What would we do without nurses? Nursing is the largest healthcare profession in the US. There are over 3.8 million registered nurses in the country and a large majority of them are actively employed.

Nurses are invaluable and they provide patients with the best care to speed up recovery time.

Are you thinking about enrolling in a nursing program? Do you possess the skills needed to be a nurse?

What are the most important skills needed to be a registered nurse? Stick with us to learn about the 5 most essential nursing skills.

5 Essential Nursing Skills

Whether you’re talking about nurse skills or nurse practitioner skills, there are certain qualities those in the profession or those thinking of becoming a nurse should possess.

1. Critical Thinking Skills

Nurses have to make several decisions every day. It is important to have the critical thinking skills necessary for quick decision making.

A nurse’s decision can change the outcome for their patience. Being able to critically think about a situation is vital to good patient care.

Nurses have to be able to assess a situation and act quickly in life or death moments.

2. Compassion

Compassion is a quality we come to expect from our nurses. Nurses see us at our most vulnerable and during some of the worst times of our lives.

It’s important for nurses to be caring and compassionate while delivering the best care to patients.

3. Communication Skills

With nurses being the link between the doctor and the patient and between family members and the hospital staff, communication skills are extra important.

A nurse must listen to the patient’s needs, the doctors’ orders, and the family’s requests, questions, and concerns.

He or she must be able to effectively communicate with all of the parties involved in patient care.

4. Ethics

This is a fundamental principle of nursing. Nurses are expected to act in an ethical manner, respect their patients, and protect the dignity and rights of all patients.

Nurses should let ethics guide their professional and personal lives.

5. Patience

Nursing can be a stressful job. Dealing with all sorts of patients requires patience.

People are never thrilled to be in the hospital. Excessive pain, grim diagnoses, and terrible illness make people behave badly. It takes patience to deal with such unpredictable behavior.

Dealing with the elderly takes a special kind of patience because they are usually slow-moving and can be cantankerous at times.

Looking for a nursing program? Your path to becoming an established nurse has never been clearer, simpler or faster.

Do You Already Possess Some of These Skills?

Now that you know some of the most essential nursing skills, do you feel you may already have some of the skills required for nursing? The nursing profession may be right for you.