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I am an introvert, but I am a great nurse. I am also quite shy, but being a nurse is easy for me. I think it is because I know what I am doing, I don't have to make small-talk, unless I want to. I don't have to feel socially awkward because it is usually just me with the patient and sometimes a family member or two. You might consider working in surgery or somewhere you don't have to be a social butterfly.
I've always been quite shy and an introvert. Nursing has helped me with the shyness, though I am still very introverted. I don't care for small talk or meeting new people, never have much to say. BUT when I am the nurse, you are in MY house, so to speak. It's not small talk. I'm telling you important stuff, and I know what I'm talking about. My knowledge gives me confidence, and at work, I'll talk to patients and family like the intelligent, informed professional that I am. Meanwhile, at home, I don't even like talking on the phone order pizza :)
There is absolutely nothing wrong with being an introvert and being a nurse. Yes, you would need to talk to patients to do assessments, but you would be doing the assessments one to one. It is not like you would be asking 5 people at once about their symptoms.
I spent my years on the nursing floor keeping to myself, dealing with one patient at a time [even if I had 6, 10 or 12], focusing on what that one person needed for education and care. I did not sit at the nurses station and gossip I instead preferred being one to one with my patients. It was rewarding.
Yes, you can be a nurse if you are naturally an introvert. You need to learn how to communicate with your patient effectively but that does not mean you must be the extrovert, bubbly type . . .
In my real life I tend to blend into the woodwork but I've learned techniques that work for me, and many of us introverts are good listeners, a very important quality to have! Best wishes to you!
I'm a hardcore introvert, and I've been a nurse since 2006. At times I think my personality and temperament are not compatible with nursing, although I generally get along well with patients and family members.
People describe me as quiet. I'm detail-oriented, task-oriented, and prepare a "to do" list before the start of each shift. I am very introverted and dislike passing the breeze with small talk. I enjoy discussing topics that are academic, worldly, or intellectually stimulating to me. However, I will engage in small chatter if it makes the patient or visitor feel more at ease, even though I secretly cannot stand more than a few minutes of small talk.
I am serious, uptight at times, lack a sense of humor, and do not smile a lot because my smiles often seem fake. I admit my interpersonal skills need more polishing. I'm outwardly calm, pensive, and very non-confrontational. Confrontation disturbs me greatly. I prefer one-on-one interaction versus mixing with a large group of people. I also prefer night shifts due to having less people around.
MaybeaNurse7
18 Posts
You're naturally an introvert, prefer to be alone and really don't like interacting with other people..But, still have a desire to help people in a way that will genuinely help them? Just wondering what anyone's opinion this might be...