How to know if nursing is right for you??

SoldierNurse22, BSN, RN · Jul 10, 2013

I'm an introvert. To give you some idea of what I mean, I am the one who:

-sits at the back of the classroom

-hates being called on to speak in front of the class

-intensely dislikes being in charge in situations where I can't make people do push-ups (go Army!)

-blushes at the drop of a hat

-blushes even more when people notice and point it out

-prefers to spend my off-time alone, while occasionally going out with friends.

-doesn't enjoy crowds. And by crowds, I mean everything from WalMart to concerts.

-would rather talk one-on-one with people than in a group.

-is often described as a people-watcher with a sharp, quick sense of humor.

If you found yourself nodding through the above description, you and I are probably pretty similar people. With that said, I have been a nurse for over 2 years now and I enjoy it very much, especially interacting with patients.

I learned over time how to develop interpersonal skills. It can be overwhelming, especially because you're learning a lot of new things AND dealing with the stress of being around people, but you'll develop thick skin quickly. You also develop the ability to respond quickly to people and think on your feet, which is something I never thought I'd do. Yes, it can be rough because to develop a skill, sometimes you have to fail at it first, but it will happen!

Take into account that during nursing school and afterward at your first job, you should be on orientation and with a preceptor, so you won't be alone for quite some time.

Even when you are "flying solo", it is important to ensure that you are working in a good environment with people you respect and trust, that way you can ask questions when you need to. This is also a matter of ensuring that what is being done is best practice and safe for your patient, which was largely what motivated me to speak up and eventually brought me out of my shell.

Even though I have developed a kind of "persona" who is much more chatty and personable while I'm at work, I am still an introvert despite the guise, and it shows through, especially if I'm with the patient for long periods of time. On that same note, I have met many people who appreciate the introvert in me. Usually, other hospitalized introverts like to chat with me because I'm not very outgoing. You will probably be very empathetic and have great "therapeutic listening" skills.

Being an introvert can be a pain, but it isn't necessarily a drawback in nursing. As I'm sure you already know, sometimes we hear things that no one else hears because we aren't talking. That can be invaluable to both the safety and sanity of your patients.

Kayla28 · Jul 10, 2013

Yeah but most that I found were posts regarding the blood and ickies of being a nurse. I'm fine with that end of nursing and had my own personal question that was different from all others I found. Thanks for the help though.

mandiiieee · Jul 10, 2013

I can relate to all of what you said SoldierNurse! Thank you for that insight that is very helpful. This is something I have also been worried about since I am also pretty quiet and keep to myself most of the time.

Kayla28 · Jul 10, 2013

I'm an introvert. To give you some idea of what I mean, I am the one who:
-sits at the back of the classroom
-hates being called on to speak in front of the class
-intensely dislikes being in charge in situations where I can't make people do push-ups (go Army!)
-blushes at the drop of a hat
-blushes even more when people notice and point it out
-prefers to spend my off-time alone, while occasionally going out with friends.
-doesn't enjoy crowds. And by crowds, I mean everything from WalMart to concerts.
-would rather talk one-on-one with people than in a group.
-is often described as a people-watcher with a sharp, quick sense of humor.
If you found yourself nodding through the above description, you and I are probably pretty similar people. With that said, I have been a nurse for over 2 years now and I enjoy it very much, especially interacting with patients.
I learned over time how to develop interpersonal skills. It can be overwhelming, especially because you're learning a lot of new things AND dealing with the stress of being around people, but you'll develop thick skin quickly. You also develop the ability to respond quickly to people and think on your feet, which is something I never thought I'd do. Yes, it can be rough because to develop a skill, sometimes you have to fail at it first, but it will happen!
Take into account that during nursing school and afterward at your first job, you should be on orientation and with a preceptor, so you won't be alone for quite some time.
Even when you are "flying solo", it is important to ensure that you are working in a good environment with people you respect and trust, that way you can ask questions when you need to. This is also a matter of ensuring that what is being done is best practice and safe for your patient, which was largely what motivated me to speak up and eventually brought me out of my shell.
Even though I have developed a kind of "persona" who is much more chatty and personable while I'm at work, I am still an introvert despite the guise, and it shows through, especially if I'm with the patient for long periods of time. On that same note, I have met many people who appreciate the introvert in me. Usually, other hospitalized introverts like to chat with me because I'm not very outgoing. You will probably be very empathetic and have great "therapeutic listening" skills.
Being an introvert can be a pain, but it isn't necessarily a drawback in nursing. As I'm sure you already know, sometimes we hear things that no one else hears because we aren't talking. That can be invaluable to both the safety and sanity of your patients.

Thank you so much! You helped relieve a lot of my worry! I am pretty introverted and it's not that I"m too 'shy' to talk to people it's just that there are times that'd I'd rather not talk which makes me quieter than others. I'm much more of a listener/observer. I agree with you that this makes us better at empathizing as well as noticing things that others might not. I'm a very observant person which I'm sure will come in handy as a nurse! I guess I should just focus on the personality traits that will bring out the best in me as a nurse instead of worrying so much! Again, thank you so much for your response I really appreciate it! :)

Kayla28 · Jul 10, 2013

I can relate to all of what you said SoldierNurse! Thank you for that insight that is very helpful. This is something I have also been worried about since I am also pretty quiet and keep to myself most of the time.

I'm glad I'm not the only one who worries about this! :) I guess I worry about being the only introverted or quiet nurse which is obviously not true but I feel like outgoing people sometimes don't understand us introverts which makes being around a group of extroverted people a little intimidating. Maybe that's just my own thinking though.

SoldierNurse22, BSN, RN · Jul 10, 2013

I think you'll be pleasantly surprised to meet a nice mixture of personality types in nursing. I have had friends who are very quiet and other friends who are as extroverted as it gets. There's a place in this business for everyone.

It will take time to get into a "groove" and find your niche, but your mindset is a good one--focus on what good you're bringing to your patients and your practice and allow yourself the time to grow and develop in areas where you're not quite as strong.

One of the things I've learned along the way is that many times, patients don't want a nurse to talk to them. Many of them just want to vent or even spill fears, concerns, doubts, etc to an empathetic ear. Introverts are naturally inclined to notice things like that where other personality types aren't.

For instance, I have a very good friend who has a very "large and in charge" in personality. She and I used to have totally different experiences with and perceptions of the same patients because our personalities and outlooks were so different. She'd come out of a room really ticked off and I'd think to myself, "That patient is compensating for their fear by acting out toward the staff". Or conversely, she'd walk out of a room best friends with a patient, and I had noticed quirks or personality details about the patient that rubbed me the wrong way.

One of the things I've noticed that has been a struggle for me is setting boundaries with patients when it comes to time management and appropriateness with staff. I can get stuck in rooms with patients who like to talk. I also tended to get flustered easily when I was new and had to develop a system in order to get myself out of situations where a patient was angry or taking out their frustration on me.

My friend, on the other hand, was so accustomed to talking that sometimes she could out-talk the talker! She was extremely quick on her feet and didn't take crap from anyone. I learned a lot from her, and I'd like to think she learned something from me as well.

Kayla28 · Jul 10, 2013

@SoldierNurse Thank you so much for taking the time to respond! You have really helped me a lot! :) Hope you have a great day!!