Qualities of a Professional Nurse

Qualities of a Professional Nurse:

For an efficient discharging of her/his duties and for a satisfactory fulfillment of all the aims and aspirations that her/his profession stands for, the following qualities in a nurse are inevitable.

1.     Love: with all its other attendant qualities like mercy, kindness, gentleness, patience and understanding are a must in a successful nurse. All her service for the sick and disabled are sponsored by these qualities. Without these essential characteristics the nurse becomes only a mechanical aid.

2.     Willingness and self-sacrifice: These two qualities are complimentary to each another. Because she is willing to serve under any trying situation, a nurse sacrifices her time, comfort and even material benefits. Eg. Florence Nightingale at Scutari.

3.     Reliability: A nurse is one who can be depended upon for a faithful discharging of her duties, the patients under her care, their families, doctors and members of the "health team" depend on her, for she is trust worthy and competent.

4.     Resourcefulness: In critical circumstances she uses her wisdom and knowledge and performs her duties to the best of her ability with whatever means that are at her disposal. She tackles situations with alacrity.

5.     Courage: In times of confusion, calamity or catastrophe, the nurse manages her work with compassion and is ready to meet any problem with courage. She is cool and levelheaded and does not get agitated easily.

6.     Loyalty and honesty: Her relationship with the patient, the doctor and her associates are marked by utmost loyalty and honesty.

7.     Observant : A good nurse is always vigilant. She keeps a close and constant watch on the patients, their progress, their changes and reactions to treatment etc. and gives the doctor timely reports, A nurse should anticipate and meet the patients' needs.

8.     Willingness to learn: A nurse must keep in touch with the latest discoveries and developments in medicine and treatment and must "maintain her knowledge and skill at a consistently high level".

9.     Co-operative and considerate: A nurse learns to live in harmony with patients, doctors and other members of the health team and tries to help them in times of need.

10.                        Cleanliness: A nurse is always clean and neat personally and in her work. She must be tidy and demand high standards of cleanliness from those whom she is associated within her profession.

11.                        Spirituality: A nurse must learn to create a spiritual atmosphere for the patient and must try and help the patients to put their confidence and trust in a "Power" that is higher than any other power in the world.