Make your intuition work for you

Hospital Gossip:

Nurses dating doctors! A doctor is having a scandalous affair! Which nurse flubbed up her charting? Who’s tiptoeing out of their shift a little too early each day? You don’t have to overhear water cooler chatter to know you’re the source of hospital gossip.

When faced with the nagging feeling that other nurses are getting a little too talkative, nip it in the bud — fast!

You need to find the source of the gossip, then address the gossip. A good way of doing this is to speak to a time you overheard an untrue statement said about a fellow colleague.

For instance you could say, “Lately, I’ve been frustrated with the ways you’ve been talking about other people. I know these statements are false and I don’t believe these sorts of conversations promote a friendly hospital environment, especially with patients around.” By confronting the source, you resolve two things: You take the attention off yourself and you also make other nurses aware that, if this behavior should continue, everyone is at risk of being the subject of gossip.

Next, speaking up in a meeting…