career advice needed for a introvert pls

[sam1971]

Hi all,

I am very introverted. I just find having to constantly interact or socialize with people all the time to be exhausting. Ive always been like this and have come to accept it and would like to choose a career wisely knowing that this is how I am. I am fine with intermittent socializing but to have to be "on" all the time, I just can't do. Also, while Ive never been tested for Aspergers, I do have many of the symptoms.

I have worked in a nursing home as a cna before and did great, no problems at all. I also did home health as a cna and again did great. Do you think RN would be a good choice (what about working in the PACU? In addition to caring for their patients, arent they staring at a stats monitor quite a bit of the time? My other choices are radiography, respiratory therapist, or sonographer.

My current job is selling handmade items at local craft fairs and omg, i get so exhausted from having to talk to a constant stream of people and explain things for 4-5 hours straight. Plus its sooo loud and just too many people.

Thanks all

[sam1971]

I suppose my question about how to recharge your introverted self while at work was kind of a thread hijack. Sorry- we can blame that on lack of social skill due to lack of practice?

But thanks for answering

lol np nbs45414. I completely understand and am glad you asked the question.

I would also think jobs such as respiratory therapist and radiologic technologist would be jobs that would be good for introverts as well, as they spend a short amount of time with different patients and their interaction with patients is very task oriented. Of course im just guessing...maybe respiratory therapist would not be the greatest afterall as they are traveling all over the hospital interacting with and seeing so many different people?

[trudeyRN]

Sam1971- I think that would be right. Jobs with very specific functions, rather than nursing which is very global (in the concerns of pts), could be good jobs for introverts. Yes, you would interact with many people, but just in one area. The give and take of putting it all together in nursing might be easier in some ways for people who are at ease with lots of social interaction.

I still think an introvert's attention to detail is going to translate into excellent patient care. I guess it takes all types, but some types (extroverts) are more readily understood by others.

[cindin]

I think I have Aspergers symptoms as well, and I dread the thought of working in a clinical/hospital environment. I have been in home health shift care as an LVN for 2 years and it has worked for me. Pediatric, nonverbal patients. No stress on my end to try to hold up a conversation, except when parent wants to chat, but that doesn't last very long. Especially when I'm not offering too much input! I do wonder if respiratory therapy might have been better, since the field is not as broad as nursing.