I have worked in the ER for 5 years now, and have never gotten in trouble/or talked to other than "you could have done better at this or that." Well I started agency work at the rival hospital in the float pool. I just got my first complaint on a medical floor: "you talk about your personal life too much at work."
At first, I was not sure how to take this. I asked my manager to be more specific and she said I told an inappropriate joke and another co-worker got offended. That is all she told me.
In the ER, I work...we are very close-nit and sometimes at night we do start discussing things we should not. But I never talk vulger to the point that somebody would complain. I just feel that if I offended somebody, they should have told ME first...
I try to always be sensitive to other people and I still cannot remember telling an off-color joke.
I can relate. I was talking to my charge nurse about a personal problem at home and this other nurse overheard and went straight to management.
The director approached me and said I shouldn't be talking about my personal life. I was very hurt and offended as this conversation was between my charge nurse who approached me due to me being extra quiet lately and seemed a little different.
Ever since then, I mind my own business and don't engage in any converstations at work. Now, I am waiting to be approached for being anti-social
I work 5 12's in a row per week and spend most of my life there. I know who exactly went and complained and ever since then all I engage is in "hi and bye". So sad, but I do not appreciate her complaint.
Specializes in FNP, Peds, Epilepsy, Mgt., Occ. Ed.
Jessy; your situation was a whole different story. The only problem there was that you and your charge nurse probably should've been talking where there was no possibility of being overheard. Then, too, if the co-worker walked into a situation where it was obvious you were having a conversation meant to be personal, it should have been treated as confidentially as any patient-related conversation, IMHO.
I've run into that situation myself a few times. You know, you step into/out of a room or bathroom stall or around a corner just in time to hear something you weren't intended to. I always try to act as if I were deeply absorbed in contemplating something of vast universal importance, or at least mentally composing my grocery list. Whatever I overheard never went any farther than that. Running to the NM to complain is just a way to gossip while making yourself look good.
You will, of course, never trust that co-worker again, and with good reason. You will probably also not tell the charge nurse any detail either, unless it's way more privately.
I once worked with a nurse who was trying to get pregnant. We, her unfortunate co-workers, got to hear all about it, in way more detail than we wished to. As in, every time they "did the deed," favored positions which grandma said would produce a certain gender, when she found out that month that she was not pregnant, and so forth. Due to the layout of the work area, it wasn't always possible to walk away. She didn't have to be talking to me for me to hear it, either.
I never did go to the manager to complain. I usually just rolled my eyes and went about my business. Generally, there was someone else around who wanted to hear this just as much as I did, so we rolled our eyes at each other and launched into our own conversation. "Say, did I tell you I went to that new restaurant out on such and such street...."
Jessy; your situation was a whole different story. The only problem there was that you and your charge nurse probably should've been talking where there was no possibility of being overheard. Then, too, if the co-worker walked into a situation where it was obvious you were having a conversation meant to be personal, it should have been treated as confidentially as any patient-related conversation, IMHO.
I've run into that situation myself a few times. You know, you step into/out of a room or bathroom stall or around a corner just in time to hear something you weren't intended to. I always try to act as if I were deeply absorbed in contemplating something of vast universal importance, or at least mentally composing my grocery list. Whatever I overheard never went any farther than that. Running to the NM to complain is just a way to gossip while making yourself look good.
You will, of course, never trust that co-worker again, and with good reason. You will probably also not tell the charge nurse any detail either, unless it's way more privately.
I once worked with a nurse who was trying to get pregnant. We, her unfortunate co-workers, got to hear all about it, in way more detail than we wished to. As in, every time they "did the deed," favored positions which grandma said would produce a certain gender, when she found out that month that she was not pregnant, and so forth. Due to the layout of the work area, it wasn't always possible to walk away. She didn't have to be talking to me for me to hear it, either.
I never did go to the manager to complain. I usually just rolled my eyes and went about my business. Generally, there was someone else around who wanted to hear this just as much as I did, so we rolled our eyes at each other and launched into our own conversation. "Say, did I tell you I went to that new restaurant out on such and such street...."
I agree wholeheartedly. I forgot to mention the conversation did happen in the charge nurse's office but the door was open. The office happens to be in the middle of the nurses station.
I had a private conversation with a co-worker regarding some problems in the ER. She ran straight up to the supervisor, who is a friend of hers, and told her exactly what I had said. I got called in for having a bad attitude, not being a team player.
Now, I trust NO ONE! There are those who run to the bosses to "tattle" on everyone in order to make themselves look better. This will continue until management chooses to stop this behavior, but they do love the spys. I could do this 10 times a day if I chose to.
The ER gossips just do not stop. I go to work to do my job, go home and get a paycheck every 2 weeks, PERIOD!!! It's not my life, it's my job.
:nono:i wish the nurse managers would step up and not allow the behavior. my favorite nurse manager would never listen to a complaint unless it was brought up to that person first. at first i hated this, but she treated us like we were grown adults!! tattling is such a children game!!!:uhoh3:
The one thing that always suprises me about people who offer too much of their private life is how suprised they are when other's start making remarks about it. If you put info. out there, good or bad someone is bound to make a judgement on it. So be very careful as to what you put out there. We have a few who offer TMI. ANd to be honest with you it gets on my nerves. Just do your job and keep your private life private. There is a fine line between co-workers and friends and family. Older and wiser.
I had the same kind of issue myself. ER nurses are a special bunch, we do high stress work, and usually with minimal staff. If you work nights, you definantly have a close nit group of friends. The enviroment is totally different than that of day shift. Don't let other people discourage you, the "team" atmosphere thats created in places like ER's and ICU's generally comes from the amount of time we spend together at work, and hanging out outside of work. Sometimes I think my coworkers know more about me than my family....but I digress. Another thing to consider is...If you are working agency, one of the permanant staff may have been "witch hunting" for something to complain about you. As a traveler I delt with this myself. Older, permanant staff are often jealous of someone who is a temp, or is making more money than they are....Just a thought.
I had a private conversation with a co-worker regarding some problems in the ER. She ran straight up to the supervisor, who is a friend of hers, and told her exactly what I had said. I got called in for having a bad attitude, not being a team player.
Now, I trust NO ONE! There are those who run to the bosses to "tattle" on everyone in order to make themselves look better. This will continue until management chooses to stop this behavior, but they do love the spys. I could do this 10 times a day if I chose to.
The ER gossips just do not stop. I go to work to do my job, go home and get a paycheck every 2 weeks, PERIOD!!! It's not my life, it's my job.
Yep, TRUST NO ONE. Because you never know who is going to be running to management about you. I keep pretty tight-lipped at work almost to myself sometimes. But I don't want people to know anything about me that could be potentially damaging.
TraumaNurseRN
497 Posts
Who has time to discuss personal life at work?....lol