Nursing is a field where impeccable social skills are encouraged- it is the unanimous demand of the job. Nursing is very different from the regular office job, where people are engrossed in their computers doing technical work and experience limited verbal communication with fellow staff or clients. Conversely, in the nursing field, nurses need to actively interact with their co-workers, doctors, and the patients. Thus, having social skills in nursing is very important.
Building Social Skills
Building social skills is not an overnight process; rather it is an ongoing learning process. Thus, it is requires regular practice at work, and otherwise. Social skills are all about the skill of acknowledgement. A nurse with an affectionate personality who knows how to treat patients, when to smile, when to lend an ear to the patient, when to stroke the patient’s hand and how to calm family members when they have fears, definitely makes one a star nurse. In other words, it makes you win the family members’ approval despite having failed to rescue patients multiple times over the years. It is the human nature, patients and their family members judge how well they were treated or made to feel during their stay in the hospital.
Validating People
Validation goes a long way and is the secret ingredient of social skills. Validation here refers to giving people attention in any manner. Here are the several ways through which it can be done:
- A simple greeting in the morning like a ‘Hi’ or ‘Good morning’
- Congratulating someone on their achievement
- Being a good listener, being involved in the conversation and asking questions
- Saying thanks when someone helps
- Complimenting people when they deserve compliments
The important point here is when you validate someone, you will instantly realize that many communication doors are opened based on their response. Their response can make you decide, whether or not the conversation will develop further. Let’s assume a patient might want to discuss his condition or ailment in detail –just lend an ear. Your senior at work might validate you back by commenting on your performance on the job- it is good to thank them.
As a final note, social skills can make or break your career. Learning such skills can only be achieved with experience, however, one needs to start inculcating the trait at the beginning of nursing career.
If you are looking for more such tips and information on nursing profession or nursing courses for international students, you can explore our blogs. Moreover, if you want to study and work abroad, you can find detailed information about the available nursing programs at the Academic section of our website.
