IS A NURSING A SUITABLE CAREER FOR AN INTROVERT?
An introvert is a person who tends to be inward turning or in other words more focused on their internal thoughts, moods and feelings than the external environment. It is a central part of the five theories of personality which include openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, neuroticism. Many people tend to have some degree of both introversion and extroversion and tend to lean one way i.e. Introversion or Extroversion.
One of the most noticeable characteristics about introverts is that they tend to be quiet and reserved. Introverts disburse their energy in social situations, unlike extroverts who seem to gain energy from the same situations. People need to understand the difference and the major role physiology plays. A person’s body responds in a different way when exposed to the external environment. A network of neurons that are in the brainstem responsible for the regulation of arousal levels like waking up and transitions between sleeping and waking knew as the Reticular Activating System (RAS). It plays a key role in the control of how much information one may take in while awake. It increases one’s arousal levels when confronted with potential threats for you to be alert and ready to combat the danger.
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Introverts are generally confused by many as shy people who prefer to stay alone instead of socializing but they are differentiated in many ways. Some are socially reserved who prefer staying at home rather than partying but they are some who love socializing. Nursing demands a lot of dedication to survive in this industry. Most introvert students tend to shift their focus to what they like doing best. Some may argue on this aspect but a lot tend to have social anxiety with them. Working in a crowded area may not be a suitable place for introvert nurses. Many do not like to deal with people whereas nursing puts them in lots of clinical involving meeting with a lot of patients, families etc.
Pathology, laboratory work, therapist, forensic science, are some of the fields many like to dwell and feel comfortable working. While not in the nursing field alone, one can find them in the field of teaching and education and one’s personality degree of introversion is not the defining factor that decrees whether an individual will be successful in a more social kind of job or not. People may have different opinions on the above topic but here are some of the characteristics that introvert nurses have that can make them excel comfortably in their job. Many introverts are great listeners. They may be quiet but are keen to listen to what they are taught, therefore, performing exceptionally well in these situations.
Most of them are also very observant allowing them to pick up on nitty details that most students may eventually miss. An emergency crisis happens frequently in hospital facilities. Introverts tend to keep their cool in such situations and shift their focus to whatever is needed of them providing quality, fast healthcare to patients. Offering patients time to think and explain their opinions is another good trait that introvert nurses have. Silence allows patients to process your information and even provide more hindsight on whatever is ailing them.
They are also great team players as they are always effective with the type of jobs they are assigned to do. Despite the many advantages, they also have disadvantages that may hinder them but may be solved by the practice they continue to do. They are not good communicators; however, one can learn and gain help with their communication skills. Nursing is always filled with emotions and surprises which are not good environments for introverts. It has been seen that introverts are also a great addition to the medical field as they show calmness, discipline which are great characteristics of a good leader.
