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In addition to the many soft skills that one might expect a good nurse to have, there are some very specific hard skills that you would also need and that your nursing program would prepare you to master. While the list of skills is fairly intensive, this article will focus on just a few of the more crucial skills. You can get started on your mastery of any of these skills by enrolling in one of the nursing programs at Cambridge College of Healthcare & Technology. Cambridge offers both an Associate and Bachelors of Science degree in Nursing for you to choose from to help prepare you for entering into this exciting field.
Emergency Care
Caring for patients is highly unpredictable and even though not all nurses work in emergency rooms or urgent care centers they need to be prepared in the event of an emergency situation. Nurses deal with continuous flow of patients throughout the day no matter where they work and every patient will present with something different. Being able to quickly assess someone’s condition and start regular monitoring right away will allow nurses to determine what the patient needs and work with other medical personnel to get things under control.
Technology
Technology is a fact of life in just about every aspect of what we do. Nurses need to be highly adept at using the available medical technology in order to provide the best level of service to patients. The rise in the use of electronic health records and telemedicine have changed the nature of how patient information is recorded and stored as well how patients get treatment. It is vitally important for a nurse to be skilled in this area and engage in continuous learning so that they can continue to improve upon patient care and outcomes.
Basic Life Support (BLS)
All nurses should be certified in and able to perform Basic Life Support (BLS) with includes Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR). These procedures can often mean the difference between life and death. In a hospital setting nurses are often nearby and are the first responders in a medical emergency and they need to be able to start administering assistance immediately to keep the patient stable until a doctor arrives.
Patient and Family Education
Nurses often act as liaisons between providers and patients and the patients’ families and they need to be able to effectively explain a particular condition and the steps for adequate care. In addition, being able to educate a patient helps the individual to take responsibility for managing their own illness, injury or other condition and move forward with confidence in the information that was given to them. Good communication skills come into play here as nurses will need to make sure to ask questions for understanding and clarification and to address any additional concerns that arise.
Patient Safety
Nurses are responsible for creating safe spaces for patients who are dealing with a medical issue through constant monitoring and concerted efforts to control and prevent infection. Nurses must also be able to advocate for patient safety throughout the entirety of their care and during any medical interventions. Patient safety may also involve assisting individuals with transport between different areas of a hospital or doctor’s office as well as medication administration. Sanitation and sterilization can also be included in this area as nurses are often in charge of furnishing the tools that are needed to perform medical procedures.
Are You Ready to Get Started?
If you are interested in getting into this exciting and fast paced career you should check out the Nursing programs that are available at Cambridge College of Healthcare & Technology. These programs are designed to provide you with the knowledge and skills that you would need for success in a variety of different nursing positions. We invite you to fill out our Request Info form and someone will reach out to you with more information. We look forward to hearing from you.