Should You Use Myers-Briggs Nursing Profiles? Pros and Cons for Facilities
The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) is a self-assessment personality profiling tool that can help nurses better understand their cognitive preferences, communication styles, reactions to stress, and more. Though there are many personality tests on the market, few are as widely-known as the Myers-Briggs. Nursing leaders who are searching for ways to support staff and create a healthy work environment may wonder if the test is worth investigating.
Due to increasing concerns about nurse well-being and burnout rates, supporting the mental health of staff nurses is a very real issue that many nursing managers face. You may wonder whether offering the MBTI to nurses would open up beneficial conversations and improve team dynamics, or merely take up time. Is it a useful personality profile to engage with?
Though Myers-Briggs profiles have been scrutinized in terms of scientific validity, they can be a practical, accessible resource that nurse leaders should consider using. Let’s discuss using the MBTI in nursing practice in more detail, along with pros and cons of offering it to nursing staff.
Overview of Personality Testing Across Industries
If personality profiles have been on your mind, you’re not alone. Around 80% of Fortune 500 companies use personality tests for professional development and team building purposes. The MBTI in particular has a history of prevalent use in the U.S. Army, where it has been an instrument to promote self-reflection and leadership development. It’s also used in healthcare, though with more caution and skepticism than in other sectors (corporations, for instance).
Core Concepts of the Myers-Briggs Personality Test
The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator is composed of 94 multiple choice questions that indicate cognitive preferences and tendencies related to four poles:
- Introversion (I) to Extroversion (E)
- Sensation (S) to Intuition (N)
- Thinking (T) to Feeling (F)
- Judging (J) to Perceiving (P)
The combination of preferences yields a personality type, or cognitive stack, which indicates how an individual takes in information and makes decisions, among other things. There are 16 personality types within the MBTI system, and each type is composed of four primary cognitive functions.
For example, a nurse who primarily uses introverted, sensing, feeling, and judging mental-emotional processes would be described as having an ISFJ personality type. In fact, ISFJ is a common nurse MBTI type.
History of MBTI and Nursing Practice
The ideas behind MBTI were developed by mother-daughter team Katharine Briggs and Isabel Briggs Myers. Their shared interest in human behavior, along with Jungian psychology, led to various iterations of their questionnaire.
Isabel’s experience volunteering as a nurse with the Red Cross also informed their process, impressing her with how differently individuals acted when presented with the same stressor, such as a patient’s injury. She and her mother both believed it was important to find a practical system that could match employees with the right line of work and increase job performance and satisfaction.
How Managers Can Use MBTI With Nursing Staff
In healthcare (as in other industries) the MBTI shouldn’t be used for hiring selection or deciding job assignments. Rather, it’s typically offered to nurses and other healthcare staff later on, as an optional activity that can help with team functioning, self-awareness, and professional development.
Staff nurses shouldn’t be required to take the test, but rather offered the time and space to take it as part of a unit’s improvement initiatives. One downside of MBTI is its tendency to be misinterpreted, so it’s a good idea to provide training about the system and how it can be used. Nurse managers may also want to set aside time for discussing results one-on-one with each nurse, or a debriefing meeting for the whole team.
Why Personality Profiles Are Helpful in Healthcare
Working as a nurse can come with unique challenges, such as:
- Exposure to human suffering.
- Stressful environments.
- High proportion of time spent in interpersonal interactions.
Research shows that as many as 40% of nurses experience depression, and nurse suicide rates are significantly higher than in the general public. Nurse burnout and turnover rates are a problem that many facilities contend with, spending an average of $88,000 to replace an RN.
Given these challenges, how can nursing leaders best support their staff and foster career satisfaction? Currently, there are several movements in the industry related to nurse well-being, including an evidence-backed initiative for improving joy in the nursing environment.
As part of these efforts, industry experts have identified priorities, such as creating positive work environments and supporting mental health. Increasing self-awareness by offering an MBTI to nurses is one practical way for leadership to work toward these goals.
Pros and Cons of Using the Myers-Briggs Personality Indicator Test With Nursing Staff
Every healthcare facility (and even department or unit) is unique, and what works for one group of nurses may not work for another. Though there are some general advantages and disadvantages of using the Myers-Briggs, nursing leaders know their teams best and should tailor their decision to their team’s needs.
We’ve listed some of the main pros and cons of using MBTI. Nurse leadership should consider both before implementing such a program at their facility.
| It facilitates self-awareness regarding reactions to stress, coping mechanisms, and communication styles.
This can be a strategy for reducing or preventing nurse burnout by helping leaders ensure staff nurses feel seen and heard. The test can be a tool for opening a conversation about factors influencing burnout, including values, frustrations, strengths, and purpose. It can be used to enhance teamwork and communication by providing a neutral framework for understanding differences, depersonalizing conflicts, and reducing friction. The test supports quality care by giving nurses increased awareness of potential similarities and differences with patients, leading to improved patient outcomes. |
Poor test-retest reliability and lack of scientific validity can lead to resistance to the test and results. It must be approached as an optional, fun, and informal activity.
The test requires time and financial resources. To purchase the MBTI, nurse leaders will need to pay about $60 per test, though there are discounts for organizations buying tests in bulk. It takes about 30 minutes to complete. It may be misused or misinterpreted by nurse leaders or staff nurses as a way to stereotype or “pigeon-hole” others based on test results. It can lead to an oversimplification of complex psychological theories. For example, the concept of introvert could be misinterpreted as an all-or-nothing quality rather than a tendency or preference on a spectrum. |
Additional Ways to Decide if MBTI Tests Will Help Your Unit
As you consider whether to offer Myers-Briggs nursing profiles to your staff, or even to take one yourself, it may be helpful to talk to other nursing leaders. Ask colleagues about successful (or unsuccessful) experiences and determine the impact that MBTI had on their teams.
You may also want to look at Myers-Briggs nursing examples and case studies. For example, one busy trauma center that implemented MBTI training and testing for nursing staff reported an increase in patient satisfaction scores.
Looking for More Nurse Management Insights?
Helping your team discover their Myers-Briggs nursing profiles can be an exciting way to offer support. If you’re eager for more leadership strategies, we have you covered with expert-backed healthcare leadership guides and resources.