MODULE 2M - QUALITIES OF A NURSE AND CORE VALUES OF THE BSN CURRICULUM

QUALITIES OF A PROFESSIONAL NURSE o focused and present

o open minded and fan of new ideas
 OPEN – allowing free passage, not closed or blocked. o positive energizers
 FLEXIBLE – able to adjust readily to different occasions o never afraid of failures
o share and communicate the dream or vision
- for nurses, there’s no such thing as an average day. The
excitement of learning new skills and consistently doing different
things is part of the appeal of nursing as a career, but it also makes  CRITICAL THINKER – a person who considers the details and
flexibility one of the top qualities every good nurse needs. subjects them to assessment and analysis in order to discover
essential features or meaning.
- flexibility is also a characteristic that helps nurses adapt to
changes in healthcare in general. - critical thinking is the ability to evaluate facts and come to
rational conclusions objectively. it’s a disciplined, self-
 CREATIVE – having the ability or power to create; ability to directed way of looking at things that allows nurses to
invent and develop original ideas. interpret data, prioritize patient needs and troubleshoot
difficult clinical issue quickly and accurately.
- our creativity enables us to cope with difficult and complex
situations by generating new ideas and applying non- - the ability to think critically is an important quality because
traditional techniques in ways that were never used while nurses most often function as part of a healthcare team,
previously. It is clear that nursed need creative thinking to their practice is autonomous, and their professional decisions
make beneficial decisions and provide competent nursing are their sole responsibility.
care.

- although not all healthcare settings are as extraordinarily fast-

 PATIENCE – the ability to endure waiting or delay without paced as a busy emergency room, making decisions isn’t
becoming upset; to persevere calmly when faced with difficulties. something nurses can avoid. the good news is that while critical
thinking comes naturally to some people, it’s also a skill that
- Patience is the key quality in this field. it allows can be learned and nurtured in school and beyond.
professionals to stay calm even under pressure. Nurses are
trained to avoid confrontation even when dealing with irate
patients or colleagues. Staying calm provides a sure-fire way  HONEST – is the human quality of communicating & acting
to handle distressing situations professionally. truthfully.

the profession can be highly rewarding for individuals who

-
- when you exhibit honesty in nursing, your patients know you
genuinely care about people, including the elderly and
truly want the best for them. it’s the quickest and easiest way to
children. Providing emotional support and encouragement
earn the trust of those in your care, and those all around you.
allows patients to feel uplifted and stay positive.

- Honesty in nursing is essential to the care and healing of

 VISIONARY – a person with foresight thinking about or planning your patients, mind, body and soul.
the future with wisdom. There are the 7 signs of visionaries

o imaginative – can visualize things easily  TACTFUL – having or showing a sense of what is fitting &
o big -picture oriented considerate in dealing with others; showing skill or sensitivity
in dealing with people.
 MODULE 2M - QUALITIES OF A NURSE AND CORE VALUES OF THE BSN CURRICULUM

- it allows you to preserve existing relationships and MORE QUALITIES OF A PROFESSIONAL NURSE
build new ones. A tactful approach shows character,
maturity, professionalism, and integrity.
 EMPATHY – the ability to feel what another person is
- Tact also demonstrates good manners. if you can experiencing from their point of view.
communicate with grace and consideration, you’ll stand
out from the crowd and you’ll get notice for the right
reasons
 EMOTIONAL STABILITY – a nurse’s job is mentally
draining. each day can bring a range of powerful emotions
 JUST – equitable; fair to all parties as dictated by reason & including joy, surprise, sadness, and frustration. Tough
conscience. situations are all in a day’s work for a nurse, but to effectively
manage the needs of colleagues, patients and their family
- justice is fairness. Nurses must be fair when they members, remaining calm when faced with upsetting
distribute care, for example, among the patients in the experiences is essential.
group of patients that they are taking care of. Care must be
fairly, justly, and equitably distributed among a group of o COMMUNICATION SKILLS – top-notch communication
patients.
skills are among the most important qualities for nurses. As a
liaison between patients, doctors, and family members, nurses
 FAIR – free from favoritism or self-interest or bias; never stop collecting and relaying critical data.
conforming with established standards or rules.
o A DESIRE TO LEARN – healthcare is constantly evolving,
- the last but not least cornerstone of the nursing philosophy is and while nursing programs teach all the necessary clinical
fairness. In the modern world, quality of life and life skills, most graduates will need practice and continuing
expectancy often correlate with education level, social status, education to reach full competency, particularly in specialty
and income, meaning that economically- disadvantaged fields such as critical care, emergency medicine and infusion
members of society have poorer access to healthcare services therapy,
and might even receive the medical help of low quality.
o VERSATILITY – no student wants to hear that a job in
healthcare may require working weekends, holidays, and
- However, it is believed that every person deserves equal
overtime, often without notice. Work-life balance is
rights and opportunities when it comes to their health. Thus, increasingly important top people, and it’s essential to
the basic value of universalism, or the internal striving for managing stress, but the truth is that in facilities that provide
equality, justice, and tolerance (Schwartz, 2015). around-the-clock care, emergencies happen.

 TRUSTWORTHY – able to be relied on as honest or truthful; o RESPECTFULNESS - being respectful to patients is a

reliable; dependable professional courtesy that must be extended to all, regardless of
their attitude or behavior.
- trust, one of nursing’s intangible assets, impacts nurse’s
o PHYSICAL STAMINA – being a nurse requires the ability to
ability to form meaningful relationships with patients and this
bend, turn, twist, lift and stand regularly, sometimes for long
connection positively impacts health outcomes.
periods.
- Nursing’s trustworthiness is an intangible asset that
warrants protection, as trust once lost is hard to recapture. o ASSERTIVENESS – is a person’s ability to express their
thoughts and feelings and insist they be respected. its an
honest, forthright way of communicating that allows an
individual to stand up for his or her needs without being
aggressive or impinging on the rights of others.
 MODULE 2M - QUALITIES OF A NURSE AND CORE VALUES OF THE BSN CURRICULUM

CORE VALUES OF THE BSN CURRICULUM - having competency leads to an improved quality of
patient care and an increased patient satisfaction with
 CHED MEMORANDUM ORDER No. 5 Series of 2008 – a the nurses and helps promote nursing as a profession and
person is a unique bio-physio-socio-cultural and spiritual beings, improve nursing education and clinical nursing.
always in constant interaction with the environment. These interactions
affect individuals, families, population and groups - In addition, patients expect nurses to be competent and to
and societal health status. behave them in a reasonable way.

- the nurse assumes the caring role in the promotion of health,

prevention of disease, restoration of health, alleviation of c. CONFIDENCE – a feeling of trust in someone or something.
suffering, and when recovery is not possible, in assisting It is a feeling of self-assurance arising from an appreciation of
patients towards peaceful death. one’s own abilities.

- self-confidence has been reported as being a key component

- the nurse collaborates with other members of the health team for effective clinical performance, and confident students
and other sectors to achieve quality healthcare. are more likely to be more effective nurses. Clinical skill
performance is reported to be the most influential source of self-
- within the context of the Philippine society, nursing education confidence.
with caring as the found, subscribes to the following core d. CONSCIENCE – motivation deriving logically from ethical
values which are vital components in the development of a or moral principles that govern a person’s thoughts and actions.
professional nurse and are emphasized in the BSN program:
The inherent knowledge or sense of what is right and wrong

LOVE OF GOD - more than just “gut instinct” our conscience is a “moral
muscle”. By informing us of our values and principles, it
CARING AS THE CORE OF NURSING becomes the standard we use to judge whether or not our actions
are ethical. We can call these two roles ethical
 by far, the number one quality of a good nurse is CARING as awareness and ethical decision making.
stated by Pfeiffer. Nurses care for people during some of the
most vulnerable and scary times of their lives, and usually act d. COMMITMENT – the trait of sincere and steadfast fixity as the most
regular and accessible point of contact for patients of purpose.
and families. A great nurse is able to do their jobs effectively while
o a culture of excellence – refers to everything from
also showing compassion, concern, and sympathy for each individual
the way people think and about the organization and
they serve.
their colleagues to the rules for working together and
a. COMPASSION – deep awareness of and sympathy for the practices everyone uses to “be excellent” and do
another’s suffering. Is the humane quality of understanding the the work of the organization.
suffering of others and wanting to do something about it. o discipline – the practice of training people to obey
rules or a code of behavior
- compassion begins as empathy, but it’s more than an o integrity – moral soundness; steadfast adherence to a
understanding of someone’s suffering, it’s the willingness to do strict moral or ethical code.
something about it. As the cornerstone of nursing, compassion o professionalism – utilizes a specialized knowledge
makes all the differences in the lives of people in need. of a subject or field, prolonged academic training and
a formal qualification.
b. COMPETENCE – the state or quality of being adequately or
well defined to perform a specific role. it encompasses a
combination of knowledge, skills, and attitude utilized to
improve performance.
 MODULE 2M - QUALITIES OF A NURSE AND CORE VALUES OF THE BSN CURRICULUM

LOVE OF PEOPLE

 PATRIOTISM – love of country and the willingness to sacrifice

for it.

- civic duty, social responsibility and good governance.

 PRESERVATION AND ENRICHMENT OF THE

ENVIRONMENT AND CULTURE HERITAGE–

CDU CN VALUES
C – compassion and courtesy (good manners)

D – dedication and discipline (sense of responsibility and accountability)

U - uprightness

C – competence and commitment (to God and through man)

N – neatness (in person and in work)