Dealing with nosey nurses

What would the staff nurse response be to us if we asked them awkard questions. Where do you live, what do you make an hour, what are your benefits, are you married, have a signifant other and of what sex, children how many, who takes care of them while you run around the country or go from job to job, got any insurance, what kind of a vehicle do you drive, own or rent and the BS just goes on. Usually while I am trying to have MY LUNCH BREAK. My response is will you write all those questions down?? I am trying to have my lunch break that I am not getting paid for!!! Glad you want to be friends. Do you want to meet or take me to dinner after work and then we can talk???

oh yeah, just annoying nurses. and if anything goes wrong they will hang you by your reproductive organs.

nosey neighbours wanting personal details of your love life...some people are like that! office politics! otherwise,,IGNORE them! They are nosey because they are insecure.

To be honest, I've gotten the same types of questions from coworkers at my regular (non-agency) job :)

IMO, divulge only what you feel comfortable sharing and be pleasantly vague about the rest. No one is forcing you to share anything.

I will be starting my first agency job very soon so it's been good to read your comments and tips. THANKS!:cheers:

Go with how you feel about the situation, but honestly it's not always about being nosey. Before I started working with an agency, talking with agency nurses was honestly the best way to do my research. What's a good agency? Do you get cancelled? Do you go to good facilities? If it's travel, how are the accomodations? I wasn't trying to be nosey, I was honestly interested. And as far as asking about insurance, I did that, too!! Not because I wanted to pry into their personal life, but because I have a family to care for, too, and it makes a difference. I was looking for a way out of my last FT position because I was burned out. I *wanted* agency nurses to give me the inside scoop on what it's like - would I regret it if it I did it? What do I need to watch out for? It's really like the new grads looking to get into their first job - we dont' say "those nosey students, they should mind their own business!"

Also, my old unit was very close-knit and so it was almost instictive to ask about the new nurse coming to work with us. Do you have kids? if so, and they're little like mine, than I can relate to you! Where are you from? Where are you living? I would have been more than happy to answer these questions to an agency nurse if we're chatting while we work to get to know who I'm working with - especially if we're going to work together a lot! I need to know if I can trust you in my unit.

On the other hand, there ARE some nurses who may ask for other reasons. And there may be agency nurses (and you may be one of them) who LIKES to be agency because you don't like to chat with coworkers and get to know them. That's okay, too, but just respond that you prefer not to discuss your personal life and maybe change the subject to something work related - like "could you show me how your XX works? I'm not familiar with it" or "what is your policy/procedure in XX scenario?" Or if you're not up to talking at all, maybe ask if they can help you turn a patient or give a bath or whatever. Or just tell them to buzz off and then go do your work, but that doesn't often build very good trust/rapport with the FT staff.

Anyway, just a few thoughts from someone who's been on the other side of this situation...

[quote=photomom;6828483

Also, my old unit was very close-knit and so it was almost instictive to ask about the new nurse coming to work with us. Do you have kids? if so, and they're little like mine, than I can relate to you! Where are you from? Where are you living? I would have been more than happy to answer these questions to an agency nurse if we're chatting while we work to get to know who I'm working with - especially if we're going to work together a lot! I need to know if I can trust you in my unit.

...

You feel like you have to know about someone's personal life in order to know if you can trust them in your unit?

I don't quite get that.

No, not necessarily, but it doesn't hurt to be friendly. On the flip side, I've heard from several agency nurses that they always just feel like they're there alone and that the FT nurses are too clicky and exclude them from everything. If you want to be alone and not share anything, that's fine, make it known, just don't expect to be included in a group that knows each other well. But also know that you're not the only type of agency nurse there is and that you're not always asked because they're nosey, maybe they're just friendly.

Is this the general feeling of most agency nurses? That they don't want to share anything personal or talk about anything non-nursing related???

I don't think other nurses who ask questions about your agency work are being nosy, I think they're just curious or trying to gather information to see if it's a viable career move for them.

I know I'm curious about the in's and out's of travel nursing because it's something I *think* I want to try in the future (but I have more questions before I'd make such a drastic career move).

I do know just about every nurse at the hospital asks me very specific Q's about my other home health agency job and I never feel threatened or defensive. I answer their questions as openly and honestly as I can without sarcasm or suspicion of their intent. It's human nature to size up our situation and to see if a move might be in order.

C'mon, chill out peeps. We're nurses and we're supposed to be helpful to others - not inflict harm or create unnecessary hostility.

Sent from my iPhone using allnurses.com

And to think these are educated adults looking for a reason to pounce on another nurse in some manner. Remids me of a crazy movie with various plots.

I don't think that at all. I think they're just trying to make conversation and get to know the new nurse.

What would the staff nurse response be to us if we asked them awkard questions. Where do you live, what do you make an hour, what are your benefits, are you married, have a signifant other and of what sex, children how many, who takes care of them while you run around the country or go from job to job, got any insurance, what kind of a vehicle do you drive, own or rent and the BS just goes on. Usually while I am trying to have MY LUNCH BREAK. My response is will you write all those questions down?? I am trying to have my lunch break that I am not getting paid for!!! Glad you want to be friends. Do you want to meet or take me to dinner after work and then we can talk???

Nursing relies on teamwork to get the job done, and teamwork makes it far more pleasant. If you don't want to talk to other nurses on your break, they will see you as not wanting to be a part of the team. Next, you'll be complaining that all the nurses you work with are mean to you. If you come across as this rude on-line, you're probably coming across as rude at work, too.

The owners of your agency make money from your labor, it is true. In exchange, they find jobs for you.

You can open your own agency. No one is stopping you. Then other nurses will make money for you while you are sleeping or making love. :)

Edited Aug 24, 2012 by Kooky Korky