Backstabbing/Gossip in Nursing School

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Any advice how to deal with this? I feel like I am in highschool. It seems the more pressure that comes on, the worse it gets. I feel there is gossip behind your back all the time, even to the point to possibly talking crap about you to the clinical instructors etc.. So childish..I notice the targets are people who are more independent and maybe a bit more reserved. I don't get involved with the study groups (for exactly that reason and because it's not my study style) I am just trying to do my best and keep focused Any advice. I am close to approaching someone in the department about this, but I don't know if it would do any good.

Welcome to the world of nursing! haha....I have to honestly say, and some people may be offended, but at least its honest....nursing politics are so catty. I am guessing it stems from the fact that nurses are females in majority, and females are catty and competitive with eachother naturally. Just don't get involved with the drama....you have much better things to do and much more important things to think about....like your patient! And your nursing school tests. Keep your head up!

P.S. when I was in nursing school I got a 4.0 and busted my a$s doing it. But you better believe that nobody in my class was happy for me.....maybe one person.

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Gossiping is a sign of immaturity and your classmates' behavior will eventually come back to bite them if they don't shape up.

I agree with many of the other posters who have suggested focusing on your goals and being professional. Getting along with others is important but that doesn't mean you have to be best buddies. Focus on performing well in school, caring for your patients, and making yourself a marketable new grad for when the time comes. :nurse:

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P.S. when I was in nursing school I got a 4.0 and busted my a$s doing it. But you better believe that nobody in my class was happy for me.....maybe one person.

Wow, this is almost completely opposite from my experience. My class has a majority of people who are supportive. People who struggled to get Cs were happy as hell for others who got As and vice verse.

I made an A and kept my 4.0 by two freaking points my second semester of nursing school. I was in a lot of study groups helping people out as much as I could and many in my class were openly rooting for me to make the A. I started fearing I would be letting them down if I didn't make it.

Conversely, I know a couple ESL students who were fighting tooth and nail to get a C. When they made it I was truly thrilled for them. No way in hades could I do the same thing if I were taking nursing school in Russia or India or Kenya or Liberia or....

It is possible to rise above the petty crap (we have some of that too) and have wonderful, positive, and cooperative experiences in nursing school.

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"Wow, this is almost completely opposite from my experience. My class has a majority of people who are supportive. People who struggled to get Cs were happy as hell for others who got As and vice verse."

Did I mention I went to nursing school in Scottsdale, Arizona?

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Specializes in IMCU.

This happens at my school I don't think I am necessarily the subject of it but maybe. There is one woman who seems to get a lot of awful remarks/gossip.

My rules on gossip:

If it is about me -- ignore it (unless of course it is slanderous then I simply speak directly to the person involved -- but I don't get hysterical or ugly about it).

If people are gossiping about someone else when I am nearby -- I either say "I m uncomfortable with discussing this person behind their back" or I walk away.

I sat at a party once where my fellow students started to talk trash about someone that I thought was OK. I stopped them cold and said that was not my experience of that person.

With gossip it takes two. One to speak and one to listen. So even if you are just standing there saying nothing, you are still participating. Some of you might think this is a bit strict/anal but I think gossip is one of the most divisive practices around.

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Yeah, I know how you feel. Same thing's going on at my school. I'd left my tape recorder on in my backpack from recording a lecture once. I had to go out to my car during the break in lecture, and they were all talking about me because I had to go out to my car. Yeah, they repeatedly "forget" about me when we do group projects... it's almost affecting my grades, but I've got two more semesters left and I'm done and when I'm a nurse I promise you I'll NEVER look back.

They like to pick on ppl who talk during lecture, ppl who keep to themselves.... ppl who study the hardest... yeah, i totally agree and I've thought about going to the college administrator as well, but what good would it do??? I like the cohorts of students ahead and behind me, it's just my cohort... they think they're better than everyone, and if one person doesn't like you for whatever reason, they all talk about you.

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"Wow, this is almost completely opposite from my experience. My class has a majority of people who are supportive. People who struggled to get Cs were happy as hell for others who got As and vice verse."

Did I mention I went to nursing school in Scottsdale, Arizona?

I'm curious. What is the significance of Scottsdale, AZ?

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I'm curious. What is the significance of Scottsdale, AZ?

Scottsdale is very wealthy, and the assumption is that the people who live there are rich and snobby. I'm guessing this is what the author meant!

The school I currently attend is very supportive and I could not be happier. We have get-togethers like pool parties and dinners and everyone is invited. We all get along and support each other with everything. Seems almost too cheesy or too good to be true, but I love it! :yeah: However, I did attend another school before this one where everyone had their own clique or was a loner and that atmosphere made it much more difficult to succeed, so I sympathize with those of you who have to deal with gossip and cattiness.

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Specializes in IMCU.

Yep they are a little childish at my school. If we have an event you have to hide the list of attendees. Why? "I'm not going if she's going". This applies to our volunteering events in the community.

It is completely ridiculous. One wonders how these people will be able to get and hold down a job. Of course they will do both and just pee on it for everyone else.

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Yeah, I know how you feel. Same thing's going on at my school. I'd left my tape recorder on in my backpack from recording a lecture once. I had to go out to my car during the break in lecture, and they were all talking about me because I had to go out to my car. Yeah, they repeatedly "forget" about me when we do group projects...

Wow, that is horrible :hug:

I have the same problem at my school..everyone ******* about everyone. Everyone HAS to know everyone elses business and add their 2c or speculate.

There are times I have felt like asking the teacher to switch groups so I didn't have to do clinicals with certain people..but then I thought..well, in the workplace there is probably going to be people I don't like. I can't just refuse to work with that person and let the patient suffer. I better suck it up and just get the job done to the best of my ability.

It sucks, but I guess that is life sometime :sniff:

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Specializes in IMCU.

If I had someone on tape like that I would play it back to them in front of other people.

I don't really care if someone doesn't like me. There are people in my class who use up all of my tolerance (I actually think they suck the oxygen from the room). Not liking is one thing but when people start gossiping etc. it is like they are trying to get others to dislike that person too. Sometimes I wonder if they simply don't get that it is OK to not like someone -- so they try to get a group of people to dislike them too and justify their own opinion.

I hope that, if I am ever being unpleasant about someone, it would be pointed out to me.

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I start my nursing program in a few weeks and I'm a bit nervous about this going on. I also learn better when I'm not in a study group, I guess you could say I'm a loner when it comes to studies. I'm going to give everyone a chance at first but I am sure I am going to encounter plenty of immature girls and boys at my school because I already have in my pre-nursing classes. I hope to find a few mature students that I can be friends with. I'm just going to stay out of the drama, be supportive and nice to those that will be the same to me and ignore all the rest.

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