Are you seen as quiet, reserved, and reflective? Or are you perceived to be distant, withdrawn, reluctant to engage in activities with a room full of people and therefore not considered a ‘team player.’  

Do people see you as someone to be tolerated or do they see you at all?  Do opportunities bypass you because no one ever thinks you are capable of anything?  They might if they actually took the time to listen instead of talk, observe instead of doing. 

Introverts are often quiet, reserved and find speaking in public challenging. Being an introvert is usually an inherent personality trait and often one that has been present since forever! 

Regardless of previous work experience, there is an unwritten expectation that nurses have effective and well-developed communication skills. Given the patient centred nature of nursing practice, and the time often spent with patients at different points throughout their healthcare journey, nurses communicate. Beyond patient communication, nurses are expected to engage with families, healthcare professionals and a myriad of stakeholders involved in the delivery of care to patients in various settings. Interestingly, even the introvert can usually engage and effectively communicate in these interactions. 

The transition from direct clinical care to the academic setting can be full of exciting challenges, with an equal mix of trepidation, nerves and uncertainty. When a nurse moves to academia, so many things change; work requirements, location, access to support and expectations to name just a few. However, expecting the introverted person to also change is at best aspirational, at most unrealistic and perhaps even unreasonable. Having undertaken this journey, it is not until quite recently that I realised my introversion was far more challenging to manage in the academic setting than the clinical environment. 

Being an introvert and an academic presents a dichotomy that often challenges the mindset. How can someone who barely contributes to meetings and rarely attends social events stand up in front of a class and teach a group of people they don’t know?  Unfortunately, there appears to be limited tolerance of the ‘quiet person’ who speaks when they have something to say, but retreats when others are more forceful in their communication. That is the life of an introvert. 

Experience suggests that this is not a pleasant space at times and certainly not one that is always recognised or well supported in the academic setting. 

“Quiet to the point of being rude,” “Only speaks when they have something important to say” and “not a team player” are labels. Equally so, labels are also frequently ascribed by and to introverts; reflective, thoughtful, nurturing and observant are just a few. There is no pigeonhole that declares all introverts are insightful, reflective, and nurturing. There is also no ‘one size fits all’ approach to determining whether someone is an introvert or an extrovert. That is where the discussion gets a little murky. In some situations, an extrovert can become quite introverted, and vice versa. Maybe environment, expectation and personalities are influential in determining how one reacts.  

Diversity within a team is important; how boring would life be if everyone were the same. But it remains challenging for some to actually acknowledge that a team requires more than one type of person. In the spirit of diversity and accepting difference, there is no doubt that extroverts are important members of the academic team. 

The voice that is always heard is that of the extrovert. The dominant personality, the loudest voice, the one who feels comfortable speaking their mind knowing they will not be challenged. Perhaps even the one who satisfyingly sits amidst their like-minded peers knowing their voice will always be heard. And being heard has benefits. 

So, can it be said that because introverts are quiet, or retreat if someone else is dominating a conversation, they are lesser members of the team and therefore less likely to be seen as an individual capable of engaging with others in different situations? Sometimes it feels like this. 

Perceptions are important, and if you are quiet or reserved, then perhaps your true value is not recognised. As an introvert, it is easy to joke about how long it takes to decide what to have for lunch because it requires thoughtful contemplation before a decision is made. However, this is not a weakness. In contrast, it is perhaps a strength for nurses who should consider the benefits of decisions before embarking upon them. Obviously, there are exceptions to prolonged decision making; it is not feasible to contemplate whether you need to resuscitate a patient or not! But it is reasonable to teach novice nurses that choices have consequences that need to be considered before action.

There are ways of working that enable teams comprised of different personality types to effectively work together to achieve a goal. It is important for leaders to inspire others and implement strategies to draw out the introvert and perhaps quiet the extrovert. This is achievable and only needs minor changes in the way we work to ensure all voices are given equal opportunity to be heard. One to one rather than large group meetings, written instead of verbal contributions, leveraging strengths rather than focusing on what they aren’t doing and actively listening are just a few of many actions that can be utilised to draw in the introverted members of a team. 

However, if the introvert doesn’t want to be drawn in, then that shouldn’t be an issue. Yet, experience suggests, it is yet often not for the learners we teach, who recognise the introversion traits in an academic but who also identify there is inherent value in an academic who carefully reflects and considers before responding. Experience suggests that learners are more tolerant and accepting of introverts than other academics.

I have taken a broad-brush approach to this topic, noting that the experience is not the same for every introverted academic in every educational setting. However, my experience, perhaps a little tainted, is that introverts have knowledge and insights to share, but are not ‘brave enough’ to say them aloud for fear of ridicule. Ridiculous right? Not so, for those who have palpitations, perspire, and feel nauseous at the very thought of speaking in a group of peers. 

Acknowledgement of how people might feel is one step forward in creating a level playing field for contributions to be equally heard.

So, can an introvert survive in the world of academia? Theoretically, the answer is yes. Maybe the answer should come from the individual themselves.

Author

Dr Andrée Gamble, PhD, RN, BN, MSN, PGDACN (PAEDS), PGCPET, GCCS, GCHPE, FHEA is a lecturer at Monash University Nursing and Midwifery