Nursing school gossip

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Has anyone else had to deal with gossip or other students talking behind their back during nursing school? I'm in my last semester and have found that a few of my fellow classmates who I thought were genuine are talking about me to other students and perhaps faculty. I have not made many close friends throughout my program because I am busy with work and am focused on graduating which I guess makes me a "loner" and an easy target. It is just hurtful to think that people would gossip and try to bring me down when I have done nothing to them. Any advice on how to deal with this?

Stand up for yourself?

No - seriously. Have you actually heard them talking about you, or was it "a friend of a friend of a friend of a friend?" - now that is really unreliable and people may want to be trying to start something.

I had a situation where students made fun of one of my classmates who I am friends with, I turn around and said you know, that's really inappropriate.

Since I really don't have many "friends" in class (that's not what nursing school is for), I usually sit wherever I feel like sitting that day and "disrupt" the unspoken seating arrangement (which basically is for kindergartners). I am not a traditional student either, and a commuter - so most of my friendships with people in nursing school are fellow commuters from where I live, but may also be in different years in the program.

You're literally about to graduate. Why should you care? You're moving on, most of you to new and different places.

My friends come from real life, not work/school. Yes, I'm friendly to my co workers, but that's as far as I need that to go.

Don't give it another thought. Just keep your eye on the prize. Find personal fulfillment outside of work and you'll be a lot happier in the long run. Truly.

Ignore it and move on. You are in your last semester...pretty soon you will never have to see these people again.

Specializes in Med/Surg.

Do the words that come out of their mouths pay for your nursing school education? Do the words that come out of their mouths feed you? Do the words that come out of their mouths pay your bills? Do the words that come out of their mouths go on the signature line of a check that's made out to you? Are those words that you are so worried about going to help you graduate and pass the NCLEX? You don't have time to worry about what other folks are saying about you. Focus on what's really important. Focus on becoming a nurse.

I have news for you. Those words will fly around you for the rest of your life. I don't care how wonderful you may be. There will always be someone who has a problem with you. There will always be people who come into your life and mean you no good. Know yourself. Know your worth. Do better than your best in whatever you do. YOUR ACTIONS will always speak louder than any words coming out the side of somebody's mouth. Always do what you're suppose to do. Reflect that in your work. Reflect that in the way you carry yourself.

The only thing that can hurt you is the TRUTH.

Seriously, just ignore them. You don't have control over what people think or say about you. You're so close to graduating that this is a non-issue. Yeah, a lot of people are stuck in that high school mentality, but again, there is nothing you can really do about it. Sure, maybe you could complain to faculty or the dean, or to a supervisor at work (if this were happening at work), but the payoff for the energy you're going to expend is next to nothing compared to just ignoring them and doing your thing.

Why bother caring about people who don't even know you? Their thoughts and judgments don't matter. They don't even know the real you. It takes years to really get to know someone; don't fret over acquaintances who only know a small sliver of your entire life.

Specializes in Critical Care.

I can't speak to nursing school gossip yet, but I spent many years in retail, which is awful for workplace gossip. I just ignore it or if someone started gossiping to me, I'd say that I'm not interested or that maybe they should take their issue up with the person they have a problem with. People didn't much like this attitude so I definitely got called a ***** when I wasn't around, simply because I didn't want to be involved in the gossip! I just made sure to always do an exemplary job and got along well with my bosses, so if people wanted to run their mouths, it was no skin off my nose.

You are going to have gossipy people anywhere you go...high school, nursing school, working as a nurse...getting very old and being that person that really needs a nurse...it doesn't go away.

These people are nothing to you. I know that you may not realize it now because this is something that comes with time. Be true to yourself about who you are and who/what you want to be as a person. Do not change who you are to fit in with a group because you will never be happy and those people could care less. Do your best to be good at your future career as a nurse, practice the values that you know make you a good person, and don't ever change. Most of all, don't start to become a gossipy new person just to try to fit in because it will only bring you down.

Growing up, I had a lot of "friends"...you know big group, had each other's backs,.....yeah right, most likely to get stabbed in the back the minute someone turned around. Over time, I learned to be friendly with people in nursing school but nothing more than casual conversation, same thing at work. I found my true friends outside of school or work, as another poster had mentioned. There aren't as many as when I was young, but those in my life now are one's that are TRUE friends. People who I know I can trust with anything and I know will be there for me when I need someone to talk to. These are the kind of people you want in your life....the rest aren't worth the energy your putting into letting what they say bother you.

You're almost done with school, forget what those people have said, finish your degree, and enjoy your success.

Try to find time to connect with your real-life, non-nursing school friends. You probably have deeper friendships than the gossipers can earn by putting others down.

Yeah I commute too and have always just focused on school instead of making friends! But it just upset me and was distracting to think about. I'm just going to brush it off!

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