We don’t really hear a lot about integrity these days. But, this vital quality, though seldom discussed, is necessary in all aspects of healthcare. So, what is integrity, and, more importantly, how does it impact your ability to hire nurses?
Every day, patients count on nurses to make them whole, provide comfort, help them move around, or to simply calm their fears with a joke or a smile. Nurses answer their questions, bathe them, and listen to their stories. It’s what they do. And for nurses, it falls in line with the duties and responsibilities of their job.
The qualities a nurse calls upon say a lot about who he or she is as a person. The integrity that a nurse exhibits, in the eyes of patients, their families, and even coworkers, gives people a glimpse into the strength of their character and underscores all the reasons why an individual is an exemplary nurse.
Why Is Integrity Important
In healthcare centers across the country, nurses are faced with challenges. These include short staffing that impacts patient care to mandatory overtime to physicians and family members who don’t really seem to “hear” what a patient is saying. How should a nurse react in these and many other difficult situations? What inner strength of character does a nurse need to call upon to deal with these challenges and still deliver excellent patient care?
Integrity is defined as the quality of being honest and fair. It involves possessing high moral principles. When faced with challenges as a nurse, the professional’s integrity is what will keep him or her standing tall.
Nurses with integrity understand that their honesty, forthrightness, and overall trustworthiness cannot decline. Patients see who they are and count on them to do the right thing, as it pertains to their care and comfort. This kind of trust relationship is what makes a nurse successful. And a nurse who possesses integrity among their core character traits is well suited for success in patient care.
To Thine Own Self Be True
Hamlet wasn’t a nurse. However, William Shakespeare understood that being true to one’s own self, first and foremost, meant all else would fall into an honest place. More simply put, a nurse must follow their own moral compass and be true to their beliefs. Maintain that truth to self, and a nurse will exemplify the quality of integrity in all that he or she does.
In nursing, integrity should come organically. When a nurse behaves in a genuine and authentic manner, integrity and other core values of nursing make up who this professional is both as a nurse and as a person. When nurses take care to preserve their integrity, the task of truly caring for their patients becomes much easier.
Your Integrity Precedes You
Integrity defines your character. Those around a nurse identify this individual as someone who can be counted on to do the right thing, whether covering for a coworker or assisting wherever they’re needed. The nurse can be trusted, which is why patients share information with him or her. Plus, the nurse has others’ best interests at the forefront of all that they do, meaning their patient care is above reproach.
You Can Hire the Best Nurses
Developing a personal code of ethics, morals, honesty and justice may take some time. Think about the reasons you hire nurses in the first place. Examine your heart and be completely upfront with yourself. From here, you can operate with integrity as you seek quality nursing job candidates for your staff.
People naturally gravitate toward individuals they believe have their best interests in sight. For a nurse, this means he or she is reliable. Trust is a privilege. In fact, many people withhold their trust until it’s been earned and proven through the integrity of another.
Keep an eye out for job candidates who have consistently displayed integrity in nursing. Patients know these nurses truly want the best for them.
In addition, search far and wide for the best nursing job candidates. Be thorough, and consider any candidates that come your way. Look at a candidate’s skills, experience, and expertise. When you interview one of these candidates, see how this individual approaches challenging situations. Then, you can get a good idea about whether this candidate operates with integrity.
Finally, if you need help in your quest to find nursing job candidates, partner with BOS Medical. Our team can put you in touch with exceptional job candidates who understand the importance of working with integrity. For more information, please contact us today.
