At the heart of every good nurse is the desire to care for and help those who need it. Mastering the skills and knowledge required to graduate from nursing school is one thing, but a nurse who possesses those “intangible” soft skills is truly unequaled when it comes to patient care. A nurse for whom many of these soft skills come naturally is an asset to any healthcare organization.
But it isn’t always easy to recognize high-value soft skills in today’s nursing pool. How do you measure the capacity for empathy or compassion? How can you assess their resilience, ability to integrate with the rest of the team, organizational, or critical thinking skills? Here we break down the most prized soft skills that make a great nurse, and how to recognize these skills in potential new hires.
How to Recognize Core Soft Skills
Empathy and Compassion
It’s widely believed that all nurses are caring and want to help their patients overcome or endure their health challenges. While that may be true, not all nurses are adept at feeling compassion or empathy in a deep and meaningful way. Look for a nurse who can recognize a patient’s suffering, finds ways to relate to the patient, and fosters trust and understanding. This is a nurse who has empathy and compassion for their patient.
Communication
Excellent communication skills take work and practice, but these skills are essential in patient care. Nurses who have mastered communication skills are those who actively listen, make certain that patients and their families understand the often-complex details of the patient’s care plans, and, most importantly, relay the detailed information to other members of the team. This includes mastery of both verbal and non-verbal communication.
Critical Thinking
Critical thinking and problem-solving are high-value soft skills for nurses. You can easily recognize these skills by observing a nurse who thinks on her feet, meets challenges and makes the right decisions in difficult situations, is creative regarding solutions, and remains focused and unflappable.
Values Teamwork
Nurses who respect the other members of the team by showing up on time, not hesitating to help, and working with other team members for the common goal of excellent patient care demonstrate that they value being part of the team.
Professionalism
Nurses, like any other professional, must demonstrate that they value their ethics, integrity, accountability, respect for others, and the ability to maintain a positive and professional attitude, even when confronted with conflict or stressful situations with patients, their family members, and colleagues.
Ability to Adapt
In nursing, flexibility and the ability to adapt quickly to sudden changes are valuable traits, indeed. Roles change, patient care changes, schedules, and workloads aren’t always predictable. Someone who is able to face the unexpected and adapt to meet immediate needs is a high-value nurse.
Managing Time Effectively
Prioritizing tasks, providing patient care, organizing the workload effectively, and maintaining a schedule are necessary for the good of the patients, the team, and the healthcare organization.
Attention to Detail
Healthcare cannot afford for any detail, even the smallest one, to go unnoticed. Organization and critical thinking are soft skills that support attention to detail. A thorough and meticulous approach to charting, documenting, and reporting anything out of the ordinary is vital to patient care.
Leadership
Leadership shouldn’t be limited to supervisory roles. A leader can demonstrate initiative without being given a managerial position. Those nurses with leadership skills make excellent preceptors or mentors. They can motivate their colleagues and offer guidance when necessary.
At BOS Medical Staffing, we pride ourselves on maintaining a nursing pool that demonstrates high-value soft skills your healthcare organization needs. Please reach out to BOS Medical Staffing today for your staff needs.
