Being a nurse is unlike many professions. Not only does it require constant learning and keeping up with the latest innovations in the medical field but also a lot of personal resources, inner motivation and love for the work done. And yet not many nurses seem to be aware of the great value that they bring to the health care world.

Confidence is a huge factor when it comes to being a nurse and getting better at it. Here are our tips on how you could improve your confidence and be a better nurse.

1. Be Organized

Since nursing almost always implies a lot of unforeseen situations and many changes, it is important to keep yourself prepared for any situation. That, of course, requires a lot of focus and preparation. So we suggest embracing the power of lists and notes. For example, you could make a checklist of all the things you need to do or bring with you to work or a patient’s room. It is also one great way to make sure that every time you call a physician, you will not forget any detail of what you need to tell him.

2. Remember Your Motivation

There will be moments when your hard work and dedication will go unnoticed. Although it’s nice to get a pat on the back every time you do something right, remember yourself that it’s your job to treat your patients to the best of your abilities. So, whenever you are undervalued or treated disrespectfully by a patient, tell yourself that your purpose is to help people regardless of whether they can truly grasp the extent of your service.

3. Stay Positive

On that note, you will have to invest in keeping your motivation strong from the inside – which might need a little pampering from time to time. With so much time and resources invested into taking care of others, you shouldn’t forget to set aside time for yourself as well. Do something nice for yourself, remember to have fun and when things feel rough, keep it positive. You might enjoy for example carrying around a little reminder of how great you are. Try writing some of your favorite inspiration quotes on little cards and keep them with you to read.

4. Improve Your Communication Skills

If there’s anything that will make a difference in your life as a professional is mastering effective communication with both patients and physicians or team members. Try to remember always to listen carefully, speak as clearly as possible and to be aware of non-verbal cues and the message they’re sending. Never be afraid to ask questions if something feels unclear and always try to acknowledge the person you are talking with and their emotions. It will work wonders.

5. Constant Learning

One amazing attitude towards bettering your nursing skills is always to be curious and to want to learn new things. The truth is, this is a field in which changes are the norm, so you have got to embrace that and find the beauty in learning. So every time you see a colleague doing a procedure that you might not master as neatly, don’t be shy to ask for their help.

6. Collaborate

That being said, it’s important to keep in mind that being a nurse should never be a competition. If you want to improve your skills, try to make it all about being better for yourself and for those you serve. Nursing should be all about contributing, not competing. Think of it as you bringing the best of what you have to the table.

7. Embrace Compassion

Last but not least, compassion makes our list as one of the greatest ways to better your professional life. It’s not only about listening carefully to what other people have to say, but to go even deeper into understanding what it is their mental and emotional state. Dealing with patients means dealing with persons in a very vulnerable situation where they might be very frightened and at the same time very unknowing of what is going on. Compassion will take you a long way into making it easier for both of you.

There are many things you can do to improve your skills as a nurse. Be more attentive, become a better communicator, improve your problem-solving capabilities, and so on. But, if there is one thing that is matters the most is putting the patient at the center of your work. That’s the only way you can become a great nurse.

This article was republished from modernnurse.com