If you are considering a nursing degree, you may want to know what sort of skills and traits tend to make the best nurses. The best nurses are patient, organized and compassionate. They need to be able to think critically on their feet and pay close attention to detail. A good nurse must be able to handle high stress health care situations, such as in an ER, and embrace opportunities to learn new skills every day.

The majority of nurses work in hospitals, but some also may work in private clinics, schools, nursing care facilities, prisons, military bases and more. Nurses also often provide supervision of other nurses, teach essential nursing skills to students, handle administrative tasks and even conduct research.