Hey fellas...

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Specializes in RN.

Soooo.....guys...I love working with my female co-workers, seriously. But, and maybe it is specific to my facility, but I kinda doubt it.

Does it drive you crazy, as it does me, with all the "created drama, back-biting, and basic games" that the women play?

I know there are female eyes peaking in on our conversation, so right off I know that is a stereotype, but i also understand that I do not mean ALL, as in EVERY female co-worker. Heck, I work with a couple females that I would rather be around than SOME of the guys.

I really need to get in a unit where there are more even ratio's. There are some nights when things are slow and all the "substance-less" chatter and such makes me wish for immediate deafness.

How often do you see:

Internet shopping for purses, jewelry, etc

How often do you here: "my kids this, and my kids that" or ******** about the husband,

AND; how common is it for female RN's/tech's/hospital personnel to have dysfunctional SO's? I have seen quite a few Nurses, tech's, hospital personnel that have Lazy, worthless, in and out of jail, jobless, addicts, leeches...???

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Sorry? Those are female interests (shopping, kids, spouses) and you're in a predominantly female profession.

I doubt if I was on a male-dominated nursing unit, the chatter would be less mindless... sports, pooping, and hot girls.

If you feel like that's an insulting or inaccurate generalization, I'd like to refer you to your own post. While your co-workers may very well be only having the type of conversations you mentioned, I'd argue that that they may be capable of more intelligent conversation but the work environment isn't well-suited for it.

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Specializes in PACU, presurgical testing.

I'm not one of the fellas, so maybe I need to stay out of it, but I had to laugh at your post. I have always preferred to hang out with "the fellas" rather than being one of the gals, and I sometimes wonder why I went into nursing as a 2nd career! :) A few thoughts:

1. Just curious: is it the internet shopping itself that bugs you, or what they are shopping for? If one of the guys were looking at fishing tackle at cabelas.com, would that be as bothersome to you? I personally don't think it looks professional to be doing online shopping at work at all, but if your hospital has no policy against it, I guess it's everyone's right to do it if it doesn't take them away from their work.

2. I think there is variability in how women feel/talk about their kids, which I'm sure you see among your coworkers. Some of us work by choice (I work just a few days a week so that I can be home with my kids), while others need to work long hours to put food on the table. Call me old-fashioned, but I think most women feel the distance from their kids as a hardship in a way that a lot of guys (not all) don’t; also, I think women tend to talk more about their kids in general, but particularly when they are away from them. I’m also speaking as one who doesn’t live, sleep, and breathe my kids, but I think that’s less common than what you are seeing.

3. Women who trash-talk their husbands/SOs make me crazy, and I’m lucky to work with people who don’t do this. That said, realize that women process by talking to each other. And talking. And talking. And if they are involved with a real dirtball, there’s a lot more talking. You’re in a unique position to be a NICE guy they know, but don’t feel like you have to fix it or defend all men to them. It’s not your fault.

Unfortunately, the things you are mentioning can be pretty typical in groups of women. It might also depend on the unit; in my unit, I don’t see as much of this as I have on other floors. The one male nurse we have might disagree with me, though. Nursing benefits from having more men in the field, but I wouldn’t expect an even ratio unless you become a CRNA. Good luck to you!

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Specializes in RN.
Sorry? Those are female interests (shopping, kids, spouses) and you're in a predominantly female profession.

I doubt if I was on a male-dominated nursing unit, the chatter would be less mindless... sports, pooping, and hot girls.

If you feel like that's an insulting or inaccurate generalization, I'd like to refer you to your own post. While your co-workers may very well be only having the type of conversations you mentioned, I'd argue that that they may be capable of more intelligent conversation but the work environment isn't well-suited for it.

Maybe a little sports...but pooping? Really? Who likes talking about that? I mean what is there to say about that?

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Specializes in Cardiopulmonary Stepdown/Cath Lab, ICU.

I know what you are saying, but my $.02. It is a female dominated profession and always will be. Not many guys want to do the jobs we do day to day.

Women always have and always will have mostly different interests then men. You can't really change that and most likely knew going into nursing you were going to be outnumbered. So probably won't change. Them looking at purses and such shouldn't matter to you anyway as long as it isn't interrupting pt. care or the job

Kids are (usually) the most important thing in their mothers lives, so the mom's are going to talk about them. They're proud, they want to pass the time, and usually they don't care if you want to hear about it or not.

The "catty, back biting/talking, drama". I'm sorry ladies, but it's so true. Ya'll create a lot of it. (Not everyone, i know). I've heard about it from female friends before nursing, but never really believed it until I got into nursing and saw it for myself.

And strangely, I do feel like I hear a lot of trash talking about significant others (who often sound like lazy, worthless etc.), which I always wonder... Why you still with him?

It all depends on the people you work with, I work with a lot of younger nurses like myself and its really not an issue at all, it seems to be the older nurses who have been there a long time that are the worst (again, not everyone, just at my workplace)

All said, I've worked with a lot of guys in other jobs and through nursing school who were total idiots So its just people. Try to ignore the stuff that bugs you. Not likely to find a floor with more equal ratios unless you work in ED.

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I'm a female but if it bothers you bring a book or crossword puzzle.

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OP, sounds like you're the one into drama...

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