The Pros and Cons of Being Friends with your Coworkers The truth is that befriending your colleagues can actually be a tricky thing. Of course, having a friend at work can help you feel like you’ve got someone to have your back and is capable of boosting your confidence when it matters. On the other hand, however; this is something that you’d have to be very careful about because keeping things professional should always be your priority, especially when you are a nurse. However, when it comes down to it, it’s not always very easy to keep yourself from becoming a friend with someone. You are going to be working with the same team for quite some time and you are eventually going to get to get used to their habits, likes, and dislikes. It’s a natural process that you can’t refrain from. So, chances are that you are going to get attached to some of your coworkers and you are going to become friends with them. This is where you need to stop and think for a moment. There are quite a lot of things that you might want to take into account when it comes to it. There are advantages and there are disadvantages. What is more, there are additional factors that you’d have to weigh in. With this in mind, make sure that friendships in the workplace are developed slowly and rather gradually instead of forcing them. This way you are going to ensure a long-lasting relationship which is likely to stem more advantages than disadvantages. However, let’s take a look at the pros and cons of the entire thing. Advantages of having friends in the workplace as a nurse ● The workplace itself is going to become more enjoyable That’s right – you are going to start noticing how time flies faster because you have people that care about you and appreciate you. This is going to create a sense of community. You are going to be heading to work with the intention of not only helping your patients but to catch up with your friends and work together. This is a precious advantage. ● They have your back When something needs to be done but you aren’t able to do it because of other work assignments, you can count on coworkers to help you out when they have the chance. There is less chance of unfortunate misunderstandings and this is capable of enhancing the entire workflow. Related: How to Approach a Generational Gap with your Fellow Nurses ● It promotes creativity Nursing, just like any other field of expertise requires creativity. Of course, this is not creativity in the sense of building something or designing something. No, we are talking
about figuring out different ways to make the lives of your patients a lot better. When you have someone to talk to and share your worries with, they might be helping you with an advice. They might share their worries with you and this might give you with the idea that you’ve been looking for to enhance your approach to your patients. ● You have someone to talk to Nursing is absolutely challenging and it could be devastating at times. If you are not prepared for the hardship that comes with it, you are going to get frustrated. The unfortunate truth is that you can’t be prepared for everything, regardless of how hard you try and of how many times you’ve gone through a certain situation. Having to tell a mother that her daughter has passed away is something that you will never get used to and is something that will always tear you. With this in mind, having a friend’s shoulder to cry on, figuratively and literally, is something that’s going to make your life a lot easier. These are just some of the benefits of having a friend at the workplace. A fellow nurse, who understands your worries and has to go through them himself, is someone who is capable of being a helping hand when you need him to. The feeling that you have someone to count on when it matters is particularly important and something that you can’t exchange for anything else. Unfortunately, there are also some disadvantages of having a coworker as a friend. Let’s take a look at them as well. Related: How to Stand Out in a Crowd Full of Nurses Disadvantages of having a friend at the workplace ● Work can become unprofessional It’s not always easy to separate your desire to spend time with a friend and to work at the same time. Spending a few extra minutes chatting with your friends might be particularly harmful for your patients. This usually results in delays and waiting times which are rather unacceptable when it comes to hospital environment – it’s something that has to be accounted for. ● It’s a double-edged sword The last thing that you want is to divide your team in groups. Ironically, having someone to back you up can cause your other colleagues to believe that you don’t deserve it. This could lead to resentment and other malicious intentions which could lead to some complications in the workplace. The worst thing that you need to account for is that every dispute between you and your colleagues is more or less going to affect your patients and you can’t have that. ● Getting too close
You don’t want people at the workplace to know too much about you and that’s a fact. Even though you might seem like you are best friends right now, you never know what’s going to happen and drive a wedge between you. With this in mind, if you have a coworker who knows way too much personal information, it might actually cause you a lot of troubles down the line when something comes up and sets you apart. ● Backstabbing This is something that you should always be concerned with. People are competitive. Having a close friend at the workplace might seem like the best thing until he receives something in return for throwing your friendship under the bus. Can you really count on the fact that your friend wouldn’t do that? Is this really worth taking the risk? The truth is that you should find the perfect balance. Be thoughtful when you bond at the workplace and don’t fall for the misconception that everything is peaches and rainbows. People are complicated and when it comes to making friends when it matters things can go south in a matter of seconds. The last thing you want is to go to work every day knowing that someone there hates your guts. This is going to affect your performance, your comfort and your overall liking of the profession that you otherwise love so much. Your intention and promise as a nurse is to help people – make sure to keep it. Related: Skilled Nurse Libby Montoya, RN, MSN, to Be Published in the Worldwide Leaders in Healthcare as New Member of the International Nurses Association Please follow us on Facebook, Linkedin, Pinterest and Twitter