Through education and on the job training a nurse will learn excellent clinical and performance skills which will allow them to practice nursing, these are known as hard skills. However soft skills which are an individual’s personality and core values cannot be taught, instead these can be developed and mastered over time. The absence of soft skills can lead to medical errors, an unhealthy and unproductive working environment, dissatisfied patients and a high number of complaints.

We’ve put together some helpful tips to help nurses build their soft skills and deliver the best patient care possible.

Communication
This begins even before speaking. Eyes, body language and even dress code gives out communication signals. Interview research shows that it takes just three seconds to make an impression and this is no different when it comes to providing patient care.
In the first instance it is important to make eye contact, smile and acknowledge the patient. It is equally important to wear the correct the uniform and ensure it is clean and tidy. This provides reassurance to the patient, eases their anxiety and helps them to identify with a healthcare professional.
Always speak clearly and listen to the patient, this help to build a relationship, rapport and a sense of trust. This will also show the nurse is knowledgeable and competent.

Compassion and Patience
A nurse will always be drawn to helping those in need and caring for those who are sick and injured. They’ll naturally have the need to help improve one’s quality of life and minimise any pain, anxiety and suffering they are feeling. Nurses will deal with people from all sorts of backgrounds and beliefs therefore having patience and being non-judgemental is vital.

Ethics
All nurses will follow a framework of ethics that provides guidance on personal and professional conduct. The framework includes how to maintain a patient’s respect and dignity and the importance of it. 

Attention to Detail
The ability to have excellent attention to detail whilst practising as a nurse can be the difference between life and death. Nurses will care for multiple patients’ everyday all with different challenges and needs, and after a long day it can be hard to remain focused. Being careful not miss any steps, following correct procedures and protocol will help to avoid making errors.

Positivity
Remaining positive in a tough situation is hard, however having positivity and using comforting words will help to improve a distressing situation and aide a patient’s recovery. Being positive will also boost the mood of the patient especially if they are feeling fed up, have low self-esteem, are down in the dumps and depressed.

Time Management
Being able to manage time effectively will play dividends when managing multiple patients, working under pressure and responding to unplanned incidents or emergencies. It will also help add structure to the day, be more effective and efficient.

Stamina
The nursing field is extremely demanding and it can be physically, mentally and emotionally draining. Having stamina is crucial to getting through the highs and lows of each day. It is equally crucial to maintain a healthy lifestyle and be able to deal with the challenges that arise. Having time out to recharge and reflect is key to achieving a strong level of stamina.

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Published in Blog

The NHS in England is the country’s biggest employer and one of the largest an increase of 2.4% employers globally. Of the 1.5million people employed by the NHS, in March 2020 permanent registered nurses made up 669,854 of NHS staff, an increase of 2.4% (16,310) on the previous year. (Source: https://www.nmc.org.uk)

The Covid-19 temporary register
In response to the covid-19 pandemic in March 2020, the temporary nursing register saw itself double in size from 7,658 to more than 14,000. It’s no surprise during unprecedented times its natural for those who have the desire to care together with the relevant skills and experience to offer their support. In addition to this, the NMC encouraged nurses who left the permanent register in the last three years to join the Covid-19 temporary register. 

If one thing Covid-19 has taught us is the importance of nurses and the work they do is vital as we continue to fight the virus.

Flexibility
NHS hospitals operate 24 hours a day, 7 days a week which is huge advantage for nurses. The NHS understands the importance of offering flexibility to attract and retain the best workforce, maintain a healthy work-life balance and reduce absenteeism. Variious shifts are offered such as full and part-time work, flexi-time, job sharing and night shifts followed with days off in between – the choice is yours. 
Having such flexibility is highly advantageous. Firstly, it will help to give you a work/life balance preventing burn out and time to recharge. Nursing can be highly demanding and at times upsetting, so it is important to have some time out to. Secondly, it gives you more time for leisure activities, family time and personal commitments. And, finally depending on your specialism and terms with the NHS trust you can work in different departments and hospitals.

Competitive Salary
Working a nurse, you can benefit from an outstanding salary plus many benefits. The Agenda for Change sets the pay rates for all NHS staff (except for doctors, dentists and senior managers) and takes into account, level of expertise, responsibilities, skills, abilities and years of experience.
As an example, the starting salary for a Band 5 nurse with less than 1 years’ experience is £24,907. After gaining further experience and specialising in an area a nurse can move up the pay scale and earn £37,890 as top end Band 6 nurse.
Going a step further and undertaking a Master’s degree to become an Advanced Nurse Practitioner can see earnings of £44,503, Head Nurses can see up to £51,668 and finally, Consultant Nurses up to £104,927.

As well as the basic pay, there is also extra pay for those who work in areas where living costs are high, such as London. The NHS has one of the UK’s best pension schemes and offers learning opportunities through training programmes.

Career Progression
There are many routes a nurse can take when it comes to career progression, and what’s even better is you can gain first-hand experience before deciding on the path you wish to take.
Specialisms in nursing are endless, you can choose from many areas such as emergency care, anaesthetics, midwifery, neonatology, orthopaedics, fertility to surgery. You even have the option of moving into a management role, advanced practitioners and consultant nurses where they have the option to prescribe medicine to patients.
As a nurse everyday will be different and you’ll learn something new and invaluable all the time. There are also opportunities to work on research projects and be involved in new innovations.
You will be exposed to a variety of different healthcare settings, including hospitals, clinics, nursing homes and outpatient healthcare settings. This will help to keep your work varied, interesting and increase your learning and development.

Job Security
If anything, COVID-19 has shown us is the significant role nurses play in healthcare and without them hospitals would not be able to function. Over the last 10 years we have seen an increase in people living longer as a result of better healthcare and advances in medicine, this means the need for nurses will increase. Every year new nurses are required to replace to those who retire or leave the profession, it is a continuous cycle and as a result, there will always be a job for nurses giving you peace of mind that your job is here to stay.

Nursing Grants
In January 2020 the government announced a nursing grant of £5,000 will be available to all nursing, midwifery and many allied health students to help with living costs. In addition to this a further funding of up to £3000 is available to mental health and learning disability nursing students, those with childcare needs and areas of UK which have seen a decrease in students accepted onto some nursing, midwifery and allied health courses over the past year.
The funding will not have to be repaid by recipients and more than 35,000 students could benefit from the grant offered.

 

Find your next nursing position today

We are proud to work with NHS trusts across the UK, as a result we have roles to suit every nurse at every stage of their career.
Whether you are a newly qualified nurse or looking for new experience register your details here or view the latest nursing jobs and apply today

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