Shy, awkward, introverted nurse-to-be! Can it happen?

FutureOBNurse2118 · Aug 9, 2011

I am about as introverted as they come, yet here I am about to start my last semester of nursing school.. It doesn't matter how shy or socially awkward you are, as long as you enjoy the field of nursing and have a true desire to help others the rest will fall in place. As you gain experience, you'll gain confidence and with each day it will get easier.

elkpark · Aug 9, 2011

I am extremely introverted and, by nature, much like your description of yourself, but I learned to compensate for it in work situations because I realized pretty early in life that not being willing to speak to new people, or walk into a room full of people I don't know, was really going to limit my career opportunities in life. I made it through nursing school and have been successful in nursing for some 30 years now.

There's no single nursing "type" -- lots of different kinds of people make good nurses in lots of different ways.

Best wishes for your journey!

Iridescent Orchid, CNA, LPN · Aug 9, 2011

I'm definitely an introvert to the most extent. I'm most definitely have an awkward feeling around everyone I meet, at first! I used to be so much worse, like to the point of my face turning bloodshot red every time someone new talked to me, no matter who they were. I was very withdrawn as a kid, honestly. I had a couple of friends and didn't care to venture out to find more. When I was 17, my little brother was born, a week later, he was in an Atlanta hospital, he was born with a congenital heart defect. They had to do emergency surgery in order to keep him alive, because his heartbeat was almost triple what it should have been. That definitely pushed me back in the social world. I was a junior in high school that year. Along with what we were facing with my brother, my grandma also had thyroid cancer, and my mom was having a lot of tests done on her ovaries, because things just "didn't seem right" as her old doctor had put it. Needless to say, Junior year was a stressful time for me and I missed more school days than allowed, although I had all A's...I was called to the office, being presented with the fact I would not be passed on to my 12th grade year, because of missed days. My mom called, trying to reason with our NEW principal, but his reply after stating everything I'd been through...regardless of the EXCUSED absences I had because of it all? "I'm proving a point." Yeah...

I'm sure I could have gotten it appealed and went on to my Senior year...but the truth? I was sick and tired. I made the decision to drop out of high school. A lot of people could say it was the worst thing I could have done. I would have agreed with you, 4 years ago, but now? No way! I went through a stage of feelings bad for not graduating...but I went straight for my GED....and now I'm going to NS. It didn't hold back anything I wanted to do!

See, I became a very withdrawn person within that time period, I'd say I probably struggled with a bout of depression mixed with it all. I'd spend hours in my room, music turned up, staring, didn't want to socialize with anyone. Lost the couple of friends I did allow myself to have. That was that. I could have continued doing that to myself, but I wanted to get a job! I filled out application after application, and finally got a callback! I got a job as a waitress, and I worked there for two years. I became a lot more outgoing than I had ever been...so I know it's in me - but once I seclude myself, I tend to crawl right back into my shell.

I'm naturally socially awkward, but if I fight it long enough to become comfortable with my job and what I'm doing, I find it easier to feel normal and at ease around strangers! :) Maybe you'll come to find that's true for you to! Even if it isn't, you can still be an amazing nurse! You have the heart and the soul that it takes...no need to feel abnormal for being less outgoing than the one beside you. Good luck!

turnforthenurse, MSN, NP · Aug 9, 2011

I am definitely introverted and shy! I'm a wallflower! But I'm a nurse, and even though I lack experience, I'm a good nurse, and that introverted/shy/awkwardness didn't stop me! I have been told so many times in my past clinical experiences that I need to be more confident in myself. Having someone tell you you're doing a great job really helps...whether it is your clinical instructor, your preceptor, or best of all, YOUR PATIENT(S)...the other night I had a patient who was very impressed with the care that I gave to them! As long as you enjoy what you do and study hard, those qualities shouldn't stop you. Best of luck to you!

cccormier · Aug 10, 2011

Thanks for all the great advice/words of encouragement and interesting stories! :)

It's nice to know I'm not the only (shy, awkward) one out there, and that there are plenty of you working as successful nurses! Can't wait for start of classes - less than a month to go! Any advice on how to be prepared or what to look out for as a first-time nursing student? :coollook:

JonasValero · Aug 10, 2011

As a quiet and shy student, it's better to open up to people so that they can help you when you need help... that's what I learned from my whole 1 year of the nursing program. Classmates and instructors will eventually know the type of person you are. I had to learn the hard way... by asking for help but it payed off. So in the need of help, ASK!!! Be on time for clincals/class, don't sit around in clincals, try to be one step of the situation and think ahead. Anything is possible IF YOU can set your mind to it!!! That's my experience as a recent lvn student... yeah... good luck!:)

anneuhbanana · Aug 11, 2011

I am naturally an introvert and awkwardly shy sometimes, but with all that nursing school has brought to me it has forced me to come out of my shell. I still like to keep to myself but I have learned how to speak up and "blend in" so to speak. I and my other classmates have changed during our program, and I wouldn't be surprised if you saw yourself changing too. Not necessarily in a bad way, just different!

bella14k · Nov 14, 2012

I am in nursing school right now (studying for an exam for this Friday, actually...well i will be), and because I'm so shy, I feel like it's killing my confidence..honestly..that and sometimes I'm just a step behind everyone. The best advice: listen to your professor, follow her advice, let her know you are trying, correct yourself and point out your mistakes to her/him before he or she does (they will know you are learning from your mistakes on your own, and that really shows you have learned from the mistakes and you're not just nodding your head to what the CI is saying)...I am in my 6th or 7th ? week of clinical (first semester student) and i kNOW that by the end of this semester, I will still be unable to communicate like a nurse who has 30 years exp. under her belt..but that comes with more experience even after graduation. show that you are trying and really break out of your shell...you're kinda forced to anyway. We are doing a "Process recording" assignment..it's dedicated to initiating conversation for the purpose of exploring the person's feelings since it's therapeutic. nursing is holistic. It is certainly not all about passing meds, knowing signs and symptoms and putting in IV's...it really isn't.

Good luck.

rubato, ASN, RN · Nov 14, 2012

You sound like you've got yourself figured out and know this won't be easy. As long as you're willing to work on overcoming it with your patients, you'll be fine. Having a good knowledge base and the ability to take care of your patients is much more important than being social, it can even be helpful not to be very social (less work drama that way).

Just so you know, my family laughed at me when I told them I wanted to be a nurse. Why? "Oh, you've too judgmental. You might want to think about going into research or something." Well, I love the patient interaction and am not judgmental at all. I am enjoying proving them wrong.

KountryPrincess · Nov 15, 2012

Just because you are introverted socially, does not mean you will be so with patients and families. You know how they say actors are often very shy in person, yet they are completely comfortable on stage, this is kind of the same thing. Additionally, even if you are unable to come out of your shell with patients, there are areas of nursing that require less pt contact......OR and research come to mind. Or, if you have more trouble meeting new people, but are comfortable with having the same patients day to day, you could work in a residential setting. If you have the interest, there is likely a place in nursing for you.

old_dude · Nov 15, 2012

Just because you are introverted socially, does not mean you will be so with patients and families. You know how they say actors are often very shy in person, yet they are completely comfortable on stage, this is kind of the same thing. Additionally, even if you are unable to come out of your shell with patients, there are areas of nursing that require less pt contact......OR and research come to mind. Or, if you have more trouble meeting new people, but are comfortable with having the same patients day to day, you could work in a residential setting. If you have the interest, there is likely a place in nursing for you.

That is me. I am fairly quite and don't particularly like small talk or low level social interaction. However, my previous career in HR required me to interact with people all across the spectrum from entry level janitorial staff to high level executives. It also required a lot of public speaking (training, new employee orientation, etc).

I did a bit of acting in college (the first time through, Nursing is my second degree I'm working on now). To be able to be successful in this position I started to think of these interactions as sort of an improve where I "play" myself. I have been doing this for so long that it is now second nature. I still feel awkward in social/work situation, I just no longer appear awkward to others.