Nurse Marge might not have all the answers, but after *ahem* years as a RN in some of the nation’s toughest hospitals, she sure knows how to make up something that sounds right! We get lots of questions here at JNJ, from nurses looking for advice and guidance and Nurse Marge has graciously agreed to answer them for us.
So with that, let’s turn the floor over to Nurse Marge!
Dear Nurse Marge,
We’ve got a little gossip problem where I work. Everyone talks about everyone, all of the time, cutting each other down, critiquing each other’s performance, just nasty stuff. I’ve looked for advice on how to deal with this, and I’m told just to focus on my work and ignore what’s going on around me. How exactly does that work? If you’re not talking to these people, you’re the one they’re talking about! I don’t want to tear my fellow nurses down but I don’t want to put a target on my back either!
Signed,
Gossip Girl
Dear Gossip Girl,
You can’t eliminate gossip. The urge to chatter, to speculate, to find fault and blame and something to complain about is as old as time. It’s almost as old as me!
That doesn’t mean you have to participate in it. Your instinct about not wanting to tear your fellow nurses down is good — but if you really want to mix things up where you work, subvert the paradigm. Point out something good about whomever is being gossiped about — maybe they’re actually a great nurse, despite the fact that they’re a little OCD about cleaning the nurse’s station and insensitive to the fact that someone might want the only-slightly-fuzzy sandwich they threw away.
If you get blowback about this from anyone, simply say, “Hey, this is what I do for everyone. Wouldn’t you want me to do it if they were talking about you?”
It might not work every time — but it sure makes them think!
Good Luck!
Nurse Marge
Have a question for Nurse Marge? Simply email it to her at Cindy@journalofnursingjocularity.com and our fearless editor will pass it along to her! Chances are good she’ll answer it in an upcoming column. Nurse Marge in Charge updates every Monday.
Also: Our lawyers insist that Nurse Marge’s advice and opinions are only that — advice and opinions. Use them at your own risk!
