5 Things That Make a Good Nurse Great

By Val Gokenbach on Tue, May 8, 2012

Prior to discussing my opinion of what the attributes of a great nurse are, it is important to first
understand what nursing truly is and how we evolved into the most honored and trusted
profession in the world. The reasons are simple; nursing is a profession steeped in rich values
based on the work of Florence Nightingale, which has not degraded over time due to the
character of the individuals that commit to the calling.
Nursing, in my opinion, is a much higher spiritual calling than merely a profession. Our
fundamental tenets have not changed over time, either. Those are described as:
Nursing is founded on specific human values.
Nursing is a scientific knowledge.
Nursing is a technical skill.
These tenets are based on specific nursing values that have been studied in literature and
remain pretty consistent globally. These include:
Family values
Happiness
Sense of accomplishment
Honesty
Responsibility
Intellect
Human dignity
Equality
Prevention of suffering
In my opinion, a great nurse lives these values and clearly understands themselves and their
role in this fine profession:
1. A great nurse is compassionate. Compassionate is defined as the feeling of concern and
sympathy for others. We need to remember that our patients, apart from cosmetic work or
delivering babies, are generally not in the healthcare setting because they want to be. They are
fearful and at risk of losing their health, possibly their lives, and concurrently, those visitors with
them may be at risk of losing precious loved ones. They are not in control and are frightened,
and they need us for support. This also means that we are consummate advocates for the
patient and willing to speak up when we do not feel the environment is as safe as it can be.
2. A great nurse is empathetic. Empathetic is defined as the ability and willingness to share in
the feelings of others. It does not mean that we agree with the patient or completely
understand what they are going through. It simply means that we are willing to make a
concerted effort to listen to them, to put ourselves in their place and to attempt to understand
their challenges. This needs to be done without judgment and with the understanding
that everyone has their own set of values and their own life experiences that have brought
them to this point.

3. A great nurse is selfless. Selfless is defined as the ability to give to others at the expense of
themselves. I have countless stories of nurses over the years that illustrate this ability to give to
others. This could be as simple as missing lunch to hold a patients hand or to do something
extraordinary for someone else.
I had one trauma nurse I will never forget who was caring for a homeless man hit by a car.
When the patient was being discharged back to the street, the nurse realized that his shoes
were not removed during the trauma because he did not own any. His foot size was the same
as the patients, so he gave him his shoes and wore shoe covers for the rest of the day. I felt
that this was a tremendous example of selflessness. We recognized him as an everyday hero.
The stories go on and on and we need to celebrate them when they happen.
4. A great nurse is self-aware. Self-aware is defined as a high degree of emotional intelligence.
We are more effective in anything that we do when we understand ourselves, the way we think,
and where our values are in reference to others as well as our personal strengths and
limitations.
Having 15 years of Emergency experience taught me a great deal about myself. There were
situations where I felt extremely vulnerable and ineffective, such as dealing with abuse or
trauma of small children that basically rendered me emotionally distraught for some time after
the events. In that situation, I needed to learn coping mechanisms to deal with the situations or
needed the support of my colleagues to trade with me or help me when those times got tough.
We all need to support and help each other get through our tough days.
5. A great nurse is technically strong with a thirst for knowledge. It is our obligation as
nurses to continue to remain on the cutting edge of our practice regardless the discipline. As
nursing leaders, we should be reading on healthcare economics, leadership theory and other
issues that impact those in leadership roles. Within the independent disciplines it is important
to read journals, achieve certifications, continue our academic pursuits and read all of the
information that comes from our healthcare organizations in regard to policy, product or
process changes. Lack of knowledge can lead to adverse patient outcomes, and for that
ignorance is no excuse but rather our responsibility.
Currently, we live in unprecedented economic times that will affect the quality of care we
deliver. The new healthcare challenges are changing the work environment for nurses and
creating value conflicts more than before in the areas of personal, professional, institutionally
and social. It is time for us to put the patient at the center of all we do and work to be what we
have dedicated our lives to be - The greatest nurse!
What do you think makes a good nurse great?!
Like29 3

20 Comments

Thank-you for a timely and

Submitted by NT Contributor on Wed, 02/23/2011 - 05:55

Thank-you for a timely and timeless article. This is a must read for all nurses wherever you are in
your career. I am currently working as an Oncology Research Nurse at a great practice that is
going through some major changes. I have been reflecting back on my own nursing career and
the uncertainty of the future. I found Val's article to be an anchor to hold me steady in this time.
She reminds us of the attributes of a great nurse and how our actions and behaviors make a
difference to our patients and their loved ones and the importance of our knowledge in the
outcome. I am appreciative of her dedication to our profession and hope I have the opportunity to
meet her one day.

A Simple Formula for Answering "Tell

Me About Yourself"
By The Daily Muse Editor

So, tell me about yourself.

What seems like such a simple question can really make you sweat, especially in an
interview. What, exactly, should you sharenot just to build rapport, but to show that
youre the perfect fit for the job?
Fear not, job seekers: Theres a super-simple formula that will help you answer this
question with ease. Watch this quick video as our CEO Kathryn Minshew gives a simple
tip from our career expert Lily Zhang, then try it out for yourself!
(Cant watch the video at work? Dont worryweve also copied the transcript below.)

How to Answer Tell Me About Yourself

So, the first question youre probably going to get in an interview is, Tell me about
yourself. Now, this is not an invitation to recite your entire life story or even to go bullet
by bullet through your resume. Instead, its probably your first and best chance to pitch
the hiring manager on why youre the right one for the job.

A formula I really like to use is called the Present-Past-Future formula. So, first you start
with the presentwhere you are right now. Then, segue into the pasta little bit about
the experiences youve had and the skills you gained at the previous position. Finally,
finish with the futurewhy you are really excited for this particular opportunity.
Let me give you an example:
If someone asked, tell me about yourself, you could say:
Well, Im currently an account executive at Smith, where I handle our top performing
client. Before that, I worked at an agency where I was on three different major national
healthcare brands. And while I really enjoyed the work that I did, Id love the chance to
dig in much deeper with one specific healthcare company, which is why Im so excited
about this opportunity with Metro Health Center.
Remember throughout your answer to focus on the experiences and skills that are going
to be most relevant for the hiring manager when theyre thinking about this particular
position and this company. And ultimately, dont be afraid to relax a little bit, tell stories
and anecdotesthe hiring manager already has your resume, so they also want to
know a little more about you.

Photo of microphone courtesy of Shutterstock.

About The Author

Kathryn Minshew is the CEO & Founder of The Muse and loves helping people find careers they
actually enjoy. She has spoken at MIT and Harvard, appeared on The TODAY Show and CNN, and
contributes on career and entrepreneurship topics to the Wall Street Journal and Harvard Business

Review. Before founding The Muse, Kathryn worked on vaccine introduction in Rwanda and Malawi
with the Clinton Health Access Initiative and was previously at the management consultancy
McKinsey & Company.

2. How did you hear about the position?

Another seemingly innocuous question, this is actually a perfect opportunity to stand out
and show your passion for and connection to the company. For example, if you found
out about the gig through a friend or professional contact, name drop that person, then
share why you were so excited about it. If you discovered the company through an event
or article, share that. Even if you found the listing through a random job board, share
what, specifically, caught your eye about the role.

Interview Translation: What 4

Common Questions Really Mean
By Sara McCord

Acing the interview isnt just about having the perfect canned speeches. Yes, you need
to show off your experience, talents, and personalitybut before answering
each question, you also have to figure out what the interviewer is actually asking you.
Those seemingly innocuous questions, like tell me about yourself and where do you
see yourself in a few years? arent just get-to-know-you conversation starters. Theyre
one of the key ways an interviewer will seek to uncover whether youre the right fit for the
job.
So, before you start to share your life storyor recite the same answer you gave at the
last interviewits important to figure out what the interviewer really wants to know.
Check out our guide to translating interviewer-speak, and learn how to plot your
answers accordingly.
1. Question: Tell me about yourself.

Translation: Tell me why youre the right fit for this job.
The interviewer already has your resume and cover letter, so shes not looking for a
rundown of your employment history. Nor does she care that you grew up in Boston and
love to jog on the weekends. Shes looking for a pitchone thats concise, compelling,
and keeps her attention, and one that tells her exactly why youre the right fit for the job.
So, while this is a good time to paint a broad picture of who you are, its most important
that you include a couple of key facts that will sell you as the right candidate.
Think about the 2-3 specific accomplishments or experiences that you most want the
interviewer to know about, and share them here. You can frame your stories or tie them
together using a theme or a quote, if appropriate, such as My first boss told me that
fundraising is really building relationships, and thats the approach Ive taken throughout
my career. For example
Its also a good idea to practice your answer aloud, record it, then listen to your pitch.
Are you engaging? Are you rambling? Are you getting your most important points across
loud and clear? (This is good advice for any interview question.)
2. Question: How would you explain our organizations mission?

Translation: Can you be an ambassador for our organization?

Any candidate can read and regurgitate the companys About page. So, when an
interviewer asks you this, she isnt necessarily trying to gauge whether you understand
the missionshe wants to know whether you care about it, and shes looking for who in
the applicant pool can most effectively discuss the organizations work and its impact.
So, in addition to doing your research on the companys work, think about concrete
ways it relates to your passions and experiences, and weave them into your answer.
Start with one line that shows you understand the mission, using a couple key words
and phrases from the website, but then go on to make it personal. Say, Im personally
drawn to this mission because or I really believe in this approach because and
share a personal example or two. For example, if youre interviewing at a school that
stresses character, share some specific character-building education activities youve

led for students in your last job, or reference the recently released Bully. If youre
interviewing for a position at a hospital, talk about the 5K you recently ran toraise money
for leukemia or your passion for volunteering your time to help children with cancer.
3. Question: Where do you see yourself in five years?

Translation: Do you care about our work?

Hiring someone is an investment, and interviewers believe (as you would expect) that
someone genuinely interested in the organizations work will be the better hire. So, what
she really wants to know is whether this particular job and company is part of your
career path, or whether youll be jumping ship in a year once you land your real dream
job.
So how should you answer? If the position youre interviewing for is on the track to your
goals, share that, plus give some specifics. For example, if youre interviewing for an
account executive position an advertising firm, and you know your goal is to become an
account supervisor, say that. And then add specifics about the sort of clients you hope
to work with, which will help your answer sound genuine, not cannedand again show
why this particular company will be a good fit.
If the position isnt necessarily a one-way ticket to your aspirations, the best approach is
to be genuine, but to follow your answer up by connecting the dots between the specific
duties in this role and your future goals. Its OK to say that youre not quite sure what the
future holds, but that you see this experience playing an important role in helping you
make that decision, or that youre excited about the management or communications
skills youll gain.
4. Question: Do you have any questions for us?

Translation: Have you really been listening?

Its easy to go into an interview with a list of questions about the position. But the
tougher partand what the interviewer really wants to seeis whether you can roll with
the punches, engage in the conversation, and ask questions that werent already
answered over the course of the interview.

This will require some thinking on your feet. As youre going along in the interview, be
thinking which key areasjob duties, company culture, the team youll be working with
havent been covered yet, so you can target your questions there. You can also
prepare ahead of time by thinking of more non-traditional questions, or ask questions
targeted to the interviewer herself, which probably wont be covered in the interview.
Try things like: What you like most about working here? What drew you to work for this
organization? What do you think are the current strategic challenges facing the
organization? What advice would you give to someone in this role?
Remember, theres no right answer to an interview questionor at least not one thats
right for every job. But by thinking about what an interviewer is really after, you can go a
long way in showing her why youre right for the job.
Photo courtesy of Jerry Bunkers.

About The Author

Sara McCords column Impress Me explains how to make a better professional impression step-bystep. Her career advice has been published on Forbes, Mashable, Newsweek, TIME, Inc., and
Business Insider. A Staff Writer/Editor for The Daily Muse, Sara has experience managing programs,
building strategic partnerships, advising executive directors, and supporting a national network of
volunteers. Catch up with Sara on her blog Grab A Latte or on Twitter @grabalatte.

3 Steps for Answering "Why Do You

Want This Job?"
By Lily Zhang

Like the dreaded Tell me about yourself, the question, Why are you interested in this
position? is sure to come up in an interview.
And, even if it doesnt, if you want the job you should get this sentiment across
regardless. So, really, theres no way around figuring out how to string together a
coherent thought about why this being in this position makes sense for you (and for the
company).
Luckily, theres actually a pretty simple way to go about answering this question
effectively without having to go through every big moment or transition in your life and
career thats brought you to this interview. Heres a smart framework for how you should
structure your answer.

Step 1: Express Enthusiasm for the Company

First things first, this is an excellent opportunity for you to show off what you know about
the company. You can talk all day about how excited you are about joining the team, but
nothing will trump actually knowing a thing or two about the place youre interviewing
with. So, to prepare, spend some time honing in on what you know about the
company and select a few key factors to incorporate into your pitch for why youre a
good fit.
Say youre interviewing for a small quantitative asset management company. The start
of your answer might sound something like this:
The first thing that caught my eye when I saw the position posted was definitely that it
was at EFG Advisers. I know that you build a lot of your tools in-house, the team is

small, and you run a variety of long- and short-term strategies in the U.S. equities
markets using a quantitative approach.
Especially with smaller companies, its always impressive when a candidate knows a
thing or two about what goes on at the company. And the best thing about this is you
rarely have to go beyond reviewing the company website or having a quick conversation
with a current or past employee to learn enough to sound like youve been following the
company for a while.

Step 2: Align Your Skills and Experiences With the Role

Next, you want to sell why, exactly, youre right for the role. There are two ways you can
do this: You can either focus more on your experiences (what youve done before that
brings you to this point) or your skills (especially helpful if youre pivoting positions or
industries).
Try to pinpoint what the main part of the role entails, plus a couple of the desired skills
in the job description, and make sure you speak to that. Follow up your introduction to
how excited you are about the company with why youre a good fit:
But the part that really spoke to me about this position was the chance to combine both
the programming skills I gained from being a senior software engineer and my knack for
quantitative analysis in a position that actively lets me engage with my growing interest
in investing and portfolio management.
Keep it shortyoull have plenty of opportunities to talk about how you got your skills or
relevant stories throughout the interviewand just focus on highlighting a couple key
relevant abilities or experiences for the position.

Step 3: Connect to Your Career Trajectory

Finally, you want to show that the position makes sense for where youre going in your
career. Ideally, you wont give the impression that youre just using the position as a

stepping stone. Show that youll be around for the long haul, and your interviewer will
feel more comfortable investing in you:
Ive been interested in switching to finance for a while now and have been actively
managing my own personal portfolio for a few years. Joining a quant shop makes sense
to me because I think its one of the few places where Ill still be able to use my technical
skills and spend my day thinking about finance. Im really excited to learn more and see
how Ill be able to contribute the firm.
Of course, you dont have to state specifically that you see yourself in the position for a
long time. Just show that youve given some thought to how the job makes sense for
you now and that it continues to make sense for the foreseeable future.

String these three components together, and you have a response that will impress on
three fronts: your knowledge and enthusiasm for the company, your relevant skills, and
your general fit with the position. Plus, this framework has the added benefit of not
stopping the flow of the conversation the way going through your entire life story would.

Photo of people talking courtesy of Shutterstock.

About The Author

Lily Zhang serves as a Career Development Specialist at MIT where she works with a range of
students from undergraduates to PhDs on how to reach their career aspirations. When she's not

indulging in a new book or video game, she's thinking about, talking about, or writing about careers.
Follow her musings on Twitter @lzhng.