Any INTJ personality nurses out there...I need help in choosing any advance nursing car

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I have been a nurse for 4 years, different settings such as telemetry (2 years), ER (3 months), stepdown (6 months) , telemetry float (6 month), ICU staff (1 year), ICU float (3 months)...I know that it doesn't look like a stable person's career. But here is the thing...I chose a career not suitable for my personality and still trying to figure out a way out or a way to fit into my personality. Despite all, I work with people really well because I have to pay student loans and mortgage. LOL LOL. Every unit I have worked in, my co-workers truly love me, including my managers and supervisors because I understand the system and I am extremely helpful to others but the problem is that I am forcing myself to be social and helpful to hide my true self. Over the years, I have learnt that my ways of life isn't truly accepted or understood, thus in order to have a peace of mind, I have to fit in to what is considered to be normal. It basically means I am a fake person to pay my bills...sad I know. Thus, I find it necessary to switch jobs before I offend someone else or may be before my true self is discovered. I know u are wondering who I truly am...LOL. I am a highly rational person, very intuitive and scientific and less sympathetic. But I know how to fake it or avoid such uncomfortable situations. I think things thoroughly; what they meant and their purposes. I see things in patterns. I like challenges, and hate routine work. May be that explains why I tend to switch working environments so quickly. I enjoy working hard, and sorting things out so that the system works well for everyone involved. I am a problem solver and there is nothing out there I feel I can't solve or any task out there so difficult for me to figure out. I constantly need challenges and some kind of disorganization for me to sort out and make it perfect/organized. So I choose such environments for work where I feel is highly disorganized. Very organized environments are very threatening to my personality because I feel that I am useless. As an example, my first career as a nurse is in a very prestigious hospital in NJ, very organized and very disciplined. And I never felt I was truly appreciated or valued even though I had worked really hard. This is on telemetry floor. I requested to be transferred to ER but yet found myself to be in such unchallenging situation, thus bored. So I took a travelling assignment to Washington DC where I was assigned to a cardio-vascular step down unit. I was seeing patients s/p CABG, s/P AVR and vascular surgeries including amputees....I was truly happy to work in these environments unlike everyone else. This is a level 1 trauma, high acuity hospital in Washington DC. By the way, I had felt that this hospital had lacked organization ever since I had started working as a travel nurse, because 50% of the staff in that unit was traveler or agency nurse. I had always wondered why they had high level of agency/travel nurses compare to other hospitals. I took advantage of the situation, and I volunteered to float as a telemetry nurse after 6 months of working as a cardiovascular-thoracic-vascular surgery step-down RN without realizing I would be the first floater in all their telemetry units. In my mind, I figured I would be off good use for them and at the same time I would be experiencing things I had never worked with, such as s/p PCI, s/p CABG/AVR and so on. I realized that I was the first person to do so, because I found another agency nurse complaining that someone started floating to all the units thus every agency/traveler/per-deim nurses had to start floating. I didn't identify myself as being such the person, but I was kind of surprised that the system had to change because of me. And a year later, after leaving that hospital and started working as ICU nurse, I applied to another hospital for perdiem position where they gave a personality test first. I was called for an interview with other nurses, but my interview was with the Chief nursing officer where as everyone else was with managers. And he explained to me that he was starting float ICU nursing positions for all the per diems and if I was interested in it. Mind u, I never applied for float ICU position, but respiratory care unit per diem position unit. So freaking weird...so anxious about it. I started talking to my friends of my experiences and they told me to take the myers-Biggs personality test and turned out that I was INTJ with a couple of different tests, very few of us. 1% of the population. So surprised and affirming result. I have known to feel so weird about me for long time.....I enjoy being alone, I truly don't need others for my pleasure time. I love reading and rationalizing. I am creative i.e. I enjoy drawing, painting and decorating my place constantly. I am a loner for most part. I am very good in school, and especially natural sciences and mathematics such as biology, chemistry (general, organic), and anatomy/ physiology, calculus, discrete mathematics courses and so on. I was a premed major for a couple of years before switching to computer science as undergrad, which I did really well as well. And as a second degree accelerated nursing program, I did well with 3.56 GPA. But at that time, all I was concerned with was getting a job that paid me so that I could support myself and my family. So I found nursing to be a good job without realizing what it took to be a nurse.

As I mentioned above, I work well with others at work places, even though I am a private, unsociable person. I help others...I am the first one to start new things in the working environment and the first one to teach others...whether others want to learn new things or not...I found myself most of the time against a brick stone...where nobody really cares to change the system, where as I see the opposite. And I get discouraged at times. Thus explains my continuous change of working environment...but now I am realizing may be nursing isn't really for me...but don't know what else to do with advanced nursing...I truly hate dealing with people...I like a job where it requires me to do physically and leave everyone else alone...I am very independent...but I sometimes feel like nursing doesn't allow me to be independent. The way I compensate for it is that I do my job independently but yet help everyone else who feels like they need help so that I don't get to be seen as not a team player. Even as a float nurse, I do everything myself...from patient care (thank God to the automatic rotational beds) to understanding patients' symptoms and dealing with it...I am a CCRN certified after 1 year of ICU. But surely, I am not your typical kind of nurse...Please people give me a hint on what I should do as a nurse, surely bedside nursing isn't for me. I applied to CRNA schools, a couple of them, thinking that it doesn't require socializing at all. But any other suggestions in nursing field is very appreciated. I truly need help!! I am currently in Acute Care NP program....because my advisor thought that was the right fit for me because it turns out that it's hard for acute nurses to get a job as acute nurse NP thus forced to get their DNP and eventually teach!!! LOL...that's just my thought!!!!

P.S. Don't be judgmental of my grammar and spelling...I am a bit disoriented of the wine I have had....if u don't understand, please state nicely that u don't understand...no harsh comments are welcomed, since I am highly sensitive, but very nice, understanding person....BE A NURSE AS U READ THIS!!!!!

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Specializes in Peds(PICU, NICU float), PDN, ICU.

I have the same personality type. It surprised me when I saw the post since its not very common. I've run in to some of the same issues as you have mentioned. I have done mostly private duty work which allows me to work one on one with a child and be more independent in my work (besides having an RN available by phone). It does get old and boring. But when the family of the patient are out working or whatever I don't have to worry about the social stuff as much. I'll be interested in seeing what others have to say. Right now I'm looking for work and wondering where to go next and what will go well with my personality.

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I have heard about these personality tests and one unit in my hospital has everyones type posted up on a wall. I'm interested in finding out my personality type but really don't know where to get the test online. I tried searching but it just took me on an adventure through pop up land.

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Well, I haven't taken any type of personality tests. Even if I have, I don't think I would have remembered. But, u definitely SOUND like one of my past instructors. Actually, I just thought she was hormonal!

I remember her being testy with me in two classes last year. Honestly, I didn't like her. I wanted to drop out of NS in less than two months. She's very moody, a bit hormonal. But, then again - I kinda am like that too, when I haven't eaten!

Anyway, the last time I talked to her was on a phone call that she practically bit my head off for a question that only took her less than five minutes to explain something to me. Needless to say, I never wanted to call her for anything after that. I have to either be desperate or stupid, or both.

But, for some reason, I still liked her. I don't even know why. I did see a vulnerable moment in her one time. I just thought that, something good must've happened to her that one day. Geez, I must be crazy. I guess she was alright. I think she takes too much meds that's why she's hormonal, maybe? Lord, I really don't know why I like her anyway. I think I'm just weird.

Goodluck in ur search, with your background - you can do anything.

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Specializes in ED, ICU, MS/MT, PCU, CM, House Sup, Frontline mgr.

i am not judging you negatively by saying the following: nursing is not for you... you need to try medical school and become a doctor. your personality type is not a good fit for nursing. i know of your personality type and yes, some nurses with your personality type made the mistake of becoming nurses... like them, you will always be searching for the next big thing and never once be happy when you finally mastered a particular aspect of nursing care because nursing care is not that complicated after some experience; it is just hard work. also, nurses are not given the respect a person of your personality type needs to be happy.

i read your entire post and i was not shocked that acute care np was suggested to you.. i was shocked you took the bait. in any case, you are correct... np in acute care will not be enough for you too especially since the job market is poor for acute care nps (icus and ers prefer to hire pas and some hospitals will not allow nps to accompany docs on the floors). thus, you will end up going for a doctorate in nursing to be accepted in the health care community. again, drop out and try med school. if not medical school, then go into business for yourself so that you are always challeneged to do more and be more.... gl!

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I have heard about these personality tests and one unit in my hospital has everyones type posted up on a wall. I'm interested in finding out my personality type but really don't know where to get the test online. I tried searching but it just took me on an adventure through pop up land.

shorter version....Personality test based on Jung and Briggs Myers typology

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I'm an INTP--not exactly the same, but very similar. I score 90% on the introvert scale and could easily be a hermit. A very plugged in hermit (books, internet, projects, writing researching), but a hermit, nonetheless.

I am not a social person by nature, but I can certainly connect with others and be outgoing to a point. When I reach my limit, I have to withdraw to recharge. That involves a mix of introspection and creativity.

Like you, I enjoy making order out of chaos. I'm an editor by nature and can often spot snags in an otherwise good program or written work or plan. It's frustrating at times to see very clearly that something needs to be changed and know that it either won't be or it will have to go through layers and layers of bureaucracy. Still, I can't turn this ability off and don't really want to.

I have worked psych, acute medical care in LTC, and postpartum. Always nights. This helps my introvert side stay happy.

You sound like you would be suited to a position of high responsibility and autonomy in a troubled environment that needs a complete overhaul. Something like revamping a disorganized clinic or establishing a difficult outreach program where others are skeptical or overwhelmed.

You have the detachment and logical drive required to make tough decisions.

Nursing isn't only about being all warm and fuzzy. Connection is a wonderful thing, but it's not the only thing. People like us choose to do it, but it's not our natural bent, and that's okay.

Surely there is a place for someone like you. I think you would thrive as a troubleshooter within a hospital or a network. Not sure if there is such a position or what it would be called, but if nothing else, someone with your drive could certainly work to create it. Or as I mentioned earlier, you'd probably be brilliant at going into a poorly functioning clinic or program and rebuilding from the ground up.

With all your qualifications, there has to be a very special niche for you, one that only a handful of people could fill.

I wish you the best.

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I have the same personality and an totally relate. I have been a nurse for eight years and have had over six jobs in about four different fields. I felt on the edge being at work because I feel like tasks get repetitive after once you learn a routine. I love being efficient and always see the greater picture in the work day. I get frustrated with coworkers that can't prioritize or who aren't efficient. I have to remind myself that I have to step back and cut people a break because floor nursing is grueling. I love autonomy and the only position I have found that allows you that is dialysis. On the other hand dialysis is very repetitive. I used to be in the Air National Guard and would go on deployments to shake things up. I always feel like I have Nursing ADD in regard to jobs. Eventually I had to retrain my thinking that my job alone is not going to validate my happiness. I am just speaking for myself because for some reason I always thought to be happy you have to have the right career. I don't know if I will ever find my niche' but in the meantime I need to be happy with the place I am at. I can work three days a week and have a comfortable lifestyle. I know in my heart I don't want to do bedside care forever. I have thought about the NP tract but don't want to do deal with direct patient care for all of my life....sounds terrible right??? I was thinking several different routes which all involve nursing but then again I need to think outside of the box and I am just taking my time figuring it out.

You mentioned you have done computer science. Have you ever thought about nursing informatics? Public health or nursing administration. Well good luck to you whatever you choose!

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Though I have heard of this test I am not familiar enough to know what those results mean. However I will give you my feedback based on your description of yourself.

Have you ever thought of research? This would take you away from the bedside. Also have you ever thought of Pharmacist? They are now requiring a PhD and around here its common to have pharmacists at the hospital that specialize in an area and they work specifically with the docs and unit(s) associated with that specialty--and are a part of rounds with the docs. They specialize in areas like peds, cardiac, Neuro....etc. They are part of the treatment team and help by making suggestions for meds-- what to use, how much, changes to meds.....knowing the medical on each patient--current problem and medical history. Let the docs knows what tests may need to be ordered with certain meds, etc. It is more interactive then being stuck in the pharmacy all the time but the interactions with patients are very minimal and most are with the docs and nurses. Just a thought....not sure if that sounds interesting or if you have thought of that. And it sounds like you are definatly smart enough to get through the schooling without any problem.

CRNA is definatly a good choice for you.

If you wanted to get out of patient contact all together you could also look at nursing informaniacs-- I think thats what its called--lol-- you could use your computer knowledge as well as medical. Help improve the computerized documentation the hospital uses. You have worked as a nurse and know what would make things easier.

There are also people who work for themselves as consultants to hospitals and other healthcare facilites who need help with structure, organization, everyday running of things to help things run more smoothly and efficiently. Not exactly sure what its called or what you would get more schooling in but I know someone who did this for a living--its a specialized kind of business degree-- he went into businesses that were a mess and needed re-structuring and help in running their business better. Sounds like you might like that and could focus on healthcare facilities.

Well...hope my thoughts are of some help to you. Good luck.

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Specializes in LTC, Psych, Hospice.

I took the test, thanks for the link.

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Specializes in ER, IICU, PCU, PACU, EMS.

BlackRN, I wish I could have an answer for you, but I don't. I'm also an INTJ. I have taken that test twice and received the same result. I believe we don't have a definitive suggestion for you because we are all in the same boat! LOL! It's difficult because I have the same difficulties as you with regard to trying to find a career that I am truly happy working.

It takes me a while to warm up to new people, but once I do, I can be outgoing. Friends and coworkers have told me that their first impressions of me is anywhere from snobbish (due to being quiet) to unfriendly.

I have had many careers in my life and have never had a problem or failure switching to a totally different field. I believe that if I could fail at it, then I would have some guidance with what I am suppose to do.

I enjoy chaos and organizing it into some sort of system. I presently work in the ED and for the most part, enjoy it at this time. I am in my element when it is downright chaotic. My responsibility to my family prevents me from changing careers yet again. I plan to continue my education in nursing (for now) and will look for opportunities within this field. I'm sure there is somewhere where I'll fit in and feel fulfillment in my decision. I share your frustration and wonder if I'll ever find my niche in the workplace.

If I ever figure it out, I'll be sure to tell you. :D

I just wanted to let you know that you are not alone and that there are others like you. I didn't know that we are 1% of the population. Very interesting indeed.

Best of luck to you.....and if YOU figure it out, please tell us!

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Specializes in ICU-CCRN, CVICU, SRNA.

fellow INTJ here. I have the same issues and really should have gone to a more sciency profession. Have a hard time dealing with people and warming up. So, I fake it for now. But I think CRNA might be a good route as there is tons to learn and you can always hide in OR and not have to socialize much.

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