Top 7 Traits That Embody a Good Nurse

As the nation’s largest healthcare profession, registered nurses (RNs) show no signs of slowing down regarding projected job growth, influence, and leadership demand. An RN is a licensed medical professional who provides hands-on care in various medical and community settings, including hospitals, doctor’s offices, nursing homes, prisons, long-term care facilities, and other facilities.

Nurses play a vital role in today’s healthcare system. By the nature of their job, everything nurses do is patient-centered. They focus on patient advocacy and become even more successful in supporting the best possible health outcomes for their patients.

For two decades, the American public has ranked nurses number one in Gallup’s poll of the most ethical and trusted professions. In August 2022, 81% of people surveyed ranked nurses as very high or high in ethical and honesty standards.

The following are the top seven traits that embody a good nurse. 

Caring

In nursing, caring is not just a word; it’s something that nurses live and breathe.

Caring is essential in nursing because it helps with patients’ healing process. It is a way for nurses to show empathy, compassion, and support toward their patients. Nurses can care for their patients physically or by supporting them emotionally. 

Empathy

In hands-on healthcare, it can be easy for nurses to become desensitized or remember what it was like to be a “nonclinical” person. A characteristic of a good nurse is showing empathy to each patient and making an effort to put themselves in their patient’s shoes, demonstrate that connection, and act on that understanding to enhance care.

Attention to Detail

A nurse is responsible for peoples’ well-being and, more importantly—their lives. Therefore, they must pay extreme attention to detail and ensure that patients are given the correct treatment, in the proper dosages, and at the correct times. 

Additionally, they must pay attention to small details (minor patient symptoms or allergies) and ask questions to ensure they don’t miss anything.

‍Stamina

Nursing is mentally demanding and emotionally draining. Therefore, a nurse must have the stamina or the physical or mental ability to remain active for long periods. A nurse lifts an average of 1.8 tons within one shift with patient lifting and adjusting. Additionally, studies have found that nurses walk an average of 4-5 miles per shift.

Willingness to Learn

Improvements in education approaches, including multidisciplinary training, personalized learning, etc., can help foster successful learning environments. But a good nurse must naturally be willing to learn for them to be truly beneficial. 

This critical trait applies to nurses of all ages, throughout every stage of their career, from recent graduates to highly experienced.

Time Management

Nurses who effectively manage their time will see significant career benefits. 

Time management in nursing helps nurses organize and prioritize patient care, internal administrative tasks, educational responsibilities, and personal obligations. Although nursing is a demanding profession, developing techniques can help nurses better manage their time and  achieve balance in the face of time limitations.

Leadership

While most nurses approach their careers with patient care in mind, many will unexpectedly transition into leadership roles. 

Clinical and bedside nurses use leadership skills to coordinate, direct, and support patient care and other healthcare team members. They also possess practical communication skills and serve as a patient advocate.