Generalist Nurse Qualifications

Nurses specialize in many different areas in the medical field. They are in high demand in maternity wards, clinics, nursing homes, cancer treatment, emergency rooms, and many other departments. Their knowledge and compassion for their patients make nurses valuable. While nurses work in a variety of settings, they all have some of the same qualifications.

Education

• All certified nurses have had formal classroom instruction in nursing. Whether she earns an associate's degree, bachelor's degree, or a degree in a hospital program, a nurse must have taken classes to prepare for the field. Classes in anatomy, biology, mathematics, and psychology are required for nurses. Nurses with higher levels of education such as bachelor's degree can advance further into the specialty areas of nursing like cancer treatment or maternity care than with an associates. Nurses have all had clinical experience working as interns and job shadowing. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics' "Occupational Outlook Handbook," an aspiring nurse must take the National Council Licensure Examination to become a registered nurse after completing all course work.

Skills

• Patients in hospitals depend on nurses to treat wounds and administer medications, which requires math knowledge. Nurses use math every day to measure out proper doses of medicine or blood to a patient. Nurses also have to make conversions from the metric and standard systems. Having measured the proper dosage, nurses administer medication and monitor patients.

Soft Skills

• Differences in the care for children, adults and the elderly mean a nurse has to meet each one of their needs. Sharing information between doctors, patients, coworkers and family members, nurses must be good communicators, as mistakes can be costly. Nurses must also be good recordkeepers. Nurses must have a great deal of compassion because they work closely with patients who might be suffering or ill. Because nurses may have to perform a lot of lifting for immobile patients, they need to be physically fit.

Equipment Knowledge

• Nurses are trained to use equipment in a hospital to test and stabilize their patients. A nurse must know how to administer the proper amount of oxygen to his patients. Because many health care settings use computers, nurses must be skilled at using programs to make appointments and write down notes that can be useful for physicians. Nurses carry a stethoscope because it can be used for a wide range of patients from young to old. Nurses also set up equipment to measure a patient's vital signs as well as administer IVs and monitor them for changes.