There is good news in the nursing industry. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that nursing employment will grow by 26% over the next seven years. Contributing to this positive growth are people living longer, the demand on skilled nurses due to changes in the medical industry, and many advances in medical technology.
For both recent nursing school graduates and seasoned professionals, it is important to understand the skills necessary to secure nursing jobs and advance your career. A well-rounded candidate is a more competitive candidate in a demanding job market.
Nursing is more than medical science. The best skilled nurses are good communicators, caring and are willing to serve. They are perceptive, which means they are keenly aware of others’ reactions and why individuals respond the way they do to treatment and facility conditions. Moreover, a skilled nurse has other qualities that are an absolute must not just in acquiring a job, but also for advancement in the field. If you can truthfully acknowledge that you possess the following qualities, you nursing career should blossom through the decade:
- Reading and Oral Comprehension - Reading medical documents with clear understanding is vital, particularly patient charts and medical records. So is the ability to hear and truly understand what patients and doctors mean when they speak. There must also be an ability to understand non-verbal communication: a patient might be unwilling or unable to relay crucial information, but can convey it non-verbally. Picking up on these cues is key.
- Judgment and Decision Making – Each day, a nurse must make decisions based on costs and health benefits balanced against patient comfort and quality of care. With a patient’s well-being at stake, there is no margin for error or poor assumptions.
- Customer Service –Providing customer and personal care, including assessing patient needs, understanding services that best meet those needs, and the best way to deliver those services is an integral part of nursing jobs.
- Medical Knowledge – A nurse’s knowledge base needs to be broad, ranging from basic cells and organisms to the diagnosis and treatment of injuries, diseases and deformities, as well as interaction of drug therapy. There must additionally be a broad knowledge of preventive health care.
- Clear Thinking – Nursing requires the clearest of head and calmest of manner. Nursing jobs regularly deal with changing circumstances that require logical and methodical thinking without panic and with the ability to ensure patient confidence.
- Advanced Technology Awareness – Nurses must be up-to-speed with advancements in equipment and technology. Continuing to study and expand knowledge through continuing education is imperative as record-keeping becomes increasingly digitized on cloud servers. So a basic IT understanding will pay many dividends.