When we think of nurses we don’t often think beyond their service to patients. Yet nurses have stepped into leadership roles, where they shine. And no surprise – a good number of them are introverts.
The strengths of calm reflection, thinking before talking, and responding before reacting, are assets in the sometimes-chaotic heath care world. I know of a hospital nurse who had to make a last minute scheduling change with a staff member. She was greeted with an out of control rant. Using a calm tone and taking a breath, she told the staff member to call her back when she had settled down. The staffer did, and they worked out a suitable arrangement.
I love what one introverted unit manager said in Introversion Can Be a Benefit for Nurses In Leadership Positions, an excellent article by Lin Grensing-Pophal in ADVANCE for Nurses, “It’s lonely at the top and introverted leaders don’t have a problem with the solitary nature of the job.”
