Becoming A Nurse: A Case Study

A person chooses to become a nurse for many different reasons, however nurses must learn, understand and acquire certain qualities to fit the role efficiently and aid patients effectively. These certain qualities are essential to nurses in different fields all over the world. Some qualities nurses must have are knowledge, empathy, advocacy, collaboration, accountability and communication. These qualities were put on a Coat of Arms for a group project using unique symbols that clearly represent each quality thoroughly. A brain represents knowledge and understanding, due to the fact that nurses must use their knowledge learned in school to interpret, understand and assess their patients carefully and completely. Empathy, is shown through the

Communication is defined as “the exchange of information, thoughts, and feelings, among people using speech or other means” (Kourkouta, & Papathanasiou, 2014 p.65). It is absolutely necessary that in a health care team that everyone promotes the best care for the client, by doing so communication is required, “communication assists in the performance of accurate, consistent, and easy nursing work, ensuring both the satisfaction of the patient and the protection of the health profession” (Kourkouta, & Papathanasiou, 2014, p.65). It helps ensure collaboration in a health care team and confirm that information is shared correctly and in an efficient manner. There are two different types of communication that nurses use: verbal, and non-verbal. Verbal communication includes spoken and written words that one can deliver specific meaning throughout. This includes vocabulary picked, specific meaning, clarity, and time (Potter & Perry, 2014, p. 246). Non-verbal communication however, consists of personal appearance, posture, facial expression, eye contact and personal space (Potter & Perry, 2014, p.247). This type of communication is used more than actual verbal-communication, which can assist when patients insist that they are fine but are truly not. Nonetheless, this can oppose a lot of issues on how one should interpret the message that one is giving. Listening is another component of nursing that not a lot

Collaboration is described as “a process of common work with acceptable goals and philosophy, while the comprehension of particular characteristics of the individual is essential” (Dimitriadou, et al., 2008 p.141). Collaboration requires a group to be formed, which is “a human communication system composed of three or more individuals, interacting for the achievement of some common goal(s) who are influenced by each other” (Arnold & Boggs, 2016, p.136), which can be classified as a “health care team”. A health care team is not just nurses working together for a patient, it includes other health members, such as doctors, physicians, occupational therapists and more. This is due to the fact that a patient may have needs that involve more than one health profession. Collaborating with colleague’s through a health care team requires skills, that each occupation in the health care field must have. To ensure that the health care team is working efficiently, the members must communicate to each other, and work together to provide the best for their patients. Each member in the group, works together to achieve the same common goal, by following the group norms “unwritten behavioural rules” (Arnold & Boggs, 2016, p.138). This quality is important in the discipline of nursing due to the fact that this profession is based on providing the best, most efficient care toward the patient, that provides them with the best health