young nurses, it is very paramount that the set rules and regulations of how specific processes should be done are followed (Kallas, 2011). The eventual outcome is reliability, discipline, quality service delivery, and competence. Since the nurses deal with diverse clients from different races, economic, political, religious, and social backgrounds, it becomes necessary to avoid informal relationships and rather focus on the medical procedures and the clinical challenges that should be handled. Therefore, regardless of the appearance and presentation, all patients should be treated with dignity and respect.
Furthermore, the interviewee added that it is imperative that nurses embrace diligence so as to hit the excellent standards. It is imperative to recognize that nurses are some of the busiest personalities in a hospital setting. Their tasks are often more than their job deceptions, and they should always go an extra mile to save lives (Vahey et al., 2004). By realizing their unique roles, nurses should always be diligent to ensure excellence while on duty.
Mary indicates that proper listening and effective communications skills are necessary ingredients that a skilled nurse should possess. Communication is the cornerstone of problem-solving, and diplomatic approaches in communication often help the sick and the nursing officers to compromise, share, and agree on the best way forward for treatment (Ääri, Tarja, & Helena, 2008). As such, the diversity between the nurses and the patients is bridged to enable a faster response to medical interventions. Collaboration among the medical professionals is essential, and it is often founded on exhaustive communication, hence the need for this crucial tool in pursuing excellence as a nurse.
Finally, the interviewee argues that possession of effective interpersonal skills is also very desirable for the nurses; it helps in social bonding and problem sharing to solve challenges among patients and staff in the clinical setting. Decision-making in nursing is a thin line between life and death (Ääri et al., 2008). Therefore, the ability to remain attentive to detail and practice with a sober mind is important. Careful and keen nurses ensure proper service delivery to their clients, with eliminated or minimized errors while on duty.
In my personal understanding, an excellent nurse in addition to the points highlighted in the interview should have more features to meet the excellent mark. Nurses should have quick problem-solving skills. The insight of approach should be multifaceted not to interfere with the rights of others, yet remain to be the most convenient options to offer help in trying circumstances. Furthermore, the excellent nurse should be action oriented at all times. Emergencies in hospitals among other problems patients present with need immediate solutions. Therefore, a problem-solving mind is desirable. Nurses should show empathy and compassion to their clients as well. The pain that patients go through is a lot. Encouragement and compassion make them feel cared for and hence a quickened response to medication (Kajander-Unkuri et al., 2014). Finally, nurses should have the stamina to boost their morale and help them deliver on their long hours of duty while exercising some humor to create a friendly working environment for all stakeholders.
When compared and contrasted the present state of professionalism as a nurse student and as shall be a qualified registered nurse is very different and distinct. On the one hand, much theoretical insight is available, as opposed to practical know-how which will be gained in the field of work as a qualified practitioner. While reliability, professionalism, competence, and the ability to deliver is evident presently, the prowess to collaborate, engage controversial situations, involve other medical professionals and the capability to delivery as expected could be lacking as measures of excellence.
If the needed improvements are not made as outlined in the characteristics of an excellent nurse as outlined above, then many negative outcomes are bound to happen in a nursing career. One is that the quality of service delivery will be compromised. Second is that collaboration and coordination with other nursing staff, and even other professionals in the medical sector will be inefficient. The ability to deliver in busy and diverse working environments will be impossible, and finally, medical errors could put independent decision making at stake, whose consequences could be fatal in patient management.
There is much that has been learned from this interview and related readings regarding the characteristics that make an excellent nurse. One is that teamwork is critical at the places of work. Secondly, being competent, reliable, accountable, and embracing professionalism is critical in the guest to delivering quality medical services. Finally, theoretical exposure is necessary, however, gaining practical skills outside of the classroom is indispensable for an excellent nursing professional.
References
Ääri, R. L., Tarja, S., & Helena, L. K. (2008). Competence in intensive and critical care nursing: A literature review. Intensive and Critical Care Nursing, 24(2), 78–89. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.iccn.2007.11.006
Kajander-Unkuri, S., Meretoja, R., Katajisto, J., Saarikoski, M., Salminen, L., Suhonen, R., & Leino-Kilpi, H. (2014). Self-assessed level of competence of graduating nursing students and factors related to it. Nurse Education Today, 34(5), 795–801. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nedt.2013.08.009
Kallas, K. D. (2011). Profile of an Excellent Nurse Manager. ProQuest Dissertations and Theses, 3490654(3), 220–n/a. https://doi.org/10.1097/NAQ.0000000000000032
Vahey, D. C., Aiken, L. H., Sloane, D. M., Clarke, S. P., & Vargas, D. (2004). Nurse burnout and patient satisfaction. Medical Care, 42(2 Suppl), II57-I66. https://doi.org/10.1097/01.mlr.0000109126.50398.5a
