Nursing skills: Resume and cover letter

What are nursing skills

The skills nurses have to thrive in their professions are nursing skills. Hard skills, acquired via formal schooling or education, and soft skills, which may develop spontaneously or via experience, can be used to categorize the expertise of nurses. Most of the tough nursing abilities that nurses need are often learned in college. Then, through experiences including devoting time to patients, they strengthen their soft nursing abilities.

List of nursing skills

The skills that nurses use vary depending on their place of work and the patients they see. However, the following are some of the common skills needed to be a nurse;

Communication

Nurses connect with other nurses, physicians, patients, and their family members by using their communication abilities. They must be capable of communicating effectively and laying out medical ideas in language that patients and their loved ones can comprehend. Nurses can tell doctors and other nurses about their patient's well-being by using their oral communication abilities. They use their listening abilities to understand the backgrounds and present circumstances of their patients. Their proficiency in written text enables them to write detailed and accurate patient notes.

Patient evaluation

To guarantee that patients' health is progressing as predicted, nurses evaluate patients and keep an eye on their status. It entails taking their vital signs and determining additional reasons to be concerned, like a change in behavior or look. They need to be aware of how patients generally react to treatment and operation. They must alert a senior nurse or doctor if they see anything out of the ordinary.

Critical thinking

A nursing competence, critical thinking permits nurses to come up with a decision depending on patient evaluations. Patients who are healing slowly or who are having side effects could recommend other therapy. They can share their ideas with senior nurses and doctors and work together to develop a fresh strategy for better patient care.

Patient dietary requirements

For patients to recuperate, they need to eat properly. Though some patients can feed themselves, others need nurses to employ their knowledge of patient nutrition. It might entail placing cannulas so patients can obtain nutrients orally or assisting individuals with restricted movement to eat.

Wound treatment

When treating patients who have injuries from accidents or pressure ulcers, nurses employ their wound care abilities. These technical nursing skills involve performing wound cleansing and dressing, gathering wound swabs, and instructing patients and their carers on how to take care of wounds. Discussing wound care with patients enables them to obtain the proper at-home therapy for their wounds.

Administering medication

Medication prescriptions from physicians and other authorized persons are administered by nurses. When giving drugs via injection, this procedure may call for some technical expertise. Additionally, nurses must be careful to administer the appropriate medication to the suitable patients at the right amount, timing, and methodology.

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Risk prevention

To keep the patients in their care secure, nurses apply risk prevention techniques. They recognize possible risks and take action to lessen their effects. For instance, they could offer extra help to patients who appear unstable on their feet so they can carefully use the restroom. To walk throughout the institution more comfortably, they could also organize a wheelchair.

Teamwork

Nurses provide their patients with full treatment by working in medical teams. Their ability to work well with others in the team enables them to collaborate for the benefit of the patients. Such abilities involve negotiating dispute settlement and issue-solving.

Personal care and maintenance

To lower the danger of transmitting harmful infections, nurses must practice excellent personal cleanliness. As nurses are generally close to patients, keeping a suitable workplace is particularly crucial. Personal hygiene and treatment norms can be raised by using disposable gloves and masks, handwashing thoroughly, and effectively discarding waste.

Assistance with managing grief and emotions

It can be complex to manage chronic health issues, diseases, and injuries, but nurses who are skilled in emotional support can assist patients and their loved ones through this stressful time. Nurses are taught to respect patients' confidentiality and treat them with respect. To make patients and their family members feel heard, they use compassion and empathy. Nurses use their knowledge of grief management to help grieving relatives and friends after a patient passes away.

Responsiveness and flexibility

 A nurse should be able to adjust to anything that comes their way. Different types of situations and circumstances can occur at the last moment. Patients could experience terrible days. You can be caught off guard by certain unexpected requests from doctors. Being an RN requires you to be multitasking, adaptable, persistent, and responsive.

Tips for enhancing nursing skills

You can land a new nursing job or move up to senior nursing responsibilities by strengthening your registered nurse abilities. The following strategies can help you advance your nursing skills;

Join a nursing program

A bachelor's degree, such as one in nursing or science, is required for practicing nurses, specializing in nursing. Pursuing a postgraduate nursing program, like a Master of Nursing Advanced Practice will help you boost your hard nursing abilities.

Become a member of a professional association 

Register as a member of Professional associations like the American Nurses Association or American Association of Occupational Health Nurses that provide training for members wanted to develop nursing hard skills.

Consult a coach

A more experienced nurse can enable you to recognize your areas for progress and offer feasible solutions.

Participate in community service

You can contribute to your community while developing your nursing abilities by volunteering with a group like an Ambulance or a nearby elderly care home.