Essential Nursing Skills Checklist

Nurses are capable professionals. Their competencies range from technical knowledge
to interpersonal effectiveness to methods of self-care. For those seeking to better
understand just what it takes to succeed in this career, here is King University’s
essential nursing skills checklist.
Nursing Skills Checklist

1. Decision Making
Nurses make decisions when the stakes are high. Therefore, their ability to make
informed, cool-headed choices is crucial. They must know how to gather
information, prioritize outcomes, and react to urgent and life-threatening
conditions effectively. When nurses make decisions, they must take ethical
factors into consideration and be able to explain their choices to doctors,
patients, families, and other healthcare professionals.
2. Mathematics
Mathematics includes quick and accurate manipulation of numbers. Nurses must
know how to work with the metric system and take measurements of a variety of
data such as height, weight, and bodily outputs. They must be able to calculate
the rates of change for vital signs, manage IV drip rates, and discern appropriate
medication doses. This means a good working knowledge of fractions and ratios,
arithmetic, formulas, conversion rates, and time calculations.

3. Physical Endurance
Shifts can last between eight and 12 hours, during which nurses are almost
constantly on their feet. Patients often require assistance with walking and
movement. Responding to emergencies is a given. Nurses must be able to do all
the following for sustained periods of time:
o Standing
o Sitting
 o Lifting
o Carrying
o Pushing/pulling
o Bending
o Reaching
o Kneeling
o Twisting
o Fine motor skillsIn addition, nurses must possess acuity in all their senses,
including visual, aural, and tactile.
4. Observation
Nurses are conduits. As professionals on the front lines of care, their ability to
effectively provide accurate information to doctors, other nurses, patients, and
family members is crucial.Successful nursing observation is both evidence-based
and vigilant. It informs the work of a host of concepts vital to the field, such as:
o Listening to patients
o Practicing nursing procedures effectively
o Gaining knowledge and understanding of people and situations
o Communication
o Patience
o Teamwork
o Paperwork and record keeping

o Empathy Nurses must possess a keen

awareness of their surroundings and minute changes that occur in their
patients. Paying attention to detail helps nurses identify problems before
they compound, minimize errors, make better decisions, and paint a
broader picture of patients’ health.
5. Patience
Nurses see people at their worst. Patients are often scared, in pain, disoriented,
or simply unable to function at their full capacity. The ability to decelerate and
approach situations calmly means nurses can provide a higher standard of care
 and avoid burnout. Successful nurses learn to cultivate immersive attention, not
take things personally, and approach problems for a long-range angle.
6. Compassion
Compassion is inextricably linked with patience. It manifests as the practical
application of kindness. This practice is sometimes difficult to pin down, but it
may look like some of the following:
o Validating patients’ concerns and honoring their requests
o Listening
o Considering other points of view
o Making eye contact
o Facing patients while talking
o Using a soft vocal tone
o Smiling
o Treating patients as equals
o Nurses who show compassion improve patient satisfaction and keep their
work in line with the spirit of their profession.
7. Non-Judgmental
Staying non-judgmental is part of providing an ethical standard of care. Nurses
must build trusting relationships with their patients and are obligated to preserve
a patient’s dignity and independence as much as possible. When nurses are
non-judgmental, they are actively sensitive to the physical, psychological,
cultural, and spiritual needs of patients. They acknowledge their patients’
vulnerabilities and protect them from all unnecessary emotional harm.

8. Team-Oriented
Nurses collaborate constantly. They navigate the hierarchies of their
organizations and work collectively to find patient-oriented solutions. Successful
teamwork in nursing means the ability to communicate effectively, stay
adaptable, and find ways to get along with others. The World Health Organization
outlines some practical ways that healthcare workers can practice being team-
oriented. Some include:
 o Staying mindful of how personal values and assumptions affect
interpersonal interaction
o Resolving conflicts
o Staying aware of how changes impact team members
o Providing mutual support
o Observing changes in team member behaviors
o Identifying measurable goals and working together to achieve themLike all
other skills, successful teamwork leads to increased patient safety and
satisfaction, reduces clinical errors, and prevents burnout.

9. Communication
Communication refers to verbal, non-verbal, and written means. The ability to
communicate successfully is crucial for a host of reasons, Nursing:
Communication Skills in Practice reports. Strong communication:
o Allows nurses to build and disengage from therapeutic relationships
o Enables nurses to provide care and comfort
o Provides a way to administer evidence-based physical interventions
o Provides avenues to teach
o Enables manipulation of the nursing environment
o Helps nurses adopt complementary health practicesFurthermore, when
nurses present healthy communication, it can help patients to:

1.
o Express their needs
o Ask questions and participate more in their care
o Gain a sense of control over their treatment
o Develop trust and confidence with medical personnel
o Acquire physical health benefits, such as lowered blood pressure