Top 11 Skills for Becoming a Successful Registered Nurse

Registered nurses (RNs) play an important role in the healthcare system. They are contributors who analyze, assist, and comfort patients. On top of their primary roles, RNs may act as a mediator between the doctor and the patient’s family by providing them with knowledge about the patient’s medical condition, current and future treatment plans, and the physician’s aftercare instructions.

Along with the basic educational requirements, you must learn to embody certain qualities and skills to become a registered nurse. While these skills should generally be acquired in nursing school, it can still be important to demonstrate them by emphasizing them in your cover letter when applying for a job and being prepared to answer skills questions during a job interview.

1. Organizational Skills

Every RN should be organized and perform activities in a planned manner. This is because each nurse can be given many patients to look after at a time, so it is better if the nurse remains prepared for shouldering all the responsibilities. Not only does being organized help with filing medical charts and allocating medications, but it can also help with patient care overall. Even as digital records become standard and nursing informatics brings modern tech to many clinical tasks, RNs need to be personally organized to collaborate with the rest of the care team and deliver the best care to patients.

2. Stress Management

A nurse has to go through continuous mental and physical trauma and stress, making the workload very hectic. There are many incidences that may occur throughout the day that can heighten an RN’s stress load — for example, moody patients, too many patients, being understaffed, and much more. In these situations, it is important and crucial that every nurse tries to remain calm and understand the circumstances. This will help them to successfully carry out their duties and help each patient to their best ability.

3. Kind and Compassionate

Kindness and compassion play major roles in the character of an RN and are an important part of the metaparadigm of nursing. An efficient nurse has to be considerate, sympathetic, non-judgmental and should have the ability to provide comfort to the patient both emotionally and mentally. There are times when a nurse has to look after patients of all demographics and at that time, they should be very composed, calm, compassionate, and kind to each one.

4. Excellent Communication Skills

This may be one of the most vital qualities required in an RN because they have to interact with patients, coworkers, and doctors. They can’t give complete care if they don’t have good communication skills. A nurse should also be a good listener, and the conversation has to be soft and polite. RNs with knowledge of multiple languages are generally paid higher.

5. Dedication and Patience

Working effectively as a nurse without dedication and patience can be extremely difficult. The quality of patience can help individuals conquer anxiety, overcome misunderstandings, and help in making the right decisions. If anybody wants to be successful, then they should be committed to their work. Showing dedication and patience can help prospective RNs improve their education, gain better experience, and ultimately become leaders in the medical field.

6. Detail Oriented

Nurses have to be agile, focused, and detail-oriented. They prepare patient’s reports and provide medications — not paying attention to detail can cause them to mix up patient records or provide the wrong medication, which can lead to bigger problems. These problems, though they may stem from the slightest mistake, can critically risk the life of a patient. In this field, every minor detail holds importance and significance.

7. Critical Thinking

As nurses gain clinical knowledge, good experience, and commit to further education, they become able to recognize the problems of a patient on their own. Nurses must be competent to acquire self-sufficiency through critical thinking which helps them to adapt according to the changes. Critical thinking is an essential trait that helps RNs to judge the situations and make appropriate decisions.

8. Alert and Observant

It is mandatory for registered nurses to be attentive and vigilant. During stressful situations like emergencies, traumatic events, and tragic illnesses, nurses are expected to be alert, calm, and cautious, especially when the doctor isn’t present on the premises. Any sort of delay or inaction can be risky for the patient.

9. Responsible

All good nurses will need to possess the ability to perform their duties responsibly and with utmost care and precision. The activities of a nurse directly affect the life of a patient, and that’s why there is no room for any mistake or error. Nurses have to carry out all of their work without any negligence. They also need to be responsible and alert at the time of emergencies and causalities.

10. Physical and Mental Endurance

A registered nurse has to be mentally stable and physically strong. They have to be very quick and agile all the time. Also, they have to be very active at the time of on-call duties and extended shifts. On the other hand, there are incidents when nurses face mental pressure and trauma dealing with the patients. So, mental steadiness and stability are requisite in this occupation.

11. Judgment and Decision Making

Every RN must have the skills to analyze, review, and judge different situations in the medical field. They have to make accurate observations, judge the situation, and take suitable action without getting annoyed, angry, or overwhelmed; any delay or distraction could result in a fatality when every second counts.

Aside from having completed the requisite education, obtaining these skills is essential for an individual to become a registered nurse. These traits are important to become a better nurse and also help them to handle patients in the right way. Incorporating these skills into your everyday practice as an RN can help to ensure you become successful in the field and provide your patients with the best care possible.

Other Helpful Resources:

20 Registered Nurse Job Benefits

Registered Nurse Responsibilities and Duties

Registered Nurse Cover Letter Sample

quick RN guide links