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1.  Sense of humor.
I have found this to be one of the definite nursing characteristics. We may, at times,
have "darker" humor than others, but we have experienced things in our professional life
that would not be complete without the little sarcastic comment or funny pun thrown into
the mix. Its what keeps us going in the tough times!

 Professionalism.
I have been in other professions and in the military. I have always found that we
understand what nursing professionalism and ethics are and apply these "ualities to
their practice each day. It is comforting to work with professionals on a daily basis.

 Diligence.
#urses are some of the hardest$working and energetic people I know. %oes anyone
disagree& We work hard on the 'ob for (, 1), or 1* hours a day, have the energy to go to
our home lives and families, and are up and running to do it again the next day!

 Compassion.
#urses get it! +imple as that. We understand nursing relationships and when someone
tells a sad story or has a chronic illness. ,aybe we havent lived through such
circumstances, but we 'ust understand and seem to know what to say and what to do to
help and comfort.

 Sense of deeper understanding to life.
We have seen some of the worst parts of life, dealt with patient death, and understand
and appreciate the truly important aspects of life. We tend not to care about the toilet seat
being up or about a dirty dish donning our sink. We understand what is important in life
and focus on that.

 Sense of hope for what to others may seem hopeless.
-ow many times have you heard a patient tell the worst story you have ever heard about
a chronic illness, and seen a nurse immediately smile and offer the positives to that
patient& I have seen it many times and it never ceases to ama.e me. Nurses are great in
spreading the positive vibes in the community. It is not something we were taught $ 'ust
something we simply are!

 Nurses never say never.
"+ure, I can pick up that 1*$hour nursing shift on +unday." "#o problem taking care of
an extra patient today." /ust a couple of examples of the endless "never say never" spirit
of nurses. 0his spirit makes us seem as if we can accomplish anything at anytime!
- See more at: http://www.nursetogether.com/qualities-make-up-great-
nurses#sthash.54jN8hmZ.pu!
". On any given day, a nurse is devoted to two groups of people: those we care for and those we work with.
Nurses are known for our desire to help others, but truly our role is to help others help themselves. While we
use various techniques to motivate patients toward better health outcomes, not all are applicable to
motivating our co-workers to strive for ecellence professionally.
!earning what etrinsic and intrinsic factors motivates all of us, while considering the multigenerational
differences of our fellow nurses, will help us better understand motivation in the workplace. "t has been said
that, #"n the real world, motivation is highly valued because of its consequences: $otivation produces.#
%
&ince successfully motivating nurses leads to higher levels of 'ob satisfaction, which can ultimately improve
patient care, discovering how to motivate our co-workers adds to our own professional abilities.
#. The relationship between healthcare professionals and patients in the NHS is
based on trust and communication. Patients have a right to information about the
state of their health and the diagnosis of any illness. They also have a right to be
involved in decisions about any treatment or care they may receive and should
be warned about serious side effects. Informed consent must be sought and
medical records must remain confidential. When dealing with patients, health
professionals should be polite, considerate and truthful and should respect the
privacy and dignity of patients. The views and beliefs of patients should also be
respected during their healthcare, and they should receive treatment regardless
of their gender, age, seual orientation, ethnicity or disability.
!. ( therapeutic nurse-patient relationship is defined as a helping relationship that)s based on
mutual trust and respect, the nurturing of faith and hope, being sensitive to self and others, and
assisting with the gratification of your patient)s physical, emotional, and spiritual needs through
your knowledge and skill. *his caring relationship develops when you and your patient come
together in the moment, which results in harmony and healing.
1
+ffective verbal and nonverbal
communication is an important part of the nurse-patient interaction, as well as providing care in a
manner that enables your patient to be an equal partner in achieving wellness.
2
,ere are some tips to consider:
- "ntroduce yourself to your patient and use her name while talking with her. ( handshake at your
initial meeting is often a good way to quickly establish trust and respect.
$mage %ools
- $ake sure your patient has privacy when you provide care. .e sure that her basic needs are
met, including relieving pain or other sources of discomfort.
- (ctively listen to your patient. $ake sure you understand her concerns by restating what she
has verbali/ed. 0or eample, #$rs. &mith, you mentioned that you were concerned that your
bone pain won)t be addressed in a timely manner1# ,owever, don)t use restating too much in a
conversation because it can be perceived by your patient that you aren)t really listening to her. .e
real, showing your genuine self when communicating with her.
- $aintain eye contact. 2emember, too much eye contact can be intimidating. &mile at intervals
and nod your head as you and your patient engage in conversation. &peak calmly and slowly in
terms that she can understand. 3our voice inflection should say #" care about you.#
- $aintain professional boundaries. &ome patients need more therapeutic touch, such as hand-
holding and hugging, than others and some patients prefer no touching. (lways respect
differences in cultures.
3ou can help your patient achieve harmony in mind, body, and spirit when engaging in a
therapeutic relationship based on effective communication that incorporates caring behaviors. "t)s
a win-win situation in which you and your patient can eperience growth by sharing #the moment#
with each other.
1. %uring a difficult operation on a patient, a surgeon is handed the wrong
instrument by the nurse assisting him. -e screams at the nurse, 23ou gave me
the wrong thing,4 and throws the instrument across the room. 0he nurse
immediately hands him the correct instrument, but she feels humiliated and the
rest of the surgical team become anxiously fearful of another outburst. 0his
scene is repeated all too often in hospitals, and the anxiety provocation in
members of the health care team can lead to poor patient care. Is such behavior
unethical or unprofessional 5 and is there any real difference between the two&
6t some point in his or her life, virtually every person will re"uire the care or
assistance of a health professional. It is reasonable to expect that physicians,
nurses, and all others who contribute to health care, will act professionally.
#ote that I did not say ethically, but professionally7 for example, the behavior
of the surgeon cited above was not unethical, but certainly unprofessional.
8hysicians are capable of acting unprofessionally, but cannot act unethically, as
ethical standards are part of their profession. 0herefore, it behooves all patients
to educate themselves on what constitutes 2professional4 and 2unprofessional4
behavior for those involved in health care. $ +ee more at9
http9::blog.oup.com:;)1*:)(:doctor$behavior$unethical$
unprofessional:<sthash."=db,,>3.dpuf
=. Beneficence:
Definition: &ene!icence is action that is one !or the 'ene!it o! others. &ene!icent
actions can 'e taken to help pre(ent or remo(e harms or to simpl) impro(e the
situation o! others.
Clinical Applications: *h)sicians are e+pecte to re!rain !rom causing harm, 'ut the)
also ha(e an o'ligation to help their patients. -thicists o!ten istinguish 'etween
o'ligator) an ieal 'ene!icence. $eal 'ene!icence comprises e+treme acts o!
generosit) or attempts to 'ene!it others on all possi'le occasions. *h)sicians are not
necessaril) e+pecte to li(e up to this 'roa e!inition o! 'ene!icence. .owe(er, the
goal o! meicine is to promote the wel!are o! patients, an ph)sicians possess skills
an knowlege that ena'le them to assist others. /ue to the nature o! the
relationship 'etween ph)sicians an patients, octors o ha(e an o'ligation to 01
pre(ent an remo(e harms, an "1 weigh an 'alance possi'le 'ene!its against
possi'le risks o! an action. &ene!icence can also inclue protecting an e!ening the
rights o! others, rescuing persons who are in anger, an helping ini(iuals with
isa'ilities.
Examples of beneficent actions: 2esuscitating a rowning (ictim, pro(iing
(accinations !or the general population, encouraging a patient to quit smoking an
start an e+ercise program, talking to the communit) a'out S%/ pre(ention.
Non-maleficence:
Definition: Non-male!icence means to 3o no harm.4 *h)sicians must re!rain !rom
pro(iing ine!!ecti(e treatments or acting with malice towar patients. %his principle,
howe(er, o!!ers little use!ul guiance to ph)sicians since man) 'ene!icial therapies
also ha(e serious risks. %he pertinent ethical issue is whether the 'ene!its outweigh
the 'urens.
Clinical Applications: *h)sicians shoul not pro(ie ine!!ecti(e treatments to patients
as these o!!er risk with no possi'ilit) o! 'ene!it an thus ha(e a chance o! harming
patients. $n aition, ph)sicians must not o an)thing that woul purposel) harm
patients without the action 'eing 'alance ') proportional 'ene!it. &ecause man)
meications, proceures, an inter(entions cause harm in aition to 'ene!it, the
principle o! non-male!icence pro(ies little concrete guiance in the care o! patients.
5here this principle is most help!ul is when it is 'alance against 'ene!icence. $n this
conte+t non-male!icence posits that the risks o! treatment 6harm1 must 'e
unerstoo in light o! the potential 'ene!its. 7ltimatel), the patient must ecie
whether the potential 'ene!its outweigh the potential harms.
Examples of non-maleficent actions: Stopping a meication that is shown to 'e
harm!ul, re!using to pro(ie a treatment that has not 'een shown to 'e e!!ecti(e.
8. genuine
9. Nurses work in an environment that is constantly changing to provide the best possible care for patients. *hey
are continuously learning about the latest technology and medication as well as considering the evidence that their
nursing practice is based upon. .ecause they will actually spend more face-to-face time with a patient than
doctors, nurses must be particularly skilled at interacting with patients, putting them at ease, and assisting them in
their recovery. "t is often said that physicians cure, and nurses care.
4.
8. 1
Listen. Listening is one of the most important ways you can show empathy, and
this means truly listening. When you listen to someone you aren't fiddling about
on your phone, or thinking about what you're going to make for dinner tonight,
you're really taking in what the other person is saying.
Open up. Just listening to someone isn't going to build a bridge between the two
of you. Opening up emotionally is an incredibly difficult and brave thing to do but
it will deepen the connection with another person.
Offer physical affection. Now you can't do this for everyone and obviously you
should ask before you give someone physical affection to make sure that it's
okay (even if you've known them for awhile). Showing physical affection,
however, can boost oxytocin levels and make both of you feel better.
[1]
4
Focus your attention outwards. Pay attention to your surroundings and to the
feelings, expressions, and actions of the people around you. Be mindful about
how they might be feeling.
[2]
10.
$n m) opinion, a great nurse li(es these (alues an clearl) unerstans
themsel(es an their role in this !ine pro!ession. $n an attempt to translate the
(alues into 'eha(iors, $ woul ienti!) the actions as !ollows:

0. A great nurse is compassionate. :ompassionate is e!ine as the !eeling
o! concern an s)mpath) !or others. 5e nee to remem'er that our patients,
apart !rom cosmetic work or eli(ering 'a'ies, are generall) not in the healthcare
setting 'ecause the) want to 'e. %he) are !ear!ul an at risk o! losing their
health, possi'l) their li(es, an concurrentl), those (isitors with them ma) 'e at
risk o! losing precious lo(e ones. %he) are not in control an are !rightene, an
the) nee us !or support. %his also means that we are consummate a(ocates !or
the patient an willing to speak up when we o not !eel the en(ironment is as
sa!e as it can 'e.

". A great nurse is empathetic. -mpathetic is e!ine as the a'ilit) an
willingness to share in the !eelings o! others. $t oes not mean that we agree
with the patient or completel) unerstan what the) are going through. $t simpl)
means that we are willing to make a concerte e!!ort to listen to them, to put
oursel(es in their place an to attempt to unerstan their challenges. %his nees
to 'e one without jugment an with the unerstaning that e(er)one has their
own set o! (alues an their own li!e e+periences that ha(e 'rought them to this
point.

#. A great nurse is selfless. Sel!less is e!ine as the a'ilit) to gi(e to others
at the e+pense o! themsel(es. $ ha(e countless stories o! nurses o(er the )ears
that illustrate this a'ilit) to gi(e to others. %his coul 'e as simple as missing
lunch to hol a patient;s han or to o something e+traorinar) !or someone
else. $ ha one trauma nurse $ will ne(er !orget who was caring !or a homeless
man hit ') a car. 5hen the patient was 'eing ischarge 'ack to the street, the
nurse reali<e that his shoes were not remo(e uring the trauma 'ecause he
i not own an). .is !oot si<e was the same as the patient;s, so he ga(e him his
shoes an wore shoe co(ers !or the rest o! the a). $ !elt that this was a
tremenous e+ample o! sel!lessness. 5e recogni<e him as an e(er)a) hero.
%he stories go on an on an we nee to cele'rate them when the) happen.

4. A great nurse is self-aware. Sel!-aware is e!ine as a high egree o!
emotional intelligence. 5e are more e!!ecti(e in an)thing that we o when we
unerstan oursel(es, the wa) we think, an where our (alues are in re!erence
to others as well as our personal strengths an limitations. .a(ing 05 )ears o!
-mergenc) e+perience taught me a great eal a'out m)sel!. %here were
situations where $ !elt e+tremel) (ulnera'le an ine!!ecti(e, such as ealing with
a'use or trauma o! small chilren that 'asicall) renere me emotionall)
istraught !or some time a!ter the e(ents. $n that situation, $ neee to learn
coping mechanisms to eal with the situations or neee the support o! m)
colleagues to trae with me or help me when those times got tough. 5e all nee
to support an help each other get through our tough a)s.

5. A great nurse is technically strong with a thirst for knowledge. $t is
our o'ligation as nurses to continue to remain on the cutting ege o! our practice
regarless the iscipline. =s nursing leaers, we shoul 'e reaing on healthcare
economics, leaership theor) an other issues that impact those in leaership
roles. 5ithin the inepenent isciplines it is important to rea journals, achie(e
certi!ications,continue our acaemic pursuits an rea all o! the in!ormation that
comes !rom our healthcare organi<ations in regar to polic), prouct or process
changes. >ack o! knowlege can lea to a(erse patient outcomes, an !or that
ignorance is no e+cuse 'ut rather our responsi'ilit).
:urrentl) we li(e in unpreceente economic times that will a!!ect the qualit) o! care
we eli(er. %he new healthcare challenges are changing the work en(ironment !or
nurses an creating (alue con!licts more than 'e!ore in the areas o! personal,
pro!essional, institutionall) an social. $t is time !or us to put the patient at the
center o! all we o an work to 'e what we ha(e eicate our li(es to 'e - %he
greatest nurse?

What do you think makes a good nurse great?!

- See more at: http://www.nursetogether.com/5-things-that-make-a-goo-nurse-
great#sthash.&@2ABBg/.pu!$n m) opinion, a great nurse li(es these (alues an clearl)
unerstans themsel(es an their role in this !ine pro!ession. $n an attempt to
translate the (alues into 'eha(iors, $ woul ienti!) the actions as !ollows:

0. A great nurse is compassionate. :ompassionate is e!ine as the !eeling
o! concern an s)mpath) !or others. 5e nee to remem'er that our patients,
apart !rom cosmetic work or eli(ering 'a'ies, are generall) not in the healthcare
setting 'ecause the) want to 'e. %he) are !ear!ul an at risk o! losing their
health, possi'l) their li(es, an concurrentl), those (isitors with them ma) 'e at
risk o! losing precious lo(e ones. %he) are not in control an are !rightene, an
the) nee us !or support. %his also means that we are consummate a(ocates !or
the patient an willing to speak up when we o not !eel the en(ironment is as
sa!e as it can 'e.

". A great nurse is empathetic. -mpathetic is e!ine as the a'ilit) an
willingness to share in the !eelings o! others. $t oes not mean that we agree
with the patient or completel) unerstan what the) are going through. $t simpl)
means that we are willing to make a concerte e!!ort to listen to them, to put
oursel(es in their place an to attempt to unerstan their challenges. %his nees
to 'e one without jugment an with the unerstaning that e(er)one has their
own set o! (alues an their own li!e e+periences that ha(e 'rought them to this
point.

#. A great nurse is selfless. Sel!less is e!ine as the a'ilit) to gi(e to others
at the e+pense o! themsel(es. $ ha(e countless stories o! nurses o(er the )ears
that illustrate this a'ilit) to gi(e to others. %his coul 'e as simple as missing
lunch to hol a patient;s han or to o something e+traorinar) !or someone
else. $ ha one trauma nurse $ will ne(er !orget who was caring !or a homeless
man hit ') a car. 5hen the patient was 'eing ischarge 'ack to the street, the
nurse reali<e that his shoes were not remo(e uring the trauma 'ecause he
i not own an). .is !oot si<e was the same as the patient;s, so he ga(e him his
shoes an wore shoe co(ers !or the rest o! the a). $ !elt that this was a
tremenous e+ample o! sel!lessness. 5e recogni<e him as an e(er)a) hero.
%he stories go on an on an we nee to cele'rate them when the) happen.

4. A great nurse is self-aware. Sel!-aware is e!ine as a high egree o!
emotional intelligence. 5e are more e!!ecti(e in an)thing that we o when we
unerstan oursel(es, the wa) we think, an where our (alues are in re!erence
to others as well as our personal strengths an limitations. .a(ing 05 )ears o!
-mergenc) e+perience taught me a great eal a'out m)sel!. %here were
situations where $ !elt e+tremel) (ulnera'le an ine!!ecti(e, such as ealing with
a'use or trauma o! small chilren that 'asicall) renere me emotionall)
istraught !or some time a!ter the e(ents. $n that situation, $ neee to learn
coping mechanisms to eal with the situations or neee the support o! m)
colleagues to trae with me or help me when those times got tough. 5e all nee
to support an help each other get through our tough a)s.

5. A great nurse is technically strong with a thirst for knowledge. $t is
our o'ligation as nurses to continue to remain on the cutting ege o! our practice
regarless the iscipline. =s nursing leaers, we shoul 'e reaing on healthcare
economics, leaership theor) an other issues that impact those in leaership
roles. 5ithin the inepenent isciplines it is important to rea journals, achie(e
certi!ications,continue our acaemic pursuits an rea all o! the in!ormation that
comes !rom our healthcare organi<ations in regar to polic), prouct or process
changes. >ack o! knowlege can lea to a(erse patient outcomes, an !or that
ignorance is no e+cuse 'ut rather our responsi'ilit).
:urrentl) we li(e in unpreceente economic times that will a!!ect the qualit) o! care
we eli(er. %he new healthcare challenges are changing the work en(ironment !or
nurses an creating (alue con!licts more than 'e!ore in the areas o! personal,
pro!essional, institutionall) an social. $t is time !or us to put the patient at the
center o! all we o an work to 'e what we ha(e eicate our li(es to 'e - %he
greatest nurse?