Top 10 Qualities of a Nurse

This week we celebrated International Nurses Day (12th May). At JAYCO we currently have over 30 Registered Nurses based all of the North East; we use our Nurses to supply our clients on a daily basis. Our Nurses are some of the most experienced and knowledgeable in the region and we are very proud of the work they do! To celebrate International Nurses Day we have compiled a list of the top 10 qualities a JAYCO Nurse must have:

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1.    Critical Thinking – Nurses must be able to think on their feet in high pressure situations and apply their years of training and knowledge to ensure the highest quality of care is applied. Another good quality is having the ability to anticipate situations before they arise to help alleviate the risk to the patient.  

2.    Leadership – in a care home environment Nurses are sometimes the most senior members on staff on shift and therefore they may have to supervise the care delivery by other members of staff. As a senior member of staff Nurses must also be able to delegate tasks in an appropriate and fair manner.

3.    Experience – A Nurses experience is arguable their great asset, some skills can only be taught through years of practical understanding. Difficult situations can also arise from time to time, the Nurse on shift must use all their experience and knowledge to ensure the service user’s safety is not comprised.

4.    Desire to learn new skills – it’s important to stay up to date with all the latest techniques and guidance in care and medication. A JAYCO Nurse must complete a thorough training course before they are allowed to go out to work for us to ensure their skills are of the correct standard. Our training is also an on-going process if we feel our Nurses need to update their skill set.

5.    Reliability – being a member of the team that their colleagues and service users can rely upon on a daily basis is one of the most important qualities of Nurse. They must have the ability to work 12-hour shifts, to do this they must have good stamina as a busy day can result in a Nurse being on their feet for long periods of time. The moving and handling of patients is also a big part of the job role which requires high levels of fitness and strength.  At JAYCO, we recognise the importance of this, we have included a moving and handling module to our mandatory training programme which all Nurses must complete before they are allowed to go out to work.

6.    Flexibility – at JAYCO we have day, night and sleep in shifts available. Our Nurses upload their availability on a weekly basis via our worker app Pocket Rocket, from this we are able fit their shifts around their lifestyle. Nurses also have the opportunity to work in different environments with service users who can have a variety of health care needs.

7.    Organised – good time management is essential for a Nurse, especially when it comes to medication administration. A Nurses day can also through up a variety tasks that you wouldn’t normally associate with their usual job responsibilities such as housekeeping duties or general counselling/talking to patients. Therefore, it’s vital they have the ability to prioritise, to ensure they can complete all of their daily schedule.

8.    Empathy – Nurses spend a lot of one-on-one time with the service users therefore it’s vital they understand the patient and see their point of view if an issue arises. They must reserve judgement at all times and provide compassionate support if this is what the service user requires.

9.    Ethics – healthcare and nursing are both heavily regulated to ensure the safety of the services users and the Nurses themselves. Nurses must be advocates for their patients at all times and respect all of their wishes even if they do not necessarily agree with them.

10.  Communication– bad communication amongst Nurses and other health care professionals can lead to disastrous consequences such as medication errors. Nurses must also be assertive in the way they communicate; this is especially important in safeguarding situations where the Nurse is the mandatory reporter.  

We are always looking for more Nurses to join our team, we supply clients all over the North East from County Durham all the way up to Northumberland. You must have a valid pin and experience working in a care home environment is preferred, to find out more please call us 0191 691 4200. You can also apply via the jobs section of our website.

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