Good Nursing Personality Traits You Should Have

You must have good nursing personality traits if you plan on working as a nurse in the future. While your knowledge and skills are top priority, so are your personality traits. So, to become a great nurse, possessing attractive personality traits is also a must! This post will talk about the different attributes nurses have and how they can impact their patients, coworkers, and work in general.

Good Nursing Personality Traits: Why is it Vital in the Job?

Our nurses are in a position of power when they interact with patients. That said, nurses must have good personality traits to provide the best care possible for their patients. These qualities will help them professionally and allow them to maintain healthy relationships outside of work.

Good Nursing Personality Traits of Future Nurses

If you are an aspiring nurse, it’s easy to look at this job and say to yourself it’s easy. But while working as a nurse is generally satisfying, it can also be very demanding. It is why you must possess these qualities if you wish to work in the nursing field. 

1. Good nurses must be emotionally stable.

Being a nurse is a demanding profession. Your day can range from timid to toxic very quickly. You will encounter plenty of situations that can trigger powerful emotions. And to top all that, you will manage your colleagues, patients, and their families while keeping a calm and caring manner. Being emotionally stable doesn’t mean you don’t have to feel anything when the going gets tough. It just means you must know how to control your emotions or responses to focus on the tasks at hand. Emotionally stable nurses can solve problems, concentrate better, and make their patients their top priority. 

2. A good nurse must have an innate desire to help.

Nurses should have a caring nature and desire to help people.  It should be the foundation of their being. If you don’t have the desire to help people, you can’t care for others. Nurses care for people during the scariest times of their lives and act as patient advocates. A good nurse must show compassion, sympathy, and concern for the people they serve. [1]

3. A good nurse must have good communication skills.

One of the good nursing personality traits should have is the ability to communicate well with people. Keep in mind that you will be working with many people, so listening and sharing with patients, their families, your colleagues, and other healthcare professionals is crucial in delivering quality care. Communicating also increases the chance of patient satisfaction and reduces the number of errors in your workplace. 

4. A good nurse must be attentive to details.

The ability to pay careful attention to detail is another great quality nurses must have on their list. Whether you are reading and writing a patient’s chart or remembering the doctor’s orders over the phone, nurses should be able to pay attention to it. Being able to recall even the tiniest details about a patient can make a real difference. It can also save your patient’s life and lessen errors at work. 

5. Good nurses can solve problems.

Nurses usually face problems involving patient care. One of the best qualities you should have is the ability to analyze and solve problems quickly. Nurses who can already anticipate and address issues before they occur are an even better quality to have. You can’t predict if the day will be calm or your shift will deal with emergencies. It would be best to be prepared with solutions, ready to talk to families, and even communicate with physicians. So having problem-solving and critical-thinking skills are essential in your day-to-day activities as a nurse. [2]

6. A good nurse must be respectful.

One of the excellent nursing personality traits that a nurse should place on top is being respectful.  Being respectful is part of your duty as a nurse, and professional courtesy must be given to all, regardless of their attitude. Keep in mind that there will be moments in your career as a nurse when dealing with difficult people. Showing respect is a boundary that defines your relationship with patients and makes it possible to care for them. 

7. Good nurses must have the willingness to learn.

Nursing is an ever-dynamic profession. You can choose to work in different fields of nursing. As a nurse, you must be willing to learn and adapt to changes. Continuous education is available to all nurses, and with the medical industry and technology advancing, equipping yourself with knowledge, you are growing as a nurse as well. Improving your skills and learning the latest trends in nursing is one way to keep yourself ready for the challenges in health care. 

8. Good nurses are self-aware.

Being self-aware is to know who you are. Nurses work in all areas of health care. But while all of these are excellent opportunities to work, not all nurses enjoy the thrills and adventures of being a travel nurse, the adrenaline-pumping scenarios in emergency rooms, or the intenseness of operating rooms. Others prefer the business of administrative work or long-term hospice care. That said, it is vital that you, as a nurse, know what you want. Knowing your personality, preferences, priorities, and stamina can help you grow and enjoy a fulfilling career in this industry. 

9. Good nurses must have a good sense of humor.

Laughter is the best medicine, and if you are a nurse, it’s one of the good nursing personality traits to have. Having a good sense of humor can lighten the load in such a stressful profession. The ability to find humor in difficult situations can lighten the load. Plus, it’s always a good thing to mix fun and humor into your work so you can enjoy it better. Working as a nurse is difficult, but it is also gratifying. Combining your knowledge, skills, and humor into this job can get you through even the most challenging times. [3]

10. Good nurses are assertive.

While being kind and compassionate are the main qualities of being a good nurse, assertiveness has perks. It means you can stand up for your opinions without aggression. In some ways, your passion can help you make firm and clear decisions regarding work and caring for patients. But don’t confuse this with aggressiveness, as assertiveness doesn’t involve manipulation or threat. 

11. A good nurse must be organized at work.

A nurse should know how to organize work. The ability to be neat, prioritize, and delegate work while managing time well is not magic but a talent. And this trait should be on top of your list as a future nurse. If you are disorganized at home, how can you prove that you will not be as messy when you are at work? Not only will it affect how you work, but it can potentially increase the risks of your workplace. 

12. Good nurses have strong work ethics.

Knowing what is right and wrong aids nurses through the challenges that their profession faces. It serves as their moral compass when they constantly make choices for their patient’s best interests. It is most needed when the right thing is not the obvious option. Having a strong work ethic helps nurses tell the truth about their condition even when it’s something that they don’t want to hear. It also acts as a foundation where trust between nurses and patients is built. Not only that, but your work ethics also help establish a nurse-physician relationship and their co-workers. 

13. Good nurses must have stamina.

A nurse’s job requires one to be on the go most of the time, primarily if one gets assigned to the emergency room or trauma units. There’s patient lifting, pulling emergency carts, or standing for hours whenever there is surgery. The number of hours you work will depend on the area you are assigned. It is why your stamina must always be on the top. Yes, it’s exhausting and can burn out nurses but by the end of the day, knowing that you help save lives is the best feeling in the world. [4]

It’s More Than Just Your Personality!

You see, working as a nurse is more than just the license or certification. It takes humanity and a heart to serve others. If you believe you have all these good nursing personality traits, you are more than ready to be a nurse. Keep it up, and you will reach your goals in no time!