Updated March 1, 2022

Every nurse has their own personal reasons for choosing this career, but there are a few core principles that all nurses should share. What are the top nursing values, and why are they so important?

Nursing is a caring, compassionate profession. Nurses do not just perform tasks or provide services, they develop an empathy for the needs of others and a connection with their patients.

Applying nurse core values in all your actions ensures the trust put in your hands by your patients and fellow medical staff is well justified.

Nursing Values: How to Apply the Top 5 Nurse Core Values

Apply these professional nursing values in your everyday practices:

1. Compassion

• Compassion encompasses empathy, caring, and the promotion of each patient’s dignity.
• Be sensitive to the needs of your patients and your patients' families.

“Nurses get burned out and suffer from compassion fatigue, however, we need to remember that even though we have seen something a thousand times, this is probably their first. Treat every patient like they were your family member, and treat their guests like they were your own," Matthew Thomson, a CCRN with more than 10 years of experience in the nursing field.

2. Trustworthiness

• Nurses are among the most trusted groups of people
• The annual Gallup poll ranks nursing as the most trustworthy profession for the last 20 years!
• Trustworthiness is vital to your integrity and ethical behavior
• Patients and fellow medical staff depend on your integrity, confidentiality, faithfulness, and responsibility

3. Humility

• Nursing is one of the most rewarding, fulfilling career paths
• As a nurse, you have a wealth of medical knowledge and skills.
• Humility should be your companion.
• Thomson advises nurses to remain humble. Ask questions or ask for help when needed.

“Whether you're a nurse graduate or a nurse with 30 years of experience, we can all improve on our skills and knowledge,” Thomson explains. “Keep an open mind and open heart. Your patients will reap the benefits.”

4. Accountability

• Take ownership of your practice, including every mistake, error in judgment, or failure to communicate

“Practice a mental exercise where you assume every problem is 100 percent your own fault. How did you contribute to a problem? What could you have done better? How can you improve next time? It forces you to take an active role in your life and keeps you from blaming others," explains Thomson.

5. Curiosity

• Nursing knowledge encompasses all the theories, philosophies, research, and practice wisdom of the nursing profession
• You should never stop learning

As Thomson points out, “Graduation is only the beginning of a nurse’s education. Curiosity and an insatiable desire to learn what separates mediocre nurses from great ones.”