This years’ search is NOW underway! We are looking to crown our Nurse of the Year in each area! Here are the top 13 qualities we are looking for. Submit your email or letter today and let us know how you share the love with our precious clients! We are accepting client letters, employee or family letters and staff member recommendations! TIME is LIMITED and we must have them by this Friday, September 23rd.

Email your applications to gloria@nightingalesnursing.net and please put Banquet Contest as subject or mail to NNA at:

Attention: Banquet Contest
P.O. Box 6529
Florence, SC 29502

Pictures and videos welcome. Also requesting pictures of deceased clients or employees for our memorial video!

Good luck and we look forward to seeing you at the banquet!

Charleston In-Service Banquet
When: October 22nd
Where: Embassy Suites Airport Hotel & Convention Center at 5055 International Blvd., North Charleston, SC 29418
Phone Number: 843.747.1882

Florence In-Service Banquet
When: November 12th
Where: Florence Civic Center at 3300 W Radio Dr., Florence, SC 29501
Phone Number: 843.679.9417

Registration opens at 8 am. Begins at 8:30 am sharp! CPR recertification year! Bring proof of car insurance and name badge for entry.

Top 13 Qualities of a Great Nightingale Nurse

1. Communication Skills

Solid communication skills are a basic foundation for any career. But for nurses, it’s one of the most important aspects of the job. A great nurse has excellent communication skills, especially when it comes to speaking and listening. Based on team and patient feedback they are able to problem-solve and effectively communicate with patients and families.

Nurses always need to be on top of their game and make sure that their patients are clearly understood by everyone else. A truly stellar nurse is able to advocate for her patients and anticipate their needs.

2. Emotional Stability

Nursing is a stressful job where traumatic situations are common. The ability to accept suffering and death without letting it get personal is crucial. Some days can seen like non-stop gloom and doom.

That’s not to say that there aren’t heartwarming moments in nursing. Helping a patient recover, reuniting families or bonding with fellow nurses are special benefits of the job. A great nurse is able to manage the stress of sad situations, but also draws strength from the wonderful outcomes that can and do happen.

3. Empathy

Great nurses have empathy for the pain and suffering of patients. They are able to feel compassion and provide comfort. But be prepared for the occasional bout of compassion fatigue; it happens to the greatest of nurses. Learn how to recognize the symptoms and deal with it efficiently.

Patients look tot nurses as their advocates – the softer side of home care bureaucracy. Being sympathetic to the patient’s home care experience c an go a long way in terms of improving patient care. Sometimes, an empathetic nurse is all patients have to look forward to.

4. Flexibility

Being flexible and rolling with the punches is a staple of any career, but it’s especially important for nurses. A great nurse is flexible with regards to working hours and responsibilities. Nurses, like doctors, are often required to work long periods of overtime, late or overnight shifts, and weekends.

Know that it comes with the territory. The upside is that fluctuating schedule often means you’re skipping the 9 to 5, cubicle treadmill. Sounds perfect, right? Run errands, go to the movies or spend time with the family – all while the sun still shines!

5. Attention To Detail

Every step in the medical field is one that can have far-reaching consequences. A great nurse pays excellent attention to detail and is careful not to skip steps or make errors.

From reading a patient’s Plan of Treatment or Discharge Summary correctly to remembering the nuances of a delicate case, there’s nothing that should be left to chance in nursing. When a simple mistake can spell tragedy for another’s life, attention to detail can literally be the difference between life and death.

6. Interpersonal Skills

Nurses are the link between home care agencies, doctors and patients. A great nurse has excellent interpersonal skills and works well in a variety of situations with different people. They work well with other nurses, doctors, scheduling coordinators and other members of the staff.

Nurses are the glue that holds the home care agency together. Patients see nurses as a friendly face and doctors depend on nurses to keep them on their toes. A great nurse balances the needs of patient and doctor as seamlessly as possible.

7. Physical Endurance

Frequent physical tasks, standing for long periods of time, lifting heavy objects (or people), and performing a number of taxing maneuvers on a daily basis are staples of nursing life. It’s definitely not a desk job.

Always on the go, a great nurse maintains her energy throughout her shift, whether she’s in a surgery or checking in on a patient. Staying strong, eating right and having a healthy lifestyle outside of nursing is important too!

8. Problem Solving Skills

A great nurse can think quickly and address problems as – or before – they arise. They also recognize the need for problems or concerns to be dealt with through problem solving rather than finger pointing.

With sick patients, trauma cases and emergencies, nurses always need to be on hand to solve a tricky situation. Whether it’s handling the family, soothing a patient, dealing with a doctor or managing the staff, having good problem solving skills is a top quality of a great nurse.

9. Quick Response

Nurses need to be ready to respond quickly to emergencies and other situations that arise. Quite often, health care work is simply the response to sudden incidences and nurses must always be prepared for the unexpected. Staying of their feet, keeping their head cool in a crisis and a calm attitude are great qualities in a nurse.

10. Respect

Respect goes a long way. Great nurses respect people and rules. They remain impartial at all times and are mindful of confidentiality requirements and different cultures and traditions. Above all, they respect the wishes of the patient him- or herself.

Great nurses respect the home care agency staff and each other, understanding that the patient comes first. And nurses who respect others are highly respected in return.

11. Patience

Having patience in dealing with others, especially during high stress times, can go a long way in helping patients and family members cope.

The nurse shows others the way to remain calm and professional in otherwise difficult situations. Life can throw a lot of curveballs in the home care setting and a nurse never knows what hat she may need to have on at any given time but one thing is for sure, having patience can be the difference between calm and chaos.

12. Thirst For Knowledge

A good nurse will have a desire for continuing education and a thirst for knowledge so they can remain current with good skills and be able to take advantage of the most recent advances in healthcare.

13. Love…and this year’s theme for the banquet

Truly a profession stemming from the heart, the great nurse must have a great deal of love for others and a true desire to make a difference by becoming a positive influence in the lives of others.

A great nurse can show others how to be gracious, kind, thoughtful, considerate and put the welfare of others first. Now that’s what we call showing the LOVE!

Thank you for being a great nurse!

Gloria Kasler, RN