By Project Management
From conducting a head-to-toe assessment of a new patient to long-term care, nurses are well trained in handling projects from beginning to end. They are focused on each patient, making sure everyone gets the right kind of treatment, and are great at following through. They have to be, since nurses are the doctors’ eyes and ears. Nurses not only have the big picture view, but know the intimate details of their patients as well. Often managing multiple caseloads at once, nurses are pros at directing others, answering patients’ questions and keeping a cool head if things go south.
Critical Thinking/Decision Making
If ever there was a profession that listed critical thinking skills as a key requirement for the job, it’s nursing. When lives hang in the balance, every decision you make can mean the difference between life and death, literally. It’s not like a corporate office where if you screw up, you may just cost the company some money. In healthcare, a wrong decision isn’t just lawsuit potential–it can have far more devastating consequences, like the death of a patient. Nurses are masters of critical thinking, making swift decisions on a daily basis. From addressing a patient in crisis to planning a patient’s care to making quick assessments of a patient’s medical condition, critical thinking is a cornerstone of good nurses everywhere.
Next: Teamwork →
