career advice needed for a introvert pls

Clovery · Jun 14, 2014

I'm not exactly sure what's involved, but look into sleep labs and the opportunities available there.

Nola009 · Jun 14, 2014

Typically, RNs have to talk to a wide variety of people on a regular basis. That doesn't mean that you necessarily must be an extrovert to do alright in nursing, but you of course will need to interact with others fairly well. Since you said you did great as a CNA and HHA, you are probably better at handling social situations than you think.

Delicate Flower · Jun 15, 2014

I am extremely introverted as well. I find social interaction exhausting and unpleasant, even when it's with people I genuinely like. My husband has a hard time understanding that, but it's how I've always been. I feel most comfortable with my husband and my kids. We were going out to dinner tonight and my husband said, Do you want to call so and so and see if they want to come? And the thought of it just made me tired and anxious.

That being said, I have absolutely no problem with the types of interactions involved with being a nurse. Even when it ventures into the "social" realm, like chatting with coworkers during slow times, I don't really get nervous at all. I'm pretty sure that my coworkers would be very surprised to find out just how introverted I am, because I am very friendly at work. However, friendly and social are two totally different things. And although I get along great with my coworkers, I would be very reluctant to hang out with anyone outside of work.

I think for me, the reason I do fine with nursing interactions is because the role and scope is very defined. I don't have to worry about not knowing what to say, or coming up with conversation. I am there for a purpose, and I talk to the people around me (patients, families, coworkers) about that purpose in the various permutations that come up over the coorifice of the shift. But most of all, I don't have to worry about whether or not I am "cool," because it doesn't matter. I'm not there to be "cool." I can focus on being nice and friendly (and I am very nice and friendly), and not have to worry about being social.

Delicate Flower · Jun 15, 2014

Oh, and I think selling is probably one of the hardest things for any introvert. I would HATE that job.

QuarterLife88, MSN, RN, NP · Jun 15, 2014

I'm an introvert as well. As a nurse it IS exhausting to have to be surrounded by people -- mainly family members who get up in your face with 1,000 questions at a time. I actually don't mind one to one patient contact, which actually fits in with my being introverted; not minding small group interactions, but being more unhinged and less relaxed the larger that group gets.

I'm also very personable when I want to be and no one would know I was an introvert if not for the fact that at work when it's quiet I tend to keep to myself or talk to one other person here and there versus hanging around the nurses station talking about my relationships and plans for the weekend. I think extroverted people (read: most of the population) finds this to be rude and standoffish (Likewise, I find a lot of extroverts to be obnoxious and attention seeking, so maybe we just don't get each other) and I used to try to mold myself to be more sociable, but it felt so fake. Now I do not care.

Honestly though, I ultimately see myself one day sitting behind a desk, with very little human interaction. That's my preference anyway. I lose a lot of energy dealing with the general public and it's draining. I'm one of those people that has few friends, and only needs to hang out with said friends a few times/month to feel satisfied. I think I would die if I had to be "on" all of the time.

idrinkpop · Jun 15, 2014

I'm a semi-introvert, so I can understand how you feel. What about home health nursing, hospice, OR, or SDS?

newohiorn, BSN, RN, EMT-P · Jun 16, 2014

If you search the forum for "introvert" you should find other threads also addressing this topic. I'm an introvert and have been a nurse for eight years. I've worked many different positions including med-surg, ICU, float pool, community medicine working with the homeless out in the community, ambulatory surgery, and Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner. The only time I found my introversion to be even a small problem was in ICU when I had patients with a long length of stay. If I care for the same patient over and over for many days I find it somewhat more draining. I think it becomes almost too 'intimate' for me--intimate isn't quite the right word but I can't think of a better one. My personality is very straightforward. I see some people adopt sort of their nurse persona when they come to work but I'm just straight up me at all times with no facade so when I'm with the same patient for too long I think that's what gets difficult for me--it's almost too connected. Because I work float pool now that doesn't occur because I almost never have the same patient twice.

As others have said I suspect you won't find the interaction nearly as draining as selling because the interaction in this job is very purposeful, task oriented, job related so it doesn't have to be very personal. For me 12-hour shifts are too draining. At the 10-hr mark I no longer care about anybody--not myself, not my patients, not my coworkers--I'm just cooked. For that reason and for everyone's safety, I only work 8 or 10-hr shifts. I also would recommend considering working in areas that have shorter lengths of stay. The longer you spend with any one patient the more personal the connection gets.

I can't comment on the other career choices you're considering but introverts can most certainly be nurses. There are lots of us but you'd never know it because we're usually the quiet ones. :-)

sam1971 · Jun 18, 2014

Thanks so much all for your advice. It has helped me a great deal :)

trudeyRN · Jul 23, 2014

This is very helpful to me also. Extroverts often interpret introverted behavior as us being unsocial. I like people, I just hit my saturation point rather quickly.

I'm glad to know this doesn't exclude me from the profession, especially now that I am enrolled in a program.

Right now I am reading "Quiet: the Power of Introverts in a World that Can't Stop Talking" by Susan Cain. Introverts have some qualities that should be very helpful to nursing- we tend to do quality over quantity when it comes to interacting with others. When you have to unravel what's going on with someone, actually listening (rather than being "on" and beating people over the head with your personality) is probably the best way to go. This can be especially true when the client can't articulate for you what's happening and you need to figure it out.

The key point several of these threads mention is that purpose driven interaction (such as the work nurses do) is different from casual interaction and small talk- which most introverts detest- is an important distinction. Of course most nursing jobs are people centered, but unlike casual socialization, there is some structure to it. I would think this is also why many say that their patient or client interactions are fine but they often experience problems with coworkers, especially if there is a lot of time for chatting.

Thank you, sam1971 for asking this and thank you to others for considering what areas of nursing might be best for us to work in.

Does anyone have any advice about where you go or what you do when you need a break? How do you recharge during the shift? I can actually hear some people laugh at that one as in "breaks- what are those?" Answer please in the ideal rather than real world if you have to, but what (other than shorter shifts, which many introverts seem to prefer) can you do to recharge while at work?

newohiorn, BSN, RN, EMT-P · Jul 24, 2014

My only way to recharge at work is if (big if) I get to go to lunch, I go to the cafeteria and eat by myself and read the paper, the news on my phone, whatever. I do not enjoy eating in the break room with everybody chatting. The only other thing I can think of is that I try to find a computer in an out of the way place (even an empty patient room at times) to chart. This is only possible in some locations. Other than that, I can't recharge at work.

trudeyRN · Jul 26, 2014

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