Before and after delivery, specialized nurses employ skills unique to maternity, childbirth, newborn and post-partum care. that you review them. Physical Endurance. Labor and delivery nurses use special equipment, such as sonograms and fetal Dopplers, to monitor the progress of labor. Attention to Detail. Communication Skills. Communication. Calibrate equipment. Mastering basic technical skills requires education; training via an instruction manual, instructor or in-service; guidance from someone who has mastered the skill; practice; and implementation. The National Council has defined the following functional abilities that a nurse must possess to practice safely and effectively. As with most nursing specializations, education is a critical component of the profession. Different cultural beliefs and... 2. Take into Measure time (e.g., count duration of contractions, etc.) These range from childbirth classes to lactation consulting. Nurses must master equipment used to stabilize and monitor patients, including intravenous lines, central lines, cardiac monitors, blood pressure cuffs, pulse oximetery monitors, intravenous pumps, endotracheal tubes, gastrostomy tubes, foley catheters, chest tubes, defibrillators, extracorporeal membrane oxygenation equipment, heart pumps and intracranial pressure monitors, according to Clifford. Blue says interpreting test results and vital signs is integral to the whole patient care picture. Ferris State University, JavaScript must be enabled for the correct page display, Technical Standards for Nursing: Functional Abilities Requirements, Reach below waist (e.g., plug electrical appliance into wall outlets), Grasp small objects with hands (e.g., IV tubing, pencil), Pinch/pick or otherwise work with fingers (e.g., manipulate a syringe), Twist (e.g., turn objects/knobs using hands), Stand (e.g., at client side during surgical or therapeutic procedure), Maintain physical tolerance (e.g., work entire shift), Push and pull 25 pounds (e.g., position patients), Support 25 pounds of weight (e.g., ambulate patient), Lift 25 pounds (e.g., pick up a child, transfer patient), Move light objects weighing up to 10 pounds (e.g., IV poles), Move heavy objects weighing from 11 to 50 pounds, Use upper body strength (e.g., perform CPR, physically restrain a patient), Squeeze with hands (e.g., operate fire extinguisher), Move quickly (e.g., response to an emergency), Hear normal speaking level sounds (e.g., person-to-person report), Hear faint body sounds (e.g., blood pressure sounds, assess placement of tubes), Hear in situations when not able to see lips (e.g., when masks are used), Hear auditory alarms (e.g., monitors, fire alarms, call bells), See objects up to 20 inches away (e.g., information on a computer screen, skin conditions), See objects up to 20 feet away (e.g., patient in a room), See objects more than 20 feet away (e.g., patient at end of hall), Distinguish color (e.g., color codes on supplies, charts, bed), Distinguish color intensity (e.g., flushed skin, skin paleness), Detect temperature (e.g., skin, solutions), Feel differences in surface characteristics (e.g., skin turgor, rashes), Feel differences in sizes, shapes (e.g., palpate vein, identify body landmarks), Detect environmental temperature (e.g., check for drafts), Detect odors from patient (e.g., foul smelling drainage, alcohol breath, etc. Advanced nursing student Katie Blue says her Lorain County Community College program tests students quite rigorously by putting them into real-life situations, applying the same basic techniques but making necessary adjustment for each patient’s needs. Technical skills in nursing may or may not be as highly evolved in general medical or as surgical as those in critical and … To request an accommodation, you will that your decision to pursue a career in nursing is the correct one for you, we ask Communication skills involve a combination of skills including active listening, observing, speaking... 2. Critical thinking and problem-solving skills involve the ability to … of your disability. If you determine that you are unable to do any of the skills listed and you have a consideration whether you can perform the following functions, with or without accommodations. Cultural Awareness. Clifford says using your five senses is really the basis of acquiring good technical skills. Reprinted with permission from the National Council of State Boards of Nursing, Inc., Tricia Chaves began her writing career after working in advertising and promotions for entertainment publisher "The New Times." How to Make a Good Impression When Talking With a Nursing Manager, Medical Surgical Unit Nursing Responsibilities, Difference Between Licensed Practical Nurses & Advanced Practice Nurses, Katie Blue; Nursing Student, Lorain County Community College; Elyria, Ohio, Deborah Clifford; RN and Care Manager, Western Reserve Area Agency on Aging; Elyria, Ohio, Behind the Screens: Nursing, Somology and the Problem of the Body; Jocalyn Lawler, Taylor's Handbook of Clinical Nursing Skills ; Pamela Lynn. Convert numbers to and/or from the Metric System. Blue says interpreting test results and vital signs is integral to the whole patient … Outside of your external appearance and demeanor, remember that everything you say and do reflects... 3. comprise physical, emotional, and professional demands required of a nurse. To ensure 5 must-have soft skills for nurses 1. Students learn the basic technical skills in nursing school but won't really fine-tune them before doing hands-on nursing with real patients whose lives are in their hands, according to Elyria, Ohio, registered nurse Deborah Clifford. They are also typically a type of hard skill. A winning threefold approach combines formulating your professional assessment, analyzing results of tests and vitals and deciphering the verbal and nonverbal cues the patient gives you.