Nurse leaders are an essential part of the healthcare system today. Not only do they manage patient care and ensure that all patients are given the help and support that they need, but they are also an integral part of teams of nurses and other healthcare professionals. But a nurse always needs to stay mentally healthy in nursing. Nurse leadership is just one of the many advanced career options in nurses, and whether you’re thinking of starting your career in nursing by getting a BSN or are already working as a registered nurse, it’s definitely a great option to consider for anybody who enjoys leading others and being responsible for big decisions.
Most of us know that a great nurse is often somebody who is empathetic, caring, quick-thinking, and dedicated – but what type of person makes a great nurse leader? Here are some of the main skills and qualities that employers are looking for when hiring for this role.
Compassionate and Caring
Caring, compassion, and empathy are traits that are required of nurses at every level of this career. Nurse leaders need to be caring people who have a lot of empathy for the people that they are dealing with on a daily basis. Not only do they need to empathize with patients in order to ensure that they are supporting their team in providing the best standards of care, but they will also need to be able to empathize with the team members that are under their command. As a nurse, one should develop nurse practitioner skills to be successful. Nurse leaders are often the first point of call for employee problems or other issues that need to be addressed, and it’s essential that a good nurse leader is able to see the situation from all perspectives before coming to a decision.
Inspiring
A good nurse leader isn’t just somebody who gives orders and tells people what to do. The best nurse leaders know that they have to lead by example and inspire others to be the best at their role rather than taking a back seat and just talking about it. Somebody who is dedicated to inspiring and motivating others to always perform at their best and provide the highest standards of patient care will typically make an excellent nurse leader.
Good Communicator
Excellent communication skills are some of the most important skills that you can have when working as a nurse or nurse leader. You will need to use your communication skills on a daily basis with not only your patients but your colleagues and the teams you lead. Good communication is one of the most vital parts of the job since miscommunications could lead to errors that have serious results for your patients. Not only do you need to be somebody who is skilled at verbally communicating their needs to others, but it’s also important to have good active listening skills in order to clearly understand others.
Working Under Pressure
In almost any nursing career, the ability to work well under pressure is essential. Whether working as a registered nurse or a nurse leader, there are always going to be situations with a high amount of pressure that you’ll need to be able to quickly adapt to. You may find yourself in situations where quick action and the right decision made in minutes or even seconds can mean the difference between life and death for your patient, so staying calm and being able to think clearly even in a situation that might cause many people to panic is one of the most crucial skills to develop in nursing and nurse leadership. A DNP executive leadership program from Baylor University will help you successfully improve this important ability.
Mentorship
As a nurse leader, one of the main parts of your job might be to mentor and guide nurses who are still in training or who are new to this career. With a shortage of nurse educators at nursing specialties schools and colleges, nurse leaders and other advanced nurses in the field are more important than ever before when it comes to developing the future of nursing. As a nurse leader, it’s important to develop skills in teaching and guiding others. You will be using your leadership skills to inspire student and graduate nurses to work to the best of their ability and empower them to make the right decisions, knowing that they have your full support whenever it is needed.
Dedication
Nurse leaders are instrumental in the continuous improvement of healthcare, and in this role, it’s essential to ensure that you are committed to providing the best standards of care to your patients and inspiring your team to do the same. Ethical practices need to be the main priority for a good nurse leader, and the best professionals in this role tend to be people who are continuously dedicating themselves to finding new ways to improve patient care standards and the healthcare system in general.
Decision Making
Along with the snap decisions that you may need to make under pressure to ensure the best outcome for patients, nurse leaders are also responsible for making some of the most important decisions in their workplace. In any setting, leaders need to be good decision-makers, but when it comes to the healthcare system, the decisions that you make in your role will often have either a direct or indirect impact on the health and wellbeing of others.
As a nurse leader, you may need to make decisions regarding your team or the healthcare services that they provide, and it’s important to be able to decide based on education, information, and research that you take the time to study before coming to a final conclusion. Since not every decision that you are faced with as a nurse leader is going to be easy, it’s important to be committed to putting in the work required to make the best decisions every time, including seeking advice and help from more experienced professionals when needed.
Healthcare settings such as clinics and hospitals will often rely on nurse leaders to ensure that professional teams are able to work together well and that patient care needs are met. To do this job successfully, it’s important to have a high standard of the above skills.
