Principles and Practice of Gossiping About Colleagues in Medicine

Abstract

You are signing over to a colleague on the COVID-19 inpatient hospital ward. You are stressed after having failed to reach the chief medical resident who did not respond despite repeated texts. You think about mentioning this apparent professional lapse to your colleague. You pause, however, because you are uncertain about the appropriate norm, hesitant around inding the right words, and unsure about a mutual feeling of camaraderie.

Experiences with Negative Behavior and Incivility: Perspectives of Unlicensed Assistive Personnel and Registered Nurses

“…This suggests the potential for the presence of the adverse effects of gossip. Two potentially harmful effects of gossip within medicine include the propagation of harmful misinformation and the emphasis of malicious commentary [ 20 ]. Further, evidence suggests gossip is positively related to burnout and suboptimal care and negatively related to patient safety and job engagement [ 21 ].…”

Honest communication and social asymmetries inside a hospital: Pitfalls for clinicians

“…This arrangement can allow every individual to talk and share an array of perspectives. Small team settings offer a sense of safety for reluctant individuals and can foster team spirit afterward 12 . Small team meetings are often easy to schedule on a regular basis and can be sustained for regular updates as well.…”

“…Small team settings offer a sense of safety for reluctant individuals and can foster team spirit afterward. 12 Small team meetings are often easy to schedule on a regular basis and can be sustained for regular updates as well. An important limitation when speaking in a small team setting is that the discussion may focus on a team's shared perceptions of a senior individual in isolation without considering the context.…”