International Nurses’ Day is celebrated on 12th May every year on the anniversary of Florence Nightingale’s birth. It honours the contributions and impact that nurses have on healthcare systems around the world. This day is observed to recognise the essential role nurses play in providing care and improving the health and overall well-being of individuals and the community as a whole. Despite being the backbone of healthcare framework, nurses often face financial constraints, and their role is frequently undervalued.
This year’s International Nurses’ Day aims to reshape perceptions of nursing, demonstrating how strategic investment in nursing can bring considerable economic and societal benefits. This International Nurses’ Day, we wanted to present an informative blog for those who are aspiring to be nurses. There are various skills that a nurse must cultivate that have nothing to do with their technical knowledge of the medical field. Let’s take a look!
The Qualities of Nurses: An Overview
Nurses embody a wide range of qualities that make them effective caregivers and key members of the healthcare team. Some of these essential qualities include:
1. Compassion and empathy: Nurses are often the first point of contact for patients. Their ability to show compassion and empathy to understand the emotional and physical struggles that patients face, helps to build trust and promotes healing. Nurses must be able to understand and share the feelings of patients, providing comfort and support during difficult times.
2. Patience: Healthcare environments can be stressful as patients may be in pain or distressed. Nurses also have to coordinate with doctors, patient parties, other team members and people from various spheres of the healthcare fraternity. So, they need the patience to handle challenging situations, manage long hours and respond calmly to emergencies.
3. Critical-thinking and problem-solving: Nurses must assess a patient’s condition, interpret medical data, and make quick, informed decisions. Critical thinking skills are vital to managing complex cases and ensuring that the care provided is accurate and effective. They should be able to effectively communicate, analyse situations, make sound judgements and adapt care plans as needed.
4. Proper communication skills: This is perhaps one of the most important qualities that a nurse should possess as effective communication is the key to healthcare. Nurses must clearly communicate with patients, families, and healthcare teams. Good communication helps to ensure that the right care is delivered, and the patient’s requirements are understood.
5. Attention to detail: Nurses often administer medication, monitor vital signs of distress or discomfort, and perform other tasks that require close attention. A small mistake could have dire consequences, so attention to detail is a crucial quality that a nurse should possess.
6. Adaptability: Nurses should be able to adjust to changing circumstances and learn new skills. Being flexible and adaptable is another vital quality that a nurse should have so that they can provide physical, mental, and emotional support to others. Nurses need to be resilient and compliant with changing situations and patient needs.
7. Resilience and emotional strength: Nurses face emotionally challenging situations, from dealing with patients in critical conditions to comforting families. Their ability to remain emotionally strong while providing care and support to others is a very important quality.
8. Professionalism and teamwork: Nurses should maintain a high level of professionalism in their interactions with patients, their families, healthcare staff and colleagues. This includes respecting patient privacy, maintaining ethics, and following medical protocols. Nurses often work as a multidisciplinary team, and their ability to collaborate effectively and even lead a team when required is very essential. Leadership is important in guiding patients, managing healthcare teams, and even advocating for patient rights.
The Roles that Nurses Play
The role of a nurse extends beyond simply administering medical care. They play various roles as and when required. A few of the primary ones are mentioned below:
1. Patient care: Nurses provide direct patient care, including assessment of needs, administration of treatments, and monitoring of responses. They assist with daily activities within the hospital premises, provide proper care and thereby provide physical and emotional support.
2. Health education: Nurses educate patients and their families about medical conditions, treatment plans and ways to manage health and wellness. This might involve teaching healthy lifestyle choices or explaining complex medical procedures. Nurses are responsible for educating patients and families about health conditions, medications, and self-care strategies. This is another important role that the nurse plays in the healthcare sphere.
3. Collaboration with healthcare teams: Nurses work closely with physicians, specialists, and other healthcare professionals to provide comprehensive care for all patients. Another primary role they play is helping to coordinate the care plan,
interacting with various strata of the healthcare fraternity, and ensuring that all aspects of the patient’s health are addressed.
4. Patient assessment and monitoring: Nurses observe and assess a patient’s condition, noting changes in their physical and emotional states, and alert the medical team if necessary. This early detection makes a significant difference in patient outcomes.
5. Emotional support: Nurses are also tasked with offering comfort and emotional support to patients and their families. They listen to the concerns, fears and anxieties of the patient and their families, providing reassurance and help to manage the stress that comes with illness or injury.
6. Research and innovation: Nurses often participate in medical research and are crucial in collecting data that can lead to advancements in healthcare practices. They contribute to clinical studies, provide insights into patient care, and help improve nursing practices.
7. Community Outreach: Nurses may participate in community health initiatives and outreach programmes. They advocate for vaccination, disease prevention, and early detection programmes and educate the community on wellness.
The role of a nurse is indispensable in ensuring that the healthcare system functions efficiently. Nurses provide not only physical care but also emotional and psychological support, playing a key role in the patient’s overall recovery and well-being. They help reduce healthcare costs by providing preventive care, monitoring patient conditions, and minimising complications. Their presence and professionalism also ensure that patients feel safe, heard and respected. So, this International Nurses’ Day, let’s pledge to recognise the critical role that nurses play in healthcare, highlighting their dedication, skills, and contributions to patient well-being.
Pssst! If you are aspiring to strengthen your communication skills for your professional journey as a nurse, check out our resource here:
By
Sathi Chakraborty
Master Trainer (IELTS and TOEFL), Author – Communicate and Heal, Alumna – IIM Bangalore
