Behind closed doors the role of gossip in the emotional labour of nursing work

Abstract

This paper describes a qualitative research study exploring the role of gossip in the expression and management of emotion in nursing work that was part of a wider investigation into the characteristics and function of gossip in nursing and UK healthcare organisations. Findings are presented from an in-depth qualitative interview study with 10 Clinical Nurse Specialists who worked in a range of hospital and community settings. In the paper, I argue that gossip is a feature of nurses' emotional labour in that it provides the opportunity for the expression of authentic feelings about patients and colleagues, which cannot be expressed in public, and which occurs behind closed doors. These findings advance our understanding of how nurses carry out the emotional labour associated with their work in an inter-professional context. The implications of the findings are also discussed in relation to the role of emotionally supportive relationships and clinical supervision.