Do you get annoyed when people ask you about your job outside of work?

Nurses General Nursing

Updated:   Published

Specializes in ACE.

AS a new Nurse that started working at the start of Covid and the height of Covid I have seen a lot of things that made me better, but not pretty things. I've seen people die, I've been involved in investigations etc.. it was so stressful to sleep at times...

My sisters friends or family friends when they come over for parties or if we go out to dinner, they're always curious about my nursing life, in my head I'm like I am going out to relax and not think about work, and these people keep bringing up work, and when they bring up work, it causes anxiety for me. I told my sisters friend "I don't want to talk about it" when she asked how is it being a nurse during Covid. She blankly stared at me like why I just said that, but its the reality.

It might be odd for some cause yes we are all proud to talk about our careers and all, like my sisters friend is an accountant so she talks about her company firm how they made it through covid, but for me the topics I listed just cause me to be very upset and I am very sensitive.

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Specializes in OB-Gyn/Primary Care/Ambulatory Leadership.

I would simply say "I don't really want to talk about work when I'm trying to relax and get time away." And then repeat as necessary.

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Oh, how quickly you can turn the tables on them. If they ask and you don’t want to talk about it, launch into a story about the grosser aspects of work (no pt identifying info) and when they turn green or put their fork down in disgust, they’ll quit asking. LOL. Honestly, some days I don’t mind, although usually people ask where I work and lose interest when I tell them a surgeon’s office. It has bothered me a few times when people start the tirade about how COVID is fake and I’m an idiot for believing it, blah blah blah. I was at dinner with my family one evening, we met right after work before COVID, so I was still in my scrubs with my healthcare system name/logo embroidered on the top. A guy asked if I worked for the local hospital, and I said no that I work for an office in the next town over. Guy huffed and said “(local hospital) tried to kill me and I hate them”. I just kinda blinked, apologized for the bad experience, and resumed eating my dinner. That hospital saved my husband’s life, has been great with both my kids, and took exceptional care of my sister and mother-in-law and several relatives over the years. I didn't’ realize I was the spokesperson/scapegoat for a facility I didn’t work at. 

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Specializes in PICU.

I think generally people are curious because of the images that you see on TV, etc.  Depending on what your unit is like you can say something like

"You know, it is just stressful there are a lot of sick people both COVID and Non-COVID, and I really try to leave work at work, when I am out I really don't want to talk about work" 

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Specializes in Psych (25 years), Medical (15 years).

Three words people love to hear over dinner:

"Draining anal fistula."

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As a school nurse I get annoyed with people trying to get inside info from me.

 Information such as "I saw a police car/ambulance/fire truck etc at the school - what happened?" or "my kid came home and said X student had a seizure/medical issue/nurse had to run into the room etc etc - what happened???" or in the Summer before school starts - "hey can you tell me my kids schedule or who the teachers are?" or most recently our district is going through major rezoning and I have been asked "where is XX neighborhood going to be rezoned too?" like I have some crazy insider information and I am going to know before public knows  ? 

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Specializes in ACE.
1 hour ago, RNNPICU said:

I think generally people are curious because of the images that you see on TV, etc.  Depending on what your unit is like you can say something like

"You know, it is just stressful there are a lot of sick people both COVID and Non-COVID, and I really try to leave work at work, when I am out I really don't want to talk about work" 

thank you and its true. I like their fascination but its like, I am trying to not think about work when I am out of work, and they are bringing it up and its giving me anxiety cause it takes me back to those days

2 hours ago, T-Bird78 said:

Oh, how quickly you can turn the tables on them. If they ask and you don’t want to talk about it, launch into a story about the grosser aspects of work (no pt identifying info) and when they turn green or put their fork down in disgust, they’ll quit asking. LOL. Honestly, some days I don’t mind, although usually people ask where I work and lose interest when I tell them a surgeon’s office. It has bothered me a few times when people start the tirade about how COVID is fake and I’m an idiot for believing it, blah blah blah. I was at dinner with my family one evening, we met right after work before COVID, so I was still in my scrubs with my healthcare system name/logo embroidered on the top. A guy asked if I worked for the local hospital, and I said no that I work for an office in the next town over. Guy huffed and said “(local hospital) tried to kill me and I hate them”. I just kinda blinked, apologized for the bad experience, and resumed eating my dinner. That hospital saved my husband’s life, has been great with both my kids, and took exceptional care of my sister and mother-in-law and several relatives over the years. I didn't’ realize I was the spokesperson/scapegoat for a facility I didn’t work at. 

its annoying to talk about work outside of work sometimes.

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Specializes in ER.
1 hour ago, Davey Do said:

Three words people love to hear over dinner:

"Draining anal fistula."

Or start describing a rectal tube and see how that goes over!

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  When a stranger asks me, "what do you do"?, I respond (knowing full well what they mean), "well I enjoy hiking, camping, travel, reading, live music...."  I absolutely refuse to have my identity defined by my job.  Being a nurse is only one facet of my life and not even one of the ones that I am most proud of. 

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Specializes in Psych (25 years), Medical (15 years).
1 hour ago, Emergent said:

Or start describing a rectal tube and see how that goes over!

Sometime back, an AN member requested this:

 

2114716964_rectaltube.png.71a841549096035a9021bd6910f95014.png

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Specializes in ER.
1 hour ago, Davey Do said:

Sometime back, an AN member requested this:

 

2114716964_rectaltube.png.71a841549096035a9021bd6910f95014.png

Is that what happens when one haplessly wanders over to the Covid section of this forum and says "I am against vaccine mandates!" ? ???

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Specializes in OB-Gyn/Primary Care/Ambulatory Leadership.

How timely that this ad came up as I was reading this thread 

129193_UPS_RD360_ADs300x600.jpg
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