Handling Introversion

[isleofjersey]

Hello All,

I am a new nursing student and I was hoping to hear from some introverts about their clinical experiences. I have a tendency to be very reserved in group settings. Reading through some of the other posts, I am worried that my hesitancy to speak up and take charge is going to cause me serious problems once I begin clinical rotations. I am book smart, but once I attempt to do "hands on" learning, I become very nervous and forget everything I know. This also makes me reluctant to speak up in class because I get so nervous.

I realize that confidence will come with practice, but I'd like to know how some of you were able to become more outgoing for the sake of nursing school (and nursing itself).

Thanks in advance for your responses!

[pmabraham, BSN, RN]

Good day:

I'm also an introvert who tends to become more shy (wanting to be invisible) the larger the group. What I've found over the years is to push myself out of that comfort zone of invisibility. It is hard, but I've found even when I speak up and I'm wrong, I learn from being corrected. If I'm right, the information is reinforced.

While I'm also nervous about "doing" (vs. book knowledge), I find that the more I share the book knowledge with others, the more others are willing to help me with the doing. When that happens, it also helps with feeling less shy.

Try approaching a classmates one to one here and there saying hello, asking how things are going, asking if they need any help with the "book knowledge;" and don't be afraid (even when it is hard) to ask for help with the "doing." Take your time, and learn that everyone is different -- which is ok.

Thank you.

[Lev, MSN, RN, NP]

I'm an introvert by nature who is reluctant to engage with people. However, nursing has brought out the best in me and I have become more extroverted. It involved a lot of forcing myself to be more extroverted and not shy. When I became comfortable with my decision to enter nursing (midway through the first hands on clinical rotation), I started really enjoying what I was doing, and made it a lot easier for me to be more extroverted.

[bloodorange]

I'm not in nursing school until June, but I'm an introvert who ascribes to "fake it 'til you make it." I've worked a lot of service jobs (waiting tables, retail, bartending, customer service, reception) that have helped me get over the fact that I find social interaction exhausting and intimidating. Make sure you're as confident as possible in your knowledge and skills, take a deep breath and go for it!

[nurseprnRN, BSN, RN]

Absolutely says it all.

Famous introverts: 16 Outrageously Successful Introverts

[MereSanity]

I am a self proclaimed non-apologetic introvert! We need more people to quietly get business done while all the loud extroverts are yapping away!

[i♥words]

I order myself to be brave. Before entering my patient's room I remind myself, "I can do this." I force myself to volunteer. Patient A needs a dressing change? I'll do it. Patient B needs a drain pulled? I'll do it. This is my "fake it 'til you make it" process. I wish I was closer to the "make it" stage, but I'm working on it. I'm only in my second semester of nursing school and I'm already seeing improvement.

[isleofjersey]

Thank you so much for your responses, I can see that I am not alone! The Susan Cain TedTalk was great. I've been meaning to pick up her book. I have been working on this ever since I made the decision to go back to school as I know it's a weakness. I find the constant group work and interaction difficult. Usually I am very analytical and think things through carefully, but I find that when I am around a group of people that I'm expected to interact with I tend to overcompensate and talk too much without thinking.

I am still working on the "fake it 'til you make it" and I too hope I get closer to the "make it" stage. I do like the idea of helping my classmates with the book knowledge and seeking help with the hands-on knowledge. I do have some excellent classmates to work with. I am working on this, but it's good to know that others struggle with this issue and are having success.

[NICU Guy, BSN, RN]

There is a difference between shyness and being an introvert. I am definitely an introvert. I enjoy alone time instead of the bar scene. But at the hospital, I need to force myself to be more social at the first meeting of my patient. Once I gauge their personality, I feel more comfortable interacting with them. You need to spend as much time with your patient as you can. Most of them have interesting lives and can give you great insight as to the path that has brought them to the hospital. These stories help you to piece together the progression of certain medical issues and once you hear similar stories from different patients with the same medical issues you will be able to connect the dots much easier than your classmates who spend more time at the nurse's station than in the patient's room. A lot of patients don't have many visitors and the nurses don't have much time to chit chat with them. They would welcome an opportunity to just talk to you about their life and you can talk about what you are learning in nursing school. Once they understand about what you are going through in nursing school, they are more than willing to allow you to do what ever assessments you want to do. The more you interact with your patients, the more comfortable you will become around them and less shy you will be around them.