Are you a new nurse practitioner (NP) entering the workforce or someone who’s thinking about joining the ranks of these critical licensed and independent medical providers? There are more than 385,000 NPs licensed in the United States, and that number is growing rapidly, with an estimated 39,000 newly graduated NPs in 2021–2022 who began looking for nurse practitioner (NP) jobs. But what makes a good nurse practitioner? What are the strengths and skills of a nurse practitioner who succeeds at their job day in and day out? Read on to find out more about successful nurse practitioner personality traits!
5 Characteristics of a Successful Nurse Practitioner (NP)
What makes an excellent nurse practitioner? What personality traits do good nurse practitioners have? It’s impossible to distill all the characteristics of a good NP into one article, but here are five of the top strengths and qualities that successful nurse practitioners share.
1. Empathy
Put simply, empathy is one’s ability to be sensitive to, and share in, the feelings of someone else. People with high levels of this trait can better understand another person’s condition from their perspective. Basically, empathy is what your parents meant when they said, “Try to put yourself in their shoes.”
Empathy is a key characteristic of a successful nurse practitioner. It allows us to feel what our patients are feeling and respond in a manner consistent with someone who genuinely cares about their well-being. Empathy is a powerful quality that enables us to be compassionate, kind, and authentic not just at a patient’s bedside, but also to people in our everyday lives.
If you’re online often, you may have heard people describe others as “empaths”—and while it’s not an official term, the label describes someone who is extremely sensitive to other people’s emotions. But not everyone has the same capacity for empathy. In fact, some medical theory and research has proposed that around 20% of people have sensory processing sensitivity (SPS), “a trait associated with greater sensitivity and responsiveness to the environment and to social stimuli,” according to a study published in Brain Behavior.
Feeling not-so-empathetic? That’s OK! Empathy is a muscle you can build through practice. An article published on the Berkeley University blog identifies six habits of highly empathetic people. In short, highly empathetic people possess an insatiable curiosity about strangers, challenge their own prejudices and discover commonalities between themselves and people very different from them. These people also listen more than they talk and seem to be naturals at inspiring mass action and social change. By being conscious of these traits, you can choose to think and act in ways that better cultivate empathy.
2. Enthusiasm
Enthusiasm refers to intense and eager enjoyment, and it tends to be accompanied by a big grin and a list of questions. Oftentimes, enthusiasm leads right into being inquisitive—an enthusiastic person must know everything there is to know and experience every opportunity they have. Need some more information to back this up? Socrates, the Greek philosopher, believed that the poets’ inspirations came from enthusiasm.
Enthusiasm is an important characteristic for nurse practitioners. The most successful nurse practitioners are enthusiastic about their specialty, their patients, and their profession. They are eager to learn and eager to teach. They carry this joy throughout their career and it drives them into clinical, management, policy, and technology roles. They are proud to be nurse practitioners.
Don’t fret if your enthusiasm feels drained! Sometimes you need a break. To build more enthusiasm, start by taking 15 minutes every day to do something you love. Make sure you are getting enough sleep, exercise, and healthy foods. Every day, make a mental list of what’s going well in your life and create an action plan to address what is not. Consider meditation and make friends with other enthusiastic people. Their passion will rub off on you!
3. Tenacity
Tenacity is determination, perseverance, and resolve. It means the persistent pursuit of one’s purpose. In the words of Louis D. Brandeis, “Most of the things worth doing in the world had been declared impossible before they were done.” Successful nurse practitioners are tenacious—they never give up, whether that’s in the fight for independent practice or the insurance preauthorization for their patient’s medication.
To become more tenacious, consider joining the American Association of Nurse Practitioners or another local organization and participate in their lobbying efforts. While 27 states and the District of Columbia have granted nurse practitioners full practice authority, there are still 23 states that need us to band together and persevere.
4. Creativity
Creativity encompasses the use of imagination, inventiveness, and original ideas. While it is often applied to artists who create paintings and sculptures, it also applies to those who generate ideas, solve problems, and communicate well with others. Creative individuals tend to be curious, playful, open-minded, and nonjudgmental. They often possess a deep domain of knowledge, and they seem to always find an unusual solution to a challenging problem.
The most successful nurse practitioners are highly creative in their ideas, problem-solving abilities, and communication. They seek innovative methods and solutions in their patient care, and they are early adopters of new technologies. They are flexible and often described as “idea generators.” Creative nurse practitioners are tactful in their communication and tailor their patient education to each individual.
Want to become more creative? Start asking more questions and generate a list of all your ideas. Think about what is not working well, and then imagine solutions to these problems. Creativity is just like any other skill; it takes practice. Practice being open to new ideas and new technologies. Be willing to try new things, and watch as many TED Talks as you can.
5. Integrity
Integrity is the quality of being honest, ethical, and trustworthy. In the words of Albert Einstein, “Whoever is careless with the truth in small matters cannot be trusted with important matters.” This is especially important for NPs, as every patient encounter is an important matter.
According to the 2023 Gallup Poll, Americans identified nurses as the most honest and ethical profession for the 22nd year in a row! As advanced practice providers, nurse practitioners are naturally viewed as trustworthy; however, they must continue to demonstrate this trait to each and every one of their patients. Possessing integrity means putting the patient first and standing up for their rights, even if you have to defend them against your boss, your employer, the insurance companies, the pharmaceutical lobby, or the government.
Find Locum Tenens Nurse Practitioner Jobs with Barton
Looking to travel the country and provide care to patients in need? Apply for one of our open locum tenens NP jobs today and a recruiter will reach out!
Editor’s Note: This article was originally written by Dr. Melissa De Capua, DNP, PMHNP, and published in March 2017. It was updated in May 2024 by Mike Connors to reflect new information.
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