Do you talk to your coworkers alot on your lunch break?

[Soliloquy]

When on your unit, do you and your coworkers talk a lot about your personal life, gossiping, or about parties and get togethers and things like that? Do you guys interact alot basically. Or do you tend to keep to yourself and just do your work and go home?

[OCNRN63, RN]

I'm still new to my unit and getting a feel for the culture. In general, if people are in the breakroom together, they make small talk for at least part of the time. There are a few antisocial types that are engrossed in their phones, but for the most part people make an effort to converse if they are eating together. We have designated times for our breaks so half to 1/3 of the nurses will be on break at the same time. About half the time I stay in the break room to eat and make small talk with my coworkers, the other half of the time I take my lunch and go find a quiet corner in the hospital where I can be by myself. My unit as a whole is pretty open and friendly and most of the nurses are happy to chat about personal stuff in addition to work stuff. Those who have been there for longer than me have much closer friendships and quite a few people get together outside of work socially. I'm still too new to get invited to most of it, but my unit does do some social events for staff outside of the hospital a few times a year that are inclusive of all staff. In general, people seem to be pretty welcoming (the turnover on my unit is higher than most because it's a foot-in-the-door kind of place) and not super-cliquey. We also get float staff to our unit on pretty much a daily basis, so people are accustomed to working with nurses who don't make their "home" on our unit.

Why would you call someone who just wants some quite downtime "antisocial"? I don't understand people who feel as if you are there solely to entertain them.

When I was working I would make some small talk, but like most of my co-workers, I would just use that golden half-hour to read or even just think to myself. There were a few people who gabbed through lunch, but they tend to sit together.

I got to know some of my co-workers over time; even though I am no longer working, they have continued to support me through my health issues. I don't feel any obligation to give my life story or share details. In a previous job, I became good friends with a co-worker; that turned into a disaster.

I'm just very careful when it comes to getting too tight with people. I had it blow up in my face, and that was something I didn't want to repeat.

[OCNRN63, RN]

I have had other jobs and a different career, having gone to nursing school in my 30's. In previous jobs, I have made friends for life. In nursing, I find that most of the people are not the kind I want to be around. I have made a few friends who work on my floor, but for the most part, the worst part of my job is the people I have to work with (LOVE the patient population). Perhaps I am just getting older, but I notice that the talk at work can be nasty. They are cruel about co-workers who are not present, have a tendency to go on forever about boring details of their lives- it's all about them. I have a daughter with Down syndrome, and they all know it, and after 8+ years, they still all use the word "retard" and "retarded" out of context. Just not very nice or professional people. I sometimes feel very sorry for the patients, as the floor can get very loud due to staff socializing. I have a feeling it is the same most everywhere (?).

I can guarantee you that the places I worked would not have had people who said that, particularly at my last job. That just breaks my heart.