Exploration of Personality Traits of Family Nurse Practitioner Students

Abstract

Abstract

Background:  Understanding personality types have been an unwavering desire for professionals making career choices. Online education of Family Nurse Practitioners is expanding rapidly.  Studies have been conducted concerning learning styles of students and performance in online and on-campus education.  Few studies have been conducted that examined the personality types of Family Nurse Practitioners. 

Objective:  To examine the personality types of students entering online and on-campus Family Nurse Practitioner programs

Methodology:  Exploratory descriptive cross-sectional design.  Sample 109 entering FNP students (50 online and 59 on-campus).  Instrument Form M of Myers Briggs Personality Inventory administered anonymously online.

Results: Significant differences in Sensing versus Intuition and Judging versus Perceiving types were found across cohorts. No significant difference were found between online and on-campus cohorts.  Highest composite indexes were Introvert, Sensing, Feeling, Judging and Extrovert, Sensing, Feeling, Judging.

Conclusions:  Further research on personality types of FNP students and practicing FNPs is needed to determine which students would be best fitted for the FNP curriculum.