Running Head: QUALITIES OF A PROFESSIONAL NURSE

An Introspect into the Qualities of a Professional Nurse

Reid Kaneko
NURS 211: Professionalism in Nursing
September 13, 2013
Professor Paulette Williams

QUALITIES OF A PROFESSIONAL NURSE

An Introspect Into the Qualities of a Professional Nurse

The practice of nursing has evolved throughout history, emerging from basic caregiving
techniques, to the ability of attaining advanced degrees. With these changes in the scope of the
nursing field, particular ideals have been refined into qualities that modern-day nurses are
expected to uphold.
As part of the healthcare team, nurses are responsible for the well-being of their patients
in particular, to achieve positive healthcare consumer outcomes that maximize ones quality of
life across the entire lifespan (Nursing, 44). With so much responsibility and liability on their
shoulders, nurses should project certain qualities that reflect the critical services they provide.
One such quality is flexibility or adaptation to new situations. Unlike other professions in which
there is some degree of predictability, nurses are constantly faced with new situations and
interactions. The ability to adapt not only reflects their current level of skills and knowledge, but
also their creative process.
Another quality that nurses should incorporate is working towards becoming leaders and
innovators within their field. When I think of the term professional, I picture someone who
understands their field so intricately that they can recognize where there is a need for
improvement or change. As other areas of healthcare strive to improve their services, nurses
play an important role in this progress since they are the nations largest health care profession
with more than 3 million RNs nationwide (Cherry & Jacob, 19). In addition - and related to
their numerous presence - nurses interact with health care recipients more than most other
professions. These two factors position nurses to push for significant improvements in how
health care is delivered, if they take that initiative.

QUALITIES OF A PROFESSIONAL NURSE

While striving to improve health care, nurses must also strive to advocate for their
patients. As a professional, it is one thing to offer an exceptional product (i.e. health care), but it
is another to offer great, personalized service. In the case of nurses, this comes down to working
for their patients. This means educating them, and ensuring that they receive the best care
possible because they are your clients. This can become difficult when faced with the stresses of
work and life, but as a professional, nurses be able to separate that from their responsibility to
their patient.
There are many other qualities that constitute what it means to be a professional nurse.
And while these descriptions can be subjective, knowing what leaders in the field of nursing
believe brings a little more weight to their relevance. In their peer-reviewed journal article,
Employer Perceptions of Knowledge, Competency, and Professionalism of Baccalaureate
Nursing Graduates from a Problem-Based Program, Bev Williams and Rene A. Day sought out
the opinions of such leaders in nursing to determine if the PBL [problem based learning]
program was effective in developing knowledgeable, professional and competent practitioners
(3).
The researchers organized ten focus groups comprised of 53 different leaders in the
nursing community. They asked them various questions regarding their observation of new
nursing graduates who participated in PBL programs. In their compilation of their data, they
noticed some common trends in the responses, as well as some differences. The following are
some of the strengths they noticed among PBL graduates, as opposed to other graduates.
Given their lack of real-world experience, its expected that these nurses wont know how
to do everything well. The panel noted however, that these graduates were not afraid to ask

QUALITIES OF A PROFESSIONAL NURSE

questions if they were uncertain and they knew what they didnt know and were willing to
seek out information, taking responsibility for their lack of knowledge (Williams & Day, 6-8).
It is imperative in the course of becoming a professional that you acknowledge when you dont
know something and seek out help to remedy it. This ties in with the quality mentioned earlier of
becoming a leader and innovator in the field of nursing. In order to become a leader or
innovator, you have to have a solid grasp of the fundamentals as a point of reference.
Williams and Day also found in their research that PBL graduates are comfortable
interacting with individuals and families and were able to plan from admission to discharge (7).
Being able to idealize a plan of action is important in providing efficient care, and to foresee any
unexpected changes that might occur. This reflects the extent of the nurses knowledge base and
critical thinking skills. Also, keeping the patient and their family informed develops mutual trust
and respect potentially fostering a reputation for being a leader in their field, in the same way
certain companies stand out as name-brand for their level of quality.
Nursing has historically been reputed as an honorable profession, yet the amount of
knowledge and skills required are often overlooked by the general public. As a first-year nursing
student, I have already come to realize that the level of knowledge necessary to graduate with
even an associates degree in nursing is more intricate than even some baccalaureate degrees in
other fields. Along with the knowledge base, nursing also requires a certain type of character
that brings the right combination of compassion, patience, and fortitude to the position.
I think the first step in becoming a professional in ones field is to be passionate about the
work you set out to do. I didnt decide I wanted to become a nurse until relatively late in my life,
but I made the choice because the profession encompasses much of what I would like my life to

QUALITIES OF A PROFESSIONAL NURSE

be about. I want to become a leader no matter what area of nursing my interest leads me into,
and Im trying to initiate that by making my presence known in my classes, among my peers, and
throughout the community. I want to be active in the Student Nurses Association and I want to
form networks with other nursing programs, as well as other health-care fields on campus.
Becoming a professional begins within the individual person. They can view their work
as a job, or as a career, or as their lifes work. No matter which way though, they must be
committed to bettering themselves both personally and professionally. This means being active
in their field, always being inquisitive, and always thinking of what could be.

QUALITIES OF A PROFESSIONAL NURSE

References
Cherry, B., & Jacob, S. (2014). Contemporary Nursing: Issues, Trends, and Management. St.
Louis: Elsevier Moby.
Nursing Scope and Standards of Practice (2010 Ed.) [PDF document]. Retrieved from
http://www.nursesbooks.org/ebooks/download/NursingScopeStandards.pdf
Williams, B., & Day, R. (2009). Employer perceptions of knowledge, competency, and
professionalism of baccalaureate nursing graduates from a problem-based program.
International Journal of Nursing Education Scholarship, 6(1), doi:10.2202/1548923X.1646