Is there a lot of gossip in the nursing profession?
Asked by banananutmeg1
I would really like to be a nurse, but I have heard horror stories of how female dominated health profession are chock full of gossip. In fact, I used to work at a large vet hospital, where there was only one other guy besides me, and I ended up quitting because the gossipping was so bad. Will I endure this too as a nurse? I'll have a family by then, so I'm guessing that will help a lot. Still, I can't stand gossip.

Best Answer:
The nursing profession is currently almost 4% male, this has increase from when I went to school and it was 1% male. Studies have shown that males discuss personal information about coworkers more than women. Though women have a tendency towards maliciousness. When women do it men call it gossip, and when men do it they call it male bonding. However, if working in a significantly female dominated profession is a concern, but you are still interested in nursing;;; You might consider the military. Though the military requires a BSN-RN to be a nurse on active duty, the Army Nurse Corps is approximately 35% male. Stiil female dominated, but the numbers have shifted significantly. Militar nursing has servral advantages, including education and travel (though some of the travel includes people with guns) Remember, there will be people that gossip in every place of employment in the world, unless you work with mutes who are denied pencils and have not been taught signing. Good luck what ever you decide
RN, Ph.D., CFNP Disabled Veteran, Retired Army Nurse Corps Officer
Answered by US_DR_JD

Gossip abounds everywhere. Regardless of what job you're in. Especially where there are a lot of women. Can't possibly get by without any gossip.
Answered by chuamike

Sounds like you need a job where you work on your own. Try looking under the adverts for positions as a hermit.
Answered by Gernot S

gossip is everywhere... no matter what profession you choose. my sister is a nurse and she's never had that problem. the other nurses she works with are her best friends.
Answered by greenxblood

Honey you will endure that wherever you go....Even if you chose a career that isn't female dominated you will find that most of the male dominated jobs are just as bad.
Answered by norwic_fruit

You will only find gossip where there are gossipers. Gossipers need other gossipers or at the least listeners in order to exist. Do not speak or listen to the gossipers and they will disappear, regardless of what profession you choose. I like to call them Pariahs, spoken with a gruff, sinister tone, instead of gossipers because they usually don't know what that word means and then they don't bring their eavsdropping stories to me after that!
Answered by funboy_aric

Unfortunately where ever there are a lot of people in a organization, there will be gossip.
Answered by HumbleAdvisor

One of my closest male friends is a nurse... he says that it is bad in some places and not so in others. He ended up as a traveling nurse for about 5 yrs - and made a LOT of money. He said this was the best - because they paid for housing, moving costs, and everything on top of salary and he was never anywhere long enough to get the gossip - and when he didn't like a place he could just move. He tested out places until he finally settled where he is at. Not all hospitals are full of gossip.
Answered by ☼tangerine☼

Gossip is everywhere you go. You don't have to participate, and you don't have to listen. Just tell them, politely, as many times as necessary, that you don't want to talk on those subjects. Most will respect you, the rest will not talk to you. Problem solved.
Answered by god_chic

Not to be a sexist pig, but gossip is a common problem any place there are mostly females; and to a lesser extent, any place there are people in general. Some places have policies or a local 'culture' that discourages it, but I highly doubt you can avoid it completely.
Answered by dukefenton

My best friend is a nurse and I hear all sorts of stories about her job. A lot of them are about co-workers some are about patients. Just from what I hear from her I will drive to the next city if I need medical care for something embarrassing.
Answered by fiji2litre

do not discouraged i became an LPN and still and was almost an RN with 3 months to go but was in a bad car accident so do not give up the fight and listen to the rummmors.
Answered by terry a

Do bears s**t in the woods? Of course you will hear gossip but you don't have to take part. You will earn more respect that way. Maybe people will want to confide in you because you don't gossip. You could become someone they can trust. That is rare these days. There is gossip everywhere you go, so it is better to learn how to deal with it now. Turning away from a career you really like; now that would be more tragic than any gossip you might overhear.
Answered by lizzie

Gossip is rampant in the nursing profession. Pretty much any profession anymore. Really. Good luck avoiding it. I wouldn't let it stop you from acheiving your goal though. We desperately need nurses.
Answered by dallas

there is gossip EVERYWHERE NO MATTER WHAT you could work in a garage or a library and there will be gossip, everyone thinks that after highschool the crap ends but it actually just gets worse! I work in a hospital (not as a medical professional any more, but in an office) and I can say that the gossip is just as bad in my office as it is on the medical floor/
Answered by Ms.Hockey!

If you can't stand gossip you may as well quit work. It's everywhere!
Answered by mikk

Nurses are some of the most intelligent, hardest working, most CARING people you will ever, ever meet. You should be PROUD to work with them! Gossip is everywhere -- but honestly, I can't imagine having the TIME to gossip at work. Nurses are FAR FAR too busy to sit around discussing other people!
Answered by luvrats

Nursing is like any other field of human endeavor, and you'll find all kinds of people in it. I'm a physician and my wife is a nurse, and we don't find any more gossip in our fields than we have seen in any other field. So please don't let some unconfirmed or groundless fear keep you from choosing that field if you like otherwise the idea of being a nurse, Nursing can be a very rewarding profession! It might make some sense for you to volunteer in a hospital and get to know some of the nurses. I'm sure they will give you a much more accurate picture of the field. And never forget that FEAR is False Evidence Appearing Real!
Answered by rkeech

well have you ever heard of a soap opera called General Hospital? It is centered around the Hospital and the Doctors & Nurses. I think all professions have gossip however I think with high number of women in the field of health care you can count on lots of gossip. I worked in the Dental field for over 15 years and the gossip that went on was too funny. Of course steering clear of gossip also angers the gossips. So good luck and do the best you can and always consider the source.
Answered by brokenheart

Does the sunshine? Where you have people you have gossip. If you want to be a nurse, I think you are crazy because I was a nurse, and thank-God I am out of that profession. But if that is a calling you want, then do it. Are you always going to let other people run your life? Gossip means with no base. Do not spread it, and do not give others reason to use it. If you let others spoil your life than do not be a nurse, do not work with people and find a job, where you will be by yourself. No people no gossip. Do your own thing. If it includes gossip and if you are around, do not be a part of it, say you do not like it, and walk away. No one forces you to hear it. Do your job, and be nice to others. To be a good nurse, you have to be part of a team. Where there is a team, there is people and there is gossip. Grow up!
Answered by madolege

there is a lot of gossip in EVERY profession... all you can do is work on your part...if you hear someone gossiping, step in and say something like "i dont think you should be talking about this person, they are not here to defend themself"...if you dont want to do that, then simply wlk away... =]]
Answered by princess

Yes! there is a lot of gossip in EVERY profession BUT what you have to remember is that gossip in the medical field is bad......one little thing said about a client (even innocent) leads to a MUI and could lead to jail time, fines, not able to work on the field due to being put on the abuse registry
Answered by Patricia C