Rumors and gossip: a guide for the health care supervisor.

Rumor and gossip are long-standing means of communication among humans and are prevalent in health care settings in part due to the nature of the organization. Rumor and gossip may be negative or positive, and health care supervisors should monitor the grapevine and consider themselves personally responsible for transmitting accurate information whenever possible to ensure that rumor and gossip do not have a negative effect on the department or institution.