Each individual job definitely requires its own skill set but there are several skills that are necessary in all walks of healthcare, whether you are a travel nurse working in the ER, or a healthcare professional visiting clients in their homes.Dealing with patients and their needs on a daily basis requires some basic skills that we all need to work on in order to provide the excellent care our patients deserve.
First and foremost of these would be Communication Skills. As an RN or other healthcare professional it is necessary to communicate with the patient and/or their family/caregivers. It is necessary to make the patient feel comfortable and welcome in the environment. The RN must communicate directly with a patient who is scared, in pain or maybe even in shock. Patients and families will have questions and want answers. A good nurse must be a patient listener and good communicator in order to help keep everyone calm and help them understand what is going on.
Critical Thinking Skills are always necessary in the healthcare field as there can always be times when instant decisions and emergency actions are necessary. The RN must be able to assess the patient's health and detect subtle changes in symptoms, pain or health and know what to do and when to take action.
The healthcare professional, travel nurse and RN must always remain calm under pressure. You may feel like you are going to explode on the inside but you cannot allow the patient and/or family to see this. Urgent circumstances require clear thinking and the ability to function under high stress and life or death situations.
Compassion is required of course. And, I wouldn't think you went into nursing or healthcare if you didn't want to help people. It is necessary to be sympathetic to the patient's needs and able to deal with patients who are in pain, traumatized, have been involved in a tragedy or who knows what? This goes right along with having patience with your patients and their families as well.
Organizational skills are a must as there is so much to keep track of and everything must be documented to provide the best patient care possible. With today's Electronic Medical Records it is easy for everyone involved in patient care to have access to all data about the patient and being organized will go a long way to make your life as an RN or healthcare professional much easier. Of course, as a travel nurse, you will have a little more paperwork to deal with, but as with all things, practice makes perfect. Attention to detail would be a part of these organizational skills as well.
Well, that's just a few basics. Obviously these are basic skills that will even help us improve our everyday life as a person as well as a travel nurse or healthcare professional. Keep smiling and keep moving!
Mary Crawford, HealthCare Employment Network
