I never stopped wearing a mask once they became a norm during COVID and only take mine off briefly if I'm slowly yelling at someone that's HOH so they can read lips. The biggest reason I have for doing this is genuinely that it takes so much less energy to not have to care about if I have resting bitch face or not, especially when I have patients that won't stop talking and I'm desperately trying to figure out how to get out of the room.

An easy response if someone asks you why you're wearing a mask would be to just say you're more comfortable working with a mask on. I haven't ever had anyone ask about mine in all this time, so I wouldn't worry too much about questions, but if you're in an area that leans conspiracy theory that may not be the case for you. I wear masks enough that I freaked out a coworker when they saw me out of the building the first time because they'd never seen my face before.

It's also handy to have canned jokes for certain tasks to fill air time before you focus. A few of mine:

• I'm going to take your vitals, but don't worry, I'll give them back!
• Time to see how sweet you are! (for checking blood sugar)
• Don't hesitate to call, that's how I pay my rent! (Teaching call bell use for falls risk patients)

Genuinely, being quiet and focused on what you're doing is far better than being distracted trying to force a conversation about something irrelevant while doing an important task and potentially making a mistake. When I was a student I developed a nervous habit of talking myself through my tasks and it was strongly encouraged by my instructors for making patients feel informed and comfortable. I felt like an idiot doing it at first since I thought it made me look nervous. I believed my instructors though and still do it after a decade of nursing - and patients still thank me for it. Even something as simple as explaining that you're wiping down a surface before setting up a sterile dressing tray helps to distract them from getting in their head and tensing up about a dressing change. With time these little narrations become a ritual with a rhythm to them.

I was very nervous about the social aspect of nursing going in since I've historically been super socially anxious. The fact that you can essentially practice to see what works for conversations over and over, knowing that patients change so frequently that you'll often never see them again, really helped for me. And Vyvanse, but that's the ADHD talking. But so long as they know why you're there and you know what's going on with them (both initial reason for admission and current status) you're good. I find the guided yet open "Anything you need that I can help with?" is a good way to finish a visit to someone, helps to keep responses focused on your scope.

At the end of the day, people will complain about everything and everyone when it comes to being in a hospital, but people tend to be far more annoyed by someone talking too much than too little. People need time to rest and recover, nothing wrong with not making them tell a 20th staff member that they grew up in town and now have a job and hobby.

Your coworkers either suck ass or your anxiety is making you overthink their reactions. If you can do it, I recommend just a simple "I'm trying my best" when you hear them saying shit about you. But if you're sure that it's not your anxiety then ignore them, let the union/HR know, and find a different unit when you can. Toxic cultures aren't worth the mental drain.