What's with all the work gossip and bull****? A lot of it can be avoided.

Nurses General Nursing

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Specializes in Case Manager.

I don't get what's with the "cliques" and stuff at work. I think you can have a professional, happy, and easy going relationship at work WITHOUT all the internal gossiping and such.

Because at the end of the day, who CARES what that nurse is doing or who she is doing? If it's not having a direct effect on your life, then don't worry about it! I mean, I have my outside-of-work friends that I'll gossip with, do things, with etc...

I feel as though if a work place is so divided, you shouldn't even talk to anyone outside of professional parameters... do your job and be out.

I guess a lot of people forget the saying "leave work at work and leave home and home." Don't mix the two because then that's when things get bad and out of control.

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I suspect you are a man. My husband has worked for years in his engineering firm with lots of other guys and these men know almost nothing about the personal lives of each other. They aren't even curious and they are satisfied with the arrangement.

Women work a little differently. We do want to know more about each other's lives, and work and life do not fit neatly into separate compartments.

When someone oversteps too much, there leaves the risk for gossip and cliques.

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I suspect you are a man. My husband has worked for years in his engineering firm with lots of other guys and these men know almost nothing about the personal lives of each other. They aren't even curious and they are satisfied with the arrangement.

Women work a little differently. We do want to know more about each other's lives, and work and life do not fit neatly into separate compartments.

When someone oversteps too much, there leaves the risk for gossip and cliques.

Not neccessarily, we don't. Beyond sharing a few pleasantries and small talk that make for a conducive working environment, we don't really.

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Specializes in ER.
I don't get what's with the "cliques" and stuff at work. I think you can have a professional, happy, and easy going relationship at work WITHOUT all the internal gossiping and such.

Because at the end of the day, who CARES what that nurse is doing or who she is doing? If it's not having a direct effect on your life, then don't worry about it! I mean, I have my outside-of-work friends that I'll gossip with, do things, with etc...

I feel as though if a work place is so divided, you shouldn't even talk to anyone outside of professional parameters... do your job and be out.

I guess a lot of people forget the saying "leave work at work and leave home and home." Don't mix the two because then that's when things get bad and out of control.

I agree w/ you. That's how I roll too.

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Specializes in ER.
I suspect you are a man. My husband has worked for years in his engineering firm with lots of other guys and these men know almost nothing about the personal lives of each other. They aren't even curious and they are satisfied with the arrangement.

Women work a little differently. We do want to know more about each other's lives, and work and life do not fit neatly into separate compartments.

When someone oversteps too much, there leaves the risk for gossip and cliques.

you can't generalize. I'm a woman and I don't know anything about those I work with, unless they talk around me or try to involve me in their conversations about personal things. I don't want to know. I would rather have a few laughs in between patient care at work, not share personal information. It took me a while to get to this point in my life, but I finally think I've struck that balance. I ignore and avoid the BS from coworkers that bring the drama and I can stay pleasantly out of the loop. Love it.

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Specializes in LTC, Med-SURG,STICU.

I just avoid sharing personal information with the people at work. They really do not want to hear it and I really do not want to share it. I am usually too busy to get into a long drawn out conversation with anyone anyway. I do not like gossip and I try to avoid it. All it does is get me involve in other peoples problems and then I feel like I have to help fix it. I really do not have time for that. I have enough drama and problems to fix in my own life. I will not add anyone else to the list.

I am pleasant and helpful at work, but I will not get involved in one more person's BS. All that has ever came of it is getting myself in trouble. I have learned over time that staying out of it is the best thing for me.

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Specializes in ER.
I just avoid sharing personal information with the people at work. They really do not want to hear it and I really do not want to share it. I am usually too busy to get into a long drawn out conversation with anyone anyway. I do not like gossip and I try to avoid it. All it does is get me involve in other peoples problems and then I feel like I have to help fix it. I really do not have time for that. I have enough drama and problems to fix in my own life. I will not add anyone else to the list.

I am pleasant and helpful at work, but I will not get involved in one more person's BS. All that has ever came of it is getting myself in trouble. I have learned over time that staying out of it is the best thing for me.

must be the "magic" age of 37!!! :up:

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Specializes in M/S, MICU, CVICU, SICU, ER, Trauma, NICU.

It's working with women.

You do what you have to do. Punch in, punch out.

Put all of that garbage on ignore.

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Specializes in LTC, office.

To me it's a fine line. My coworkers know the basics about me: married, no kids with two cats. But other than a few funny little tidbits on occasion they don't learn every little thing about my personal life. I have seen too many people share WAYYYY to much over the years and then wonder why everyone is talking about them.

The problem is if you try just to do your job and keep work and home separate you become the quiet, rude nurse and people think you don't like them. :uhoh3:

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I agree with the OP.

I do not share my personal life with my co-workers. They know I am a single mother of a teenager and that's about it.

I do not speak of my child at work, except when I have to leave to pick him up from school. I do not talk about any of the issues we are having because it's hard raising a teenager. I do get alot of support from my family and his father, so I can't really say I'm a single mother.

I try to keep it professional at all times. I may crack jokes here and there, but I don't participate in gossip sessions and all that. There are a couple of people I knew before I became a nurse and we hang out outside of work from time to time, but we try not to discuss work when we are having a glass of wine.

I have boundaries and most of my co-workers know that. As along as I don't cross my own boundaries, I stay out of the loop.

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Yes, avoid the gossip and bull. I sure don't have time for it. In the past, I made the mistake of confiding in a "work friend." When our "work friendship" ended she told everyone at work all about my personal life.:mad: I will never forget the nurse at another job who was always talking about her personal "sex life." I mean going all out in great detail!!!!:eek: It was sickening!!!!!

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I couldn't care less about the lives of my co-workers. I live by the credo: "This is my job, not my life." :)

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