The Characteristics of the ‘Good Nurse’: A Scoping Literature Review

Aim: To explore nurses’ and patients’ perspectives on characteristics of the ‘good nurse’ (an ethical ideal, representing perfection in nursing practice) in hospitals.Design: Scoping literature review and narrative synthesis.Methods: The scoping literature review was undertaken using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) methodology. Subsequently, a thematic analysis of identified papers was undertaken to uncover the main themes relating to characteristics of the good nurse.Data Sources: Five databases (Medline, Cumulative Index for Nursing and Allied Health Professionals (CINAHL), British Nursing Index, Scopus and PsycINFO) were searched in May 2023. An initial 2968 records were identified, which were refined to 124 articles after screening titles and abstracts, and then further refined through more detailed review to 13 articles meeting the inclusion criteria for the study.Results: Two central themes were identified: character and competence. With respect to the good nurse’s character, the virtues which were identified as important include patience, being caring, optimism, trustworthiness, selflessness, respectfulness and confidence. With respect to competence, the studies revealed that the good nurse must demonstrate knowledge and technical skill, act in a professional way, be an expert communicator, be supportive to patients and colleagues and know how to provide holistic care.Conclusions: The results highlight the dual importance of character and competence in defining the good nurse. Nurses and patients both recognised the importance of balancing technical expertise with character traits and effective communication to offer the best possible care.