Skills Every Great Nurse Has (And How to Build Them)

Great nurses aren’t defined by years of experience, job titles, or specialty. It shows up in how you think, how you communicate, how you carry yourself under pressure, and how you influence the people around you. Below are the skills that separate the good from the great.  

Calm and Organized Decision Making 

They don’t rush. They reason. They create clarity in chaotic situations because they’ve trained their minds to slow down and think. Clear thinking leads to safer care, better outcomes, and more confident teams.

• Before each shift, rehearse one high acuity scenario in your mind
• Break decisions into steps: assess → prioritize → act → communicate
• Narrate your plan out loud during critical moments to keep the team aligned
• Practice pausing for two seconds before reacting

When emergencies happen, the nurse who stays anchored naturally becomes the one others follow.

Clear Communication

They communicate with precision. They do not bury the important details. They do not soften critical information. They speak with purpose. Clear communication prevents errors, reduces conflict, and builds trust.

• Lead with the key point instead of ramping up to it
• Use closed-loop communication during handoffs and procedures
• When delegating, specify what needs to be done and when
• Avoid over-explaining. Clarity is more impactful than quantity.

A nurse who communicates in concise, confident statements immediately elevates the entire unit’s efficiency.

Emotional Regulation and Composure

Every unit has someone whose emotional state affects the room. Great nurses make sure they’re not that person. Stability is contagious. Composure helps patients feel safe and allows teams to function better.

• Pause before reacting when irritated
• Use curiosity instead of defensiveness: “Help me understand…”
• Identify your triggers and plan for them
• Create a pre-shift ritual that grounds your nervous system

The steady nurse earns trust not by being emotionless, but by being intentional.

Accountability and Ownership

Great nurses are not afraid to admit their mistakes. They don’t become overwhelmed by them. Instead, they acknowledge, correct, and continue moving forward. Ownership builds credibility, and credibility builds influence.

• When you miss something, acknowledge it clearly and outline your solution
• Ask for feedback regularly
• Address patterns early instead of waiting until they become problems
• Keep your word even on small commitments

Teams rely on the nurse who takes responsibility without excuses or shame.

Teaching and Lifting Others

They don’t gatekeep knowledge. They elevate those around them not out of superiority but out of contribution. Teaching strengthens your own practice while building a healthier unit culture.

• Share your thought process instead of just giving answers
• Look for one “teachable moment” each shift
• Offer support to a new nurse without making them feel judged
• Normalize asking questions even as an experienced nurse

A single supportive mentor can change the trajectory of a nurse’s entire career.

Boundaries That Protect

Great nurses understand what their responsibilities are and what they are not. Boundaries represent professionalism, not resistance. Without boundaries, burnout spreads through units like wildfire.

• When overloaded, ask which task is a priority
• Guard your focus during med passes and assessments
• Stop absorbing responsibilities that belong to others
• Set expectations early instead of fixing broken expectations later

The nurses with the healthiest boundaries stay in the profession longer and enjoy it more.

Advocacy With Confidence

Advocacy is leadership in action. Great nurses speak up with clarity and integrity when something is unsafe, unclear, or out of alignment. Your voice protects patients, protects your team, and protects you.

• Voice concerns immediately and directly
• Know your policies so you can advocate accurately
• Document because documentation is protection
• Practice small moments of advocacy so the big ones feel more natural

A nurse who advocates early prevents harm long before anyone else notices the risk.

Reflection and Continuous Growth

Great nurses see growth as a lifelong process, not a milestone. They stay curious, open, self-aware, and hungry to improve. Self-reflection prevents stagnation and fuels professional maturity.

• After each shift, identify one win and one refinement
• Ask: “How did I show up today?”
• Commit to learning one skill per week
• Surround yourself with nurses who hold high standards

The combination of honesty + humility is one of the strongest predictors of long-term success in nursing. 

Great nurses are built through repetition, reflection, accountability, communication, emotional steadiness, and competence. Begin with one skill, build momentum, and let who you are becoming guide your path.