5 Qualities Every RN Should Have to Land a Leadership Role

Many people say that becoming a registered nurse (RN) is a calling, but it’s also a career. Advancement is an important part of any successful career. If you became a registered nurse with the goal of eventually moving into a leadership role, you must develop the qualities needed to successfully fulfill the responsibilities that come with advancement.

Here are some qualities every RN should possess if they wish to assume a leadership role in their profession:

Effective Communications Skills

Effective communication skills are essential in the healthcare industry, especially for RNs. In some cases, a patient’s life may depend on a nurse’s ability to accurately describe a patient’s symptoms or condition. While effective communication skills are important at all levels of the nursing profession. Nevertheless, these skills are especially important for registered nurses who wish to assume a leadership role. Communication skills are crucial since leading nurses interact with many medical professionals, healthcare providers, and executives.

Motivating Yourself and Others

RNs often face overwhelming long hours and workloads. Job burnout is the reason many give for leaving nursing. Keeping yourself and a team motivated, especially during a health crisis, could be your biggest leadership challenge. Motivation begins at the top. Learning the skills to create and maintain a supportive work environment, ensuring the staff have a fulfilling work experience, and promoting teamwork will help you keep your team motivated to do their best. 

Empathy for Your Patients and Your Staff

While empathy is important in building patient trust, relieving patient anxieties, and improving health outcomes, it can also make you a more effective leader. Empathy enables registered nurses to build stronger relationships with those they lead. Likewise, empathy will help you to identify the problems your staff worker may be experiencing and provide them with the support and guidance they need to improve and excel.

Accountability Makes You a Better Leader

Accountability means holding yourself responsible for your mistakes. Holding ourselves accountable for our mistakes allows us to learn from them. Accountability enables RNs to provide better quality care, builds doctor-patient trust, and reduces the waste and misuse of resources. Therefore, learning how to hold yourself accountable to the highest standards while inspiring others to do the same is a leadership quality that will serve you well.

Collaborative and Team-Building Skills

In the healthcare profession, how effectively teams function and work together can literally mean the difference between life and death. Teamwork is essential to ensuring patients receive the support and care they need. Effective teams are often able to come up with innovative responses to healthcare problems. Therefore, learning how to collaborate with others and build effective teams is one of the most valuable leadership skills you can develop.