What skills are required to become a Registered Nurse?

1. Organizational Skills

It is quite evident that every RN has to be organized and perform activities in a planned manner. 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. It will be beneficial while filling medical charts and allocating medications. In this way, the burden for the nurses will reduce in case of emergencies or any crisis.

2. Stress Management

A nurse has to go through continuous mental and physical trauma and stress. The workload is heavy and also hectic. RNs have to handle every kind of emotions of the patients, like anger, frustration, pain, and agony. In such 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.

3. Kind and Compassionate

Kindness and compassion are the major essence of the character of a Registered Nurse . 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 different types of patients and at that time, they have to be very composed and calm.

4. Excellent Communication Skills This is the most vital quality required in an RN because he/she has 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 No nurse can work effectively without being dedicated and patient. The quality of patience will help you conquer the anxiety, overcome misunderstandings and help in making right decisions. If you want to be successful, then you need to have a commitment towards your work. Hardworking and dedicated nurses work to improve their education, gain better experience and put efforts to become leaders in this field.

6. Detail Oriented The nurses have to be very agile, focused and detail oriented. They prepare patient’s reports and provide medications. There is no scope for any slightest mistake because it can critically risk the life of a patient. In this field, even a minor detail holds great importance and significance. As an RN, you are supposed to take notes and follow the orders of the doctors in a perfect manner.

7. Critical Thinking

As nurses gain clinical knowledge, good experience and carry on further education, they become able to recognize the problems of a patient by 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 take appropriate decisions.

8. Alert and Observant

It is mandatory for the registered nurses to be attentive and vigilant. During stressful situations like emergencies, traumatic events and tragic illnesses, nurses are expected to be more alert, calm and cautious, especially when the doctor isn’t present in the premises. Any sort of postponement in taking the requisite action due to negligence can be risky for the patient.

9. Responsible All the good nurses know the ability to perform all the 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. So nurses have to carry out all of their work without any negligence. Nurses 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 the nurses face mental pressure and trauma dealing with the patients. So, mental steadiness and stability is a 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. It may be an emergency or a sudden casualty. They have to take accurate and suitable actions considering the incident. They can’t get annoyed and lose temper because it can result into fatal situations. Every day is different in this field, and so are the judgments and decisions. A patient feels lonely and frustrated at the time of illness or any treatment. At this time, it is the nurse who acts as a confidant to the patient. The nurse provides the best possible care for them. Also, the patients receive mental support, which helps them to recover soon.

The first skill is to search : Can you be able to care for people (some of the time, you are meeting for the first time) with an empathetic (that's seeing/ putting yourself in the person place ) approach, and sometimes a lot of sacrifice ( exp: you are needed to do additional care, duty shift, that you've not planned for or signed for.) And do you have a strong heart to stand in the face of suffering, blood loss, etc..

As for the real, technical and professional skills, you will be taught these in the nursing school / university. And of course you will need to develop your skills in your area of preference after graduation. And will you be able to be dedicated to serving selflessly, wholly at all times as the nurses unbeatable example : Florence Nightingale?