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"Do I have what it takes to be a nurse?" This is a common question that prospective nursing students begin with. It's also one that they sometimes think they can answer on their own, at least at first.

"Well, I'm a caring sort of person; I've watched Gray's Anatomy and E.R. on TV, and haven't been too grossed out by the blood and guts; my Aunt Agnes was in the hospital and I just loved how the nurses were with her and with all of us when we visited; I'm sure I want to be a nurse... yes, I'm sure...I think...."

All of these things are well and good, and may even have some merit in the decision-making process. But they fall way short of providing you with a true picture of whether or not you have what it takes to be a professional nurse. Why? Because you do not yet have a true picture of what a professional nurse is and what he/she does.

Nurses work in dozens and dozens of different areas. They also work in many places which are far-removed from traditional, hospital-based bedside care. Many nurses do not work with patients at all. You can find RN's working in a number of businesses, and even in their own businesses! This is part of what makes a career in nursing so alluring.

To know if you have "what it takes" depends on knowing what you want to do, knowing what it is about nursing that excites you, motivates you, and--more importantly--knowing why. And you can't possibly know that until you've been exposed to all the different options! That said, there are a few key qualities that every excellent nurse I've ever met has possessed. They are:

1. A passion for nursing. Excellent nurses, no matter what field they've chosen to pursue, are passionate about what they do. They love being nurses. Does this mean that they never have a bad day? Of course not. We all have bad days. But even at the end of a bad day, they recognize fully that being a nurse is what they love...and they look forward to the new day that will begin tomorrow.


2. A thirst for knowledge. Excellent nurses recognize that their education doesn't end when they graduate from nursing school and pass the licensing exam. This milestone in their lives, as big as it is, merely makes them knowledgeable enough to hopefully not hurt anyone their first day on the job! Nursing is a profession that is primarily learned on the job, and that learning never ends.


3. A selfless spirit. Excellent nurses focus their energies on making the lives of others better through their work. They will work long and hard...and by hard, I mean physically hard...in serving the needs of others.

Are all nurses selfless givers? No, they're not. I've met some incredibly self-centered, self-focused nurses. Are their patients well-cared for? Enough to get by, yes. Are they good nurses? They're decent...but a self-focused nurse will NEVER be an excellent nurse.

Nursing is not a career that you should choose based on potential salary or perceived job-security alone. While they are things to consider, they are the "self-focused" things of nursing. Nurses work in intense situations every day, and you need to have a clear idea of "why" you want to be a nurse if you are going to be able to figure out "how" you will be able to thrive in that physically and emotionally intense work environment. It is the passion for nursing which will usher you into a career you will truly love. Take the time to discover if you have that passion, and then you will know if you really have what it takes to be a nurse.

Lori Havens R.N., B.S.N., is the author of "7 Essential Questions Every Future Nurse Must Ask," a free "mini e-course" which helps answer the biggest questions that people looking into nursing as a career option have; she has also authored "Should I Be A Nurse? A Journey of Self-Exploration for Those Considering A Career in Nursing," a 102 page e-book which takes the reader through a series of carefully-crafted "conversations" and thought-provoking exercises designed to help answer that all-important question: "Should I Be A Nurse?" Both are available at her website, which you can visit at: http://www.isnursing4me.com/home.html

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It has been many a conversation at least once in their working lives. This is normal. Meeting with good and friendly interviewer is also very common. An unusual experience that some people have with the interviewer as "interrogators" were.

The candidate sits in front of the interviewer, greet him or her chair and politely. What happens is that after the interviewers seek to question the candidates and again, the responses from the cycle beginsCandidates.

It 'clear that the candidate has crossed the bad experiences being discussed and interrogated like a criminal by the interviewer would be depressed, rejected, or even frustrated and angry. And 'normal to feel this way. Courage, however, that most of the interviewer, not so. Perhaps a small number of respondents who fall into the category of the test, an "interrogation" sessions begin with the candidate.

In such situations, the entireInterview process will be ruined as a candidate could be bothered and would answer all the questions, perhaps as soon as possible, to use their own way out of the office when the call is over.

And 'normal for candidates in this situation, you feel a loss or at a disadvantage, because the interviewer keeps rental decision whether or rejection of candidates and also the key to solving the case, or something similar to it as he or she questionsCandidates. There may be some candidates as well as his pride being hurt for the interviewer to seek answers on their forces or irrelevant questions Com with assertiveness.

Is there a way to go about it. It is not all bad. In a situation like this, do not panic, but maintain a gentle and calm composure and answer questions politely and maintaining eye contact, body language and other positive. Make the interviewer with confidence and professionalism in responding to theirThe questions, although they should be in a penetrating and questioning. You can use these to your advantage.

For some people it is to overcome such a challenge and the rewards can impress the interviewer and the end result could see the bright side, welcoming the interviewer is. can lead to a good relationship.

Have faith. If you take an interviewer inquiring, remember the guidelines given here and you might be pleasantly rewarded with a second interview orperhaps the bidding process.

Good luck!

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