It’s clear many of us want to know exactly which characteristics make a good nurse, or even a great nurse.

Defined as qualities, traits, abilities, talents, strengths, values, beliefs or morals — characteristics can be personal or professional.

I believe it’s a combination of both of those types of characteristics that we find in good nurses, and these seven qualities stand out:

1. Being a person who deserves a high level of respect. Our kindness, fairness, caring, trustworthiness, emotional stability, empathy and compassion are part of who we are as people on a personal level and serve us well as nurses.
2. Exhibiting strong communication skills that help us communicate with patients and colleagues, sometimes at their worst life moments.
3. Effectively using our critical-thinking skills to solve and identify problems to improve protocols and patient care.
4. Our attention to detail, which helps us follow detailed orders from colleagues and individualize each patient’s care.
5. Time management and delegation skills help us keep up with patient care responsibilities throughout our shifts.
6. Our ability to be flexible and adapt to changing scenarios and situations on the fly.
7. Being a team player that works fluidly with patients, families and interdisciplinary healthcare teams every step of the way.

We develop and strengthen all of the skills above through our years of education, training and practice.

Bedside nurses embody what makes a good nurse

For nearly two decades, the American public has ranked nurses No. 1 in Gallup polls as the most admired, ethical and trusted profession.

“More than four in five Americans (84%) again rate the honesty and ethical standards of nurses as ‘very high’ or ‘high,’ earning them the top spot among a diverse list of professions for the 17th consecutive year,” Gallup reported again in December.