No matter what role you perform as a healthcare practitioner, a certain professional level is needed to excel in your career. As a nurse, along with caring for your patients, you need to make sure you’re able to maintain professionalism.
Your skills are incomplete unless you have a certain level of professionalism to back them up. Here’s how as a nurse, you can raise your level of professionalism:
1-Prioritize Your Patients. As a nurse, you may have various patients to care for, and you may feel like you should rush and get their routine checkups out of the way. However, that is not how you should approach your patients.
It’s easy to slip into a routine and be monotonous while performing your tasks. But it would help if you remembered that your patients are incredibly vulnerable and in pain. As much as they need your help, they need your compassion too. Make small talk with them and try to get them to relax around you. When patients feel comfortable, not only will they be willing to talk to you, they will answer all your questions.
2-Have the Ability to Grow. As a nurse, you may not be the best at your job right away. You may fumble, overlook minute details or feel stressed by the workload. If you’re starting fresh, you may have a very subtle margin to make mistakes.
However, it is best you shadow a senior nurse or consistently check in with your mentor when you feel unsure. Professionalism also extends to how well you can take ownership of your actions and how much you’re willing to learn. It would help if you watch educational videos and pick up the bedside manner that you see.
It will also help if you take your academic credits to a higher level. You can easily find accredited online MSN programs to help you be better at your job. Not only will you get new concepts, but you may also even learn new skills that you were previously unaccustomed to. You could even opt for online medical courses where you can obtain a certificate in ACLS that will be a valuable addition to your set of qualifications.
3-Be Good At Communication. In the healthcare sector, there is no margin for mistakes. Unlike other sectors, this involves people and their lives. If you cannot get the right and accurate information, you may end up endangering patients.
Therefore you must know what to say and how to say it. Be concise and straightforward in explaining either to your patients or their caregivers. It would also help if you stick around and answer their questions. Communication is a two-way street, it is not enough to only give instructions, but you need to answer their questions. If you face a language barrier, make sure you have a translator or a colleague present who can translate for you. Your communication also extends to keeping medical charts simple and updated for other health care practitioners.
4-Have A Positive Attitude. Indeed, working in the healthcare sector is emotionally taxing. However, that is an occupational hazard. Your patients may not be the friendliest, and some may even be difficult to interact with. As a nurse, you need to remind yourself of your purpose and rise above taking it personally and holding a grudge. Maintaining a good attitude is also a sign of professionalism. Your positive attitude will also reflect nicely on your mental health.
You can’t carry out your job effectively unless you take care of your well-being. Learn to distinguish between work and personal feelings to safeguard your mental health.
5- Uphold Care Standards. The hospital may not be monitoring you at all times. That doesn’t mean you should slip up or not take your job seriously. Make sure you review your patient notes as often as you can.
2-Research on topics you feel uncertain about and look at the latest medical trends you think a hospital can implement. It will help if you participate in team meetings and discussions often. Take charge of what you feel the hospital should look into or what policy needs adding. You can even discuss with your colleagues where you think you can improve as a team or change the way you approach a specific treatment route.
6-Be Honest. As a nurse, you know that you have to shoulder many responsibilities. However, it would help if you recognize your limitations. You won’t help the hospital if you can’t perform all the tasks handed to you with absolute dedication.
It will help if you know what duties you can perform better, suppose you are more suitable as a team leader, you should look for jobs requiring you to take charge. Ask for help when you’re unable to do something alone.
It will help if you keep a planner or a digital schedule at hand to ensure you’re able to do all your duties. However, if for some reason you do make a mistake, take ownership and don’t try to hide from where you went wrong. Your hospital would also instruct you further where you were at fault and what the next course of action should be.
7-Be a Mentor. There are numerous nurses you’ll meet during the duration of your employment. When you can, it would help if you could guide them and help them while they’re learning to work. Don’t hesitate in taking a fresh nurse under your wing, and don’t falter from advising a nurse if you feel they’re not carrying their job correctly. When it comes to delegating tasks, make sure you’re clear about what you expect from your team and how they can get there.
Learn ways to be an effective leader and share any discovery with your team members. In a group setting, make sure you keep everyone in the loop with any new findings. Being a mentor also means employing your critical thinking skills.
Wrap Up
Demonstrating your professionalism is a part of being a successful nurse. Ensure you know how to deal with your patients. Have the ability to grow and take criticism. Learn how to communicate effectively, whether it’s with your team members or your patients.
Maintain a positive attitude and try not to let your personal feelings interfere with your job. Be honest about your work and know your limitations. Finally, every skill and knowledge you have can benefit someone else. Don’t hesitate to reach out and help others.