The United States is home to over 15,600 nursing homes. If you’re looking for a nursing home or assisted living facility for you or a loved one, that means you have a lot of options.
How do you choose among all these options to find the best nursing home for you? The most important aspect to consider is the kind of nurses who work there. Good nurses make any nursing home community an incredible, welcoming, rewarding place to live.
If you’re choosing a nursing home, keep reading. You’ll learn about four key qualities of nursing home nurses to look for, so you know your loved one is getting the best care possible.
1. Professional
Nursing home nurses should all have a wide variety of skills, but you only get these benefits if they’re also unfailingly professional. This means that they always provide the excellent care you need.
Nursing is a challenging profession, and nurses are often busy and under pressure. Even if they are having a difficult day, though, a professional nurse will give top-notch care.
2. Empathetic
An empathetic nurse is more than friendly. Empathy means that a nurse can understand their patient’s perspective, which helps anticipate their needs. It also means that they stay patient with a patient in challenging circumstances.
For older adults in a nursing home, empathetic nurses are crucial. They find ways to understand their patients, even when it’s difficult. Empathetic nurses spread kindness to their patients, and help keep a nursing home community positive and peaceful.
3. Knowledgable
Skilled nursing care means staying up-to-date on nursing knowledge. A good nursing home nurse needs comprehensive skilled knowledge to provide top-notch medical care.
Yes, an assisted living facility is more than just a medical institution. However, choosing a nursing home means finding a place that has wraparound support and excellent medical care. Great nursing home nurses have the soft skills of empathy and professionalism while keeping their nursing knowledge sharp at the same time.
4. Good Communicator
If your loved one lives in assisted living, you depend on good communication to ensure that they’re getting the care they need. Nurses need to communicate with:
- Patients
- Patients’ families
- Other nurses
- Doctors
- Physical therapists, respiratory therapists, and other specialists
Research shows that good communication ensures a better quality of life for nursing home residents. That’s why you should evaluate nursing home nurses for this essential skill.
Nursing Home Nurses Make the Difference
When it’s time to start choosing a nursing facility, you’ll look at many different factors. Don’t overlook one of the most important ones: the quality of nursing care. Now, you know what qualities to look for in nursing home nurses, so you can be confident that you — or your loved one — can get the good care they need.
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