Nurses are hugely important to the NHS in the UK. They are the backbone of the healthcare industry, fulfilling a variety of roles on a day to day basis. Therefore, it’s no surprise that there are more of them working in the field than any other healthcare professional. Nurses operate on six core values which are commonly known as the 6 C’s. These are Care, Compassion, Competence, Communication, Courage and Commitment. Nurses who operate on these values ensure that the job gets done in an effective and efficient manner and that patients are safe and treated well.
- This refers to treating patients correctly, in a respectful and non-judgemental manner. Consideration should be paid to their beliefs and their dignity should be protected at all times. They should be able to trust their nurse to provide a high level of care.
- Nurses often work in very stressful conditions, but in doing so they must remain compassionate. Even if a patient is particularly difficult, or it’s coming to the end of their shift, they should show compassion as it it central to how patients view their care.
- Nursing requires constant updating of knowledge and skills in order to keep up to late with the latest practices. Patients have a wide range of needs and treatments requirements, and they also come from a variety of walks of life. Lots of training and time spent on personal development ensures that they possess the expertise needed to care for every single patient to a high standard.
- Excellent communication is vitally important in all areas of the medical professional. Nurses must be good listeners, as this is the key to good communication. Simple and concise communication with colleagues is all vital as is legible writing of patient records. What’s more, because we live in a multicultural society, it’s essential that patients are communicated with in a language that they understand.
- Nurses must have the courage to do what they think is right and be brave enough to confront fear of difficulties. They often have to stand by what they believe, even if others do not like it. But, it’s important to remember that they are accountable for their actions as a nurse and that they have a duty of care to their patients.
- Nurses should possess a high level of commitment to their role. Nurses have never been more over-stretched, and with little financial growth for their exceptional efforts, they still put in the overtime in order to make sure that their patients’ needs are met.
At Secure Healthcare Solutions we strongly commend these values that ensure that nurses form the backbone of the NHS.
Please click here to read our previous article.