I will preface this with yes, I know that there are a variety of different personality types necessary for any job organization to run smoothly. Some people are strong in certain areas where others are weak, and vice versa.
My first question- Is there an ideal personality type in order for someone to be a successful nurse in a busy unit? By success, I don't necessarily mean job satisfaction or pay- I mean stably employed for a decent amount of time and advancing when appropriate. Do certain character traits predict who will thrive?
I am concerned about my own personality for a few reasons. I want to address the aspects that I can change ahead of time so that I can prevent potential problems.
These are issues that have come up in previous employment.
I have almost always advanced to some sort of leadership or management position because it is in my nature to try to control and organize situations. A strength of mine is to delegate. This can be perceived as being "bossy."
I am impatient with others because I think fast and move fast. I'm quick to make a decision and tend to expect the same from others. I always have a sense of urgency about everything. This has in the past made me excellent in customer service but unpopular among co-workers.
This is not to say that I'm the hated employee at work- I'm not. I usually have a decent amount of close friends but at the end of the day, I don't go to work to make friends. I always prioritize the customers over my co-workers' feelings. I assume I will do the same with patients.
I am intolerant of disrespectful talk from superiors, co-workers, or anyone really. I have read on this site that doctors can sometimes talk down to nurses. I likely wouldn't handle this gracefully. I would also not handle patient abuse well either if I knew that the patient was in a competent state of mind. That being said, I am very respectful of others and also very considerate of others. I expect it in return. I'm not the type of person who is going to eat someone's lunch. I AM the type of person who will throw someone's lunch in the trash after it's been in the 'fridge for a week.
Enough about me. For the sake of anonymity, I don't want to say too much more.
For you experienced nurses, what are some character strengths that you have or have seen in others who you view as successful nurses? Is anything I wrote about myself jumping out at you as a "red flag" that I should be aware of?
