Nursing is a tough job. It’s challenging on many different levels. Nurses must have many different skill sets and know how to use them simultaneously. Everyone knows that nurses can take a patient’s temperature and administer medications, but the most important nursing skills are the ones that are the most overlooked.

One of the most important skill a nurse must have is the ability to communicate with others. You might think that being a good communicator is a no brainer, but the art of communication is the foundation of working with people. Unfortunately, not everyone is a good communicator, and nurses must have proficient communication skills in order to do their jobs effectively. Writing skills are essential when documenting in patients’ charts and when transcribing orders. I can’t begin to tell you how many bloopers I have seen in patient charts during my years as a nurse. Here are my top ten favorite charting bloopers that I’ve seen during my nursing career. I’m not making these up. Don’t write these notes at work:

1.The patient refused an autopsy.
2. The patient has no previous history of suicides.
3. Patient has left white blood cells at another hospital.
4. Discharge status: Alive but without permission.
5.Patient has two teenage children, but no other abnormalities.
6.Patient had waffles for breakfast and anorexia for lunch.
7. She is numb from her toes down.
8.Patient was alert and unresponsive.
9. Rectal examination revealed a normal size thyroid.
10. She stated that she had been constipated for most of her life, until
she got a divorce.

That last one really made me laugh until I realized how embarrassing it would be to have to read that note if it ever went to court. Good writing skills will keep you from looking foolish as well as help prevent hospital errors.

The ability to articulate ideas is essential when teaching patients what they need to know before they leave the hospital. Nurses must be skilled at educating patients and their family members, and communication is the cornerstone of patient and family education. Research shows that the most frequent nursing intervention in most settings is patient teaching and counseling. The first step in teaching is to assess what the patient already knows. This allows the nurse to build on the patient’s knowledge base and to clarify and correct any prior misinformation. The nurse must be able to communicate on the patient’s level by using clear, jargon-free language that is simple to understand. The ultimate goal of patient teaching is to keep the patient healthy so that they don’t have to return to the hospital.

There is one more reason why nurses need to be good communicators. I encourage every nurse to write letters to their state and federal representatives, urging them to support health care legislation that will benefit your patients. Nurses are the most trusted professionals, and legislators listen to nurses. Good communicators are able to build strong relationships with patients, their family members, and with other members of the health care team. They can also impact health care on a global level.