Top Skills Every Practical Nurse Needs for Success

Canada’s ageing population continues to accelerate and it increases the demand for healthcare professionals. This opens up lucrative career opportunities for those who want to become a practical nurse.

A practical nurse plays a critical role in the healthcare industry. They work with a team comprising of registered nurses and doctors to deliver effective care to the patient. They are responsible for monitoring a patient’s health, for developing and implementing a care plan and administering necessary medications. In addition to these, they are responsible for assisting patients in their routine jobs like eating and bathing. These professionals work in a variety of facilities such as acute care centers, long-term care facilities, doctor’s offices, hospitals, groups and private homes.

Here are the top skills practical nurses possess to become successful in their career:

Effective Communication

Excellent written and oral communication skills are a necessity for executing your responsibilities as a practical nurse. Practical nurses work closely with patients, their families, doctors, nurses, and other professionals on the medical team. They need to be sensitive while communicating and their words should be comforting to the patient and the family. In addition to this, they need to clearly relay information about the patient’s condition and needs to the medical professionals and the patient’s family for proper care.

Patience

The job of practical nurses involves certain unwelcoming tasks like dealing with wet beds, helping patients with routine activities like dressing, bathing, eating, and so on. Nurses also have to deal with the emotional and chronic pain of their patients. Thus, patience is essential to overcome anxiety and boredom and provide the patient with optimal care.

Detail Oriented

Practical nurses are responsible for monitoring the health condition of their patients from time to time. Negligible signs of problems or improvement have a high chance of being overlooked. An eye for detail does not allow any sign to go unnoticed. This helps in implementing appropriate changes in the care plan early on for the benefit of the patient.

Critical Thinking and Decision Making

In emergency events, a practical nurse should be able to make quick evaluations and come to decisions about an appropriate clinical care plan. Patience allows a practical nurse to stay calm during emergency events. This combined with critical thinking helps them analyze the problem and make an appropriate decision quickly.

Flexibility

As a practical nurse, you cannot predict the day ahead of you. You may have to be on your toes 24/7 for patient care while juggling paperwork and communication with other nurses and doctors. You must be flexible enough to be able to adapt to changes quickly. This ensures you succeed in providing effective care to the patient.

In addition to these skills, knowledge, and training are a must for a successful career in this field. Nurses in Canada continue to be one of the highest in-demand professions across the nation and is considered to be so for the next ten years. To explore details of the Practical Nurse Professional Diploma Program at Columbia College in Calgary, click here.