The healthcare industry is an ever-evolving part of our society and workforce. Every day there is news on finding the cures of diseases or advancements in medical technology. Since there are so many technological breakthroughs, it has become essential for health practitioners to evolve their medical practices simultaneously.
One of the most critical determinants of a sound healthcare system is the competency of its staff. It includes every healthcare worker, including doctors, dentists, nurses, and even practicing physicians, to be the best at what they do. Due to the recent pandemic, there has been a considerable shortage of healthcare staff, and this statistic notably included nurses.
Moreover, there was also a notable decline in the competency of nurse practitioners, which has now led hospital administrators to recognize the importance of employing a better nursing team. Are you a practicing nurse or an RN that wishes to acquire the skills needed to be the best in your field? If yes, read on to find out what qualities and traits a nurse needs to perfect to advance their career.
Pursuing a higher education
A good nurse possesses many skills, but the most important of them is their expertise. Nurses must train for years in schools and clinical settings to obtain the essential expertise to handle patients to battle difficulties without panicking. Just because a nurse completes their bachelor’s degree, it doesn’t mean that they are a professional in the job. To become a good healthcare professional, nurses must gain the same clinical experience equal to the theoretical material they consumed in their institutes. Therefore, to become a better nurse pursuing a higher education degree can be highly beneficial.
Countless institutions offer an msn degree online, allowing you to gain the necessary skills to become an advanced-level nurse. It means that you’d have fewer chances of making an error and become a better-qualified nurse. Since it is challenging to manage hospital hours and study, applying for an online program can benefit. This degree will also prepare you to become a clinical nurse leader to manage entry-level nurses if you decide to shift career pathways.
Teamwork and Collaboration
To achieve medical milestones, healthcare practitioners need to learn to work together. It helps expand clinical knowledge and help identify setbacks that one may not determine by themselves. A well-grouped body of nurses, doctors, or assistants ensures that the patient is kept in check, thus ensuring a better quality of patient care. All in all, good teamwork allows one to become an expert in one’s field too. It is important to remember that everyone has gaps in their knowledge. A contribution from each will allow a positive learning environment and boost your chances for individual success.
Improving the Nursing Curricula
Since the healthcare system is progressing so hastily, some medical practices may be rendered obsolete for the time being. Some aspects of nursing include a high level of empathy and emotional intelligence, which you cannot learn through books. Therefore it is recommended that the nursing curriculum get revised so its content can match the requirements needed today. Established courses should teach time management, emotional intelligence, and interpersonal skills to ensure efficient patient management.
Self Motivation and Rewards
The job of a nurse is not for the weak. One has to be on their feet for long hours and carry around heavy equipment too. In some instances, there can be emergency cases that require nurses to even run around the clinic. When combined with personal failures and disappointments, this profession can significantly influence a nurse’s performance. All of this can create a significant strain and burden on nurses, which, if unresolved, leads nurses to slowly become demotivated or unwilling to give their best to the role. Therefore, hospital administrators must ensure regular checkups on the staff so any such instances of lack of motivation can get identified and targeted accordingly. An excellent approach is to encourage self-motivation. Furthermore, the hospital should give incentives like increases or customized rooms to boost motivation.
Enforce Critical Thinking Skills
One of the most significant barriers that compromise the nurse’s ability to act to the best of their performance is the lack of critical thinking skills. Essentially, critical thinking is defined as the analysis of the situation and proper evaluation to make the best possible judgment. It means that even a drug can cause harsh side effects but can save the person’s life for the given moment. If only appropriately used and quickly regardless. While this decision-making is a highly crucial skill, a lot of nurse practitioners seem to lack it. It also appears to be the number 1 cause of medical malpractice. Nurses can develop this by enhancing knowledge, reading about current medical breakthroughs, blogs or articles, and case studies. So prior knowledge can be built on, and well-informed decisions are taken when needed.
Final Verdict
The complexity of a nurse’s task is tremendous, and the changing course of healthcare only makes it more overwhelming. While this is difficult, there are many ways a nurse can identify their weaknesses and target them. Some simple ways to do this are by expanding knowledge and collaborating with other medical experts. Other methods include external factors like hospitals and institutes. To create competent nurses, we must remember that both nurses and administrators should set individual goals and work towards the mission together as a team.
