Rising above the cattiness

Davey Do · Feb 5, 2018

I like boring. Boring is good.

Drama is stimulating. There's a lot of adrenaline junkies out there.

If the drama doesn't find them, they'll create the drama.

TriciaJ, RN · Feb 5, 2018

Not real clear what your question is. If you tend to be quiet and introverted then you already aren't responding to assorted nonsense. You don't need to start. You also don't need to worry about being an interesting coworker. "Interesting" is a mixed bag at best. Just concentrate on being the best nurse you can be and try to be available to help your coworkers out whenever possible.

I always appreciated coworkers who were dependable and helpful. I can look for entertainment on my own time.

SpankedInPittsburgh, DNP, RN · Feb 7, 2018

Being outside of the whole giant gaggle of BS that nursing work environments sometimes are is a good thing. Look at your coworkers like coworkers and do yourself a favor don't gossip or share personal information with them because literally anything you say will be saved, twisted and used against you by some in nursing. Stay above the fray. Don't feed the Pig. Do Excellent Work. Go Home. Get Paid. Repeat until retirement.

RNperdiem, RN · Feb 7, 2018

You sound like you are doing fine. Being pleasant, helpful while not encouraging cattiness is what you need to do.

Don't worry about being boring, you are not there to entertain . If you really pay attention, see if you can spot the other introverted quiet people you work with.

If cattiness is a problem, pay attention to who instigates things. I bet it is the same few people. Refuse to discuss people who are not present, do not overshare about your personal life, and if cattiness gets bad there is always somewhere else you need to be. Don't feel obligated to have your coworkers on social media either, it helps to keep work at work.

amoLucia · Feb 7, 2018

"Don't feed the pig".

I like that!!!

Read in another post - "mice, lice, bedbugs twice". Like that one too!

JKL33 · Feb 7, 2018

Stay above the fray. Don't feed the Pig. Do Excellent Work. Go Home. Get Paid. Repeat until retirement.

A.M.E.N.

BTW...

Don't feed the Pig

And above all, absolutely never, ever roll in the mud with them. 'Cause you know what that accomplishes...

amoLucia · Feb 8, 2018

A.M.E.N.
BTW...
And above all, absolutely never, ever roll in the mud with them. 'Cause you know what that accomplishes...

trichinosis?

JBMmom, MSN, NP · Feb 8, 2018

I wouldn't say I'm above it, just parallel. I work most of the shift with my COW near my patient rooms. I spend maybe 5-10 minutes on average at the station area where the other nurses sit. I'll always offer to help when I see someone is busy, and I've had a few personal conversations but not very often. I spend a lot more time in patient rooms than with coworkers. I sometimes overhear some catty conversations, but I don't get involved since I have nothing to contribute- nor do I care. It's a little harder on nights when I'm charge because then I have to spend a little more time at the main station area, but I'm usually busy then.

mmc51264, BSN, MSN, RN · Feb 8, 2018

It's a fine line between being friendly and trying not to get into the middle of stuff. I hate the drama but I cannot work in a vacuum. I just recently had a peer review done for clinical ladder purposes. there were some meh kind of responses because there are some I don't bond with or I don't work with often (I still don't understand that, how can someone evaluate you if you literally work with them maybe once a month. I am a weekend, day nurse. Many of the weekday nurses I hardly ever work with and night nurses that I never work with, but yet they are asked to evaluate me)

I am not very savvy socially. I am introverted, and the people I know well, I get along with great, but those that don't know me, I am not sure I come across well. My son is like me. It is not quite on the autism spectrum, but I'd get voted off Big Brother and Survivor. LOL.