Most healthcare professions require a great deal of post-secondary and graduate level education, with different technical skills depending on your field. However, there are a few soft skills that all healthcare professionals require across the board.
Here are the top 4 soft skills that will ensure long-term success during your healthcare career. Check it out!
1) Attention to detail
For businesses and entrepreneurs, the difference between satisfactory delivery and great delivery is attention to detail. For healthcare professionals working with patients, the stakes are much higher.
Nurses, anaesthesiologists, and many other professions are responsible for administering a variety of anaesthetic drugs at precise times, at precise dosages for a multitude of patients with different ailments, illnesses or diseases. Meticulous attention to detail is an absolute necessity for all healthcare professionals – especially in fast-paced work environments.
2) Strong Communication & Interpersonal Skills
Healthcare professionals are routinely, if not constantly tasked with communicating effectively with patients through every step of the healthcare process. Nurses, doctors, and specialists must communicate effectively not only with patients and their families, but also with other clinicians, doctors and administrative staff.
Whether they’re holding medical consultations with patients, administering a drug, communicating with staff during medical procedures, or understanding the non-verbal language of a 4-year old patient, strong communication skills are a must – and they are constantly being tested.
3) Emotional Intelligence
For primary care professionals, a positive attitude and generally pleasant and welcoming demeanour is not only imperative to building rapport quickly, but also establishing mutual trust. They are often the first point of contact for patients seeking medical assistance, so this connection needs to be established quickly.
In the wake of bad news or an unexpected complication, health care professionals are often the front-line in communicating the news to other personnel and members of the family. To this end, healthcare professionals are expected to demonstrate the ability to counsel, empathize and show compassion.
4) Professionalism
Healthcare professionals are expected to keep a level of composure and professionalism to maintain their patient’s confidence in their care. Furthermore, health care professionals are expected to make decisions based on their training, while not being persuaded or influenced by personal and emotional ties.
Remember the healthcare profession, though challenging, is a rewarding and fulfilling career. If you’re just hatching you’re career in healthcare, it is very important for you to be able to showcase these soft-skills at the interview stage – they may be what sets you apart from the competition!