Is Gossip Associated with Nurses' Job Performance Perceptions?

Abstract

This study seeks to reveal the relationship between nurse job performance and gossip level. The data were collected from 211 nurses working in training and research hospitals and public hospitals affiliated with the Provincial Directorate of Health in Sakarya province of Turkey between April and June 2018. The data collection tool was a scale consisting of three sections that are Nurse Performance Scale, Gossip Questionnaire, and Introductory Information Form. For analysis, independent sample t test, one-way variance analysis, and correlation and regression analyses were employed. The study showed that there is a negative, insignificant relationship between nurses' gossip perceptions and performance perceptions (r= -0.134; p>0.05). It is possible to say that despite the negative relationship between influences, one of the sub-dimensions of gossip, and nurse performance, informal communication among nurses does not create a negative effect on nurse performance.