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?
The one problem I can see with you being perceived as bossy is the RN/CNA Dynamic. Just delegate in a respectful manner. I've found I like to say things like "Can you please do such and such and I can get caught up on my charting?" Always say please, and if you can see your busy say something like "I know you're busy and you don't have to do this right now, but can you....." Ask, don't order.
In nursing it is okay to be fast and task oriented but you really have to be flexible because it's only frustrating because things change quickly....an admission is never convenient, a patient IV infiltrates and will throw your whole schedule off.
I'm more of a get organized as possible, but go with the flow..sometimes fly by the seat of my pants kind of worker. I work med surg.
Just yesterday, I had to endure a doctor upset with me calling him at 7:30pm with something he didn't deem important and had him lecture me. I'm nearly 60 years old with 27 years experience and a college degree. I could have explain why I felt it necessary but I merely said "just wanted to make you aware to cover myself, thanks." and let it go. I've been to too many case reviews and depositions where it wasn't documented that the doc was made aware of a certain situation prior to things going sour and I cover my butt I don't care what the doc thinks. Choose your battles.
You never know what another person is going through and I might have just pushed the wrong button at the wrong time.
Also, I know when to speak up when behavior is unacceptable, but I've also let go of a lot of expectations of others. Just because I'm a certain way, another person doesn't have to bend to my will and work as I do. I do get frustrated with some people's lack of work ethic, but they usually don't last long.
Finally, the refrigerator is not my responsibility. My lunch is packed and sealed and sanitary. Other people can leave their food in there a year and it wouldn't bother me.
Don’t take things personally. I worked in a forensic psych facility and those patients would do anything to push buttons once they figured out which ones worked. I do triage for urgent care now and the people experience I learned from psych helps immensely. I still have crazy, mean, rude patients except now they’re just on the phone. And some doctors will be rude and mean and chew you out too. Just know your stuff, admit when you’re wrong, and stand your ground. I worked nights and docs hated being called for orders. Well too bad, as I told my techs, they get paid more than all of us combined to be on call that night.
Also, you can’t save them all. A lot of people go into nursing thinking they’re martyrs. News flash: you can’t and won’t save them all.
Straight talking, tolerant to a point, takes constructive criticism well, supports colleagues unless they are incompetent, work is not their life, drama free, tactful, grounded, spiritual, all the above apply in any sort of situation. When a nurse or anyone brings "garbage" to work, it's a plan for disaster.
Man, this is a whole can of worms. ? As far as I can tell, nursing isn't just one thing. ER nursing isn't Oncology which isn't Peds which isn't PACU which isn't OB which isn't Med Surge and so on. So, it only stands to reason, there isn't any ideal nursing personality.
Some things that will stand you in good stead, where ever you end up, are intestinal fortitude, patience, tolerance for sometimes overwhelming sadness and frustration, and a positive attitude toward humanity in general, in spite of how they act. It also helps if you can be both honest and kind at the same time, even while you're tearing someone a much needed new a**ho**. Everybody gets a little impacted once in a while and you need to be able to get the job done without creating more damage than there already is.
We're working with, and taking care of, damaged and imperfect human beings who may or may not be good at protecting and taking care of themselves. Be kind.
And take your breaks! Nobody wants to hear how long its been since you pee'd or ate. This isn't "Martyr of the Month Club".
I’ve been a nurse 20 years in many areas of the hospital. I learned quickly that every area has certain personalities that “click” with specialty. I’m a psych nurse through and through but I didn’t realize that until I tried it because my personality just didn’t work in OB.
The one problem I can see with you being perceived as bossy is the RN/CNA Dynamic. Just delegate in a respectful manner. I've found I like to say things like "Can you please do such and such and I can get caught up on my charting?" Always say please, and if you can see your busy say something like "I know you're busy and you don't have to do this right now, but can you....." Ask, don't order.
In nursing it is okay to be fast and task oriented but you really have to be flexible because it's only frustrating because things change quickly....an admission is never convenient, a patient IV infiltrates and will throw your whole schedule off.
I'm more of a get organized as possible, but go with the flow..sometimes fly by the seat of my pants kind of worker. I work med surg.
Just yesterday, I had to endure a doctor upset with me calling him at 7:30pm with something he didn't deem important and had him lecture me. I'm nearly 60 years old with 27 years experience and a college degree. I could have explain why I felt it necessary but I merely said "just wanted to make you aware to cover myself, thanks." and let it go. I've been to too many case reviews and depositions where it wasn't documented that the doc was made aware of a certain situation prior to things going sour and I cover my butt I don't care what the doc thinks. Choose your battles.
You never know what another person is going through and I might have just pushed the wrong button at the wrong time.
Also, I know when to speak up when behavior is unacceptable, but I've also let go of a lot of expectations of others. Just because I'm a certain way, another person doesn't have to bend to my will and work as I do. I do get frustrated with some people's lack of work ethic, but they usually don't last long.
Finally, the refrigerator is not my responsibility. My lunch is packed and sealed and sanitary. Other people can leave their food in there a year and it wouldn't bother me.
I always cover my bases, regardless of how unnecessary it may seem. I'm the type of person who doesn't mind annoying my employer or superior for the better cause of the job. I feel that the doctor probably appreciates your call even though he lectures you. It may annoy him at first, but later he will probably think of you as thorough and conscientious. I always err on the side of caution, and it sounds like you do too. Glad to know we have that in common because you seem like a very socially intelligent person. But the refrigerator is the hill that I will die on- I don't want to see someone's science project next to my lunch!
I am definitely concerned about the CNA/RN dynamic. I know there will be CNAs who can run circles around me, and others who probably are underachievers. I plan to learn as much as I can from them without seeming like a superior, because I'm not. I have always valued experience over credentials.
Well too bad, as I told my techs, they get paid more than all of us combined to be on call that night.
Amen. I have always felt this way about my personal doctors, ha. They get paid well, so I'm going to "bother" them as much as I want. From what I gather, nurses deal with patients in the same way that everyone in customer service has to when dealing with people. There are the bored people who want to waste your time and upset you. There are the entitled people who want to make sure everyone understands that they are better than you. You have the perpetually-negative and mistrusting people, and I could go on and on. I have a feeling that my NYC hospitality experience will prove useful in this venture.
Tweety, BSN, RN
36,301 Posts
The one problem I can see with you being perceived as bossy is the RN/CNA Dynamic. Just delegate in a respectful manner. I've found I like to say things like "Can you please do such and such and I can get caught up on my charting?" Always say please, and if you can see your busy say something like "I know you're busy and you don't have to do this right now, but can you....." Ask, don't order.
In nursing it is okay to be fast and task oriented but you really have to be flexible because it's only frustrating because things change quickly....an admission is never convenient, a patient IV infiltrates and will throw your whole schedule off.
I'm more of a get organized as possible, but go with the flow..sometimes fly by the seat of my pants kind of worker. I work med surg.
Just yesterday, I had to endure a doctor upset with me calling him at 7:30pm with something he didn't deem important and had him lecture me. I'm nearly 60 years old with 27 years experience and a college degree. I could have explain why I felt it necessary but I merely said "just wanted to make you aware to cover myself, thanks." and let it go. I've been to too many case reviews and depositions where it wasn't documented that the doc was made aware of a certain situation prior to things going sour and I cover my butt I don't care what the doc thinks. Choose your battles.
You never know what another person is going through and I might have just pushed the wrong button at the wrong time.
Also, I know when to speak up when behavior is unacceptable, but I've also let go of a lot of expectations of others. Just because I'm a certain way, another person doesn't have to bend to my will and work as I do. I do get frustrated with some people's lack of work ethic, but they usually don't last long.
Finally, the refrigerator is not my responsibility. My lunch is packed and sealed and sanitary. Other people can leave their food in there a year and it wouldn't bother me.