"Eating Our Young" and Ethics

Nurses General Nursing

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Hello:

We are a group of RN students in a BSN program in Northern California, and we are exploring the ethical implications of experienced nurses "eating their young". We would like to hear the perspective of experienced nurses, new grads/novice nurses and nursing students on this topic. Why do you think this behavior persists (ie., what are the dynamics or other factors that contribute to this behavior). What are your suggestions for breaking this attitudinal/behavioral cycle and for bridging the gap/improving relations between experienced and novice nurses? What do you think are the ethical ramifications (if any) of experienced nurses deliberately withholding information/support from novice nurses? It seems to us that supporting new nurses would be beneficial not only to the novice nurse, but also to the experienced nurses and to the unit as a whole. It seems that the team and unit would function more efficiently and the quality of patient care/patient safety would be better as a result. We acknowledge that there are many caring/supporting nurses working in the field and that "eating of the young" is a practice that is not practiced by the majority of nurses. However, we also acknowledge that it does persist; therefore, the purpose of this project is to better understand the reasons for and the repercussions of this behavior.

We appreciate your viewpoints.

Thank you,

RNsToBe

Most of the time I am glad to have a new grad on the floor. Its a nice prospect to be able to teach someone the ins and outs of the biz but it's a double edged sword. You WANT to show them the right way but you are lucky to get out an hour after your shift has ended and getting called away from your charting to answer that same question for the third time gets old. As nurses it is our nature to be helpful and patient. We should remember to be that way with our "young" as well.

In two days I start my refresher course to change my LPN license from inactive to active. I can't wait. After spending a great deal of time reading posts on this wonderful board I feel a strange sense of urgency to return to nursing... to 'rescue' my fellow nurses from this terrible predicament and try to help.

Having not worked in a clinical setting for 5 years there is much I will have to learn and re-learn pertaining to all the changes in procedures and new equipment. I'm scared.

But you know what scares me the most? Other nurses. Back-stabbing, two or three-faced premenstrual nurses!!!

When I left nursing to open an assisted living facility I swore I would never go back. In my experience (I have worked a grueling med/surg floor, home health and LTC) nurses were the biggest bunch of B's I had ever met.

It is not in my nature to back-stab or be two-faced. And if I ever get out of line an earnest apology follows quickly. I am a sensitive individual and have always tried to put myself in the other person's shoes. I like going out of my way to treat the new person with kindness and helping her to feel welcomed. However, in too many situations I was not treated with the same respect. In fact, I consider some of the deliberately cruel tactics downright evil.

I think every last one of us needs to examine her/his behavior and ask ourselves how we might have contributed to this nursing shortage. Could it be there are a million nurses sitting at home because of the politics between nurses? Sensitive people who went into nursing to help and make friends with other helpers and found out that the nurses (and doctors) who treat their patients like gold and turn around and treat each other like S--T?

Who wants to work in that kind of environment?

There is enough pain and sorrow in this world without having to spend 40+ hours a week enduring pain and sorrow from our fellow nurses.

Treat your co-workers with professionalism and respect and the profession of nursing will be respected.

(There is another great thread pertaining to this subject under "Nursing Issues/Concerns...": Shortage Solution.)

Hello,

I am a new nurse, I graduated last May, and I have to say that I have had positive experiences with preceptors. I am getting ready to get a new job soon I will be starting and ER position and of course I feel vunerable again. I have had to move once to CT, and started a new job, and now six months later a job in the ER has presented itself. I hope I get lucky for a third time and get a wonderful preceptor.

I agree with other posters here with this thread, don't go into the situation feeling that you know everything, learn from those who have been there for a long time and enjoy teaching. Know in your mind that you have done the best you can do with the experience and skills that you have and know that you will continue to learn everyday. Don't be afraid to ask questions. I have seen older nurses not want to give others the time of day, and I have seen new grads who want to do it all their way, and I have only been doing this one year. "nurse eating" does exist at different levels, and hopefully we can continue to improve this. First we have to get and keep people interested in being nurses in the first place.

I would like to thank all of the wonderful nurses out there who welcome the new nurses into the profession, and continue to practice with professionalism, and empathy for the sake of their patients and co-workers!! Call me an optimist but, I truely feel there are more non "young eaters" then there are "young eaters"

that is just mho.

Y2KRN

"Eating the young" - or old for that matter is a phrase that should be abolished from nursing. It has been discussed many times on this BB that nursing functions like an oppressed society with all the dysfunction that entails. Nurses in hospitals have a lot of responsibility with little or no authority or autonomy. The buck stops with the floor nurse. She/he must protect his/her license at all times. She/he endures little respect, long hours, low salary, poor pension benefits, and unsafe conditions with poor staffing and often, ridiculous expectations from management. These conditions can breed anger, apathy and exhaustion. It also contributes to a pecking order. If nurses can rise above the opression, gain autonomy and respect, I believe "eating the young" would be eliminated.

I have been a registered nurse for 16 years. My experience includes almost every aspect except surgery. As a military nurse in the United States Air Force I was treated like an animal. I was responsible for the care of 22 patients with the assistance of 1 nursing assistant. Oftentimes in the civilian life the facility I was working in ran understaffed and oftentimes extremely dangerous. Between the U.S. government (with their Medicare and Medicaid restrictions) and the greedy owners of the health-care facilities, the nursing staff is caught in the middle trying to do much with little.

As far as nurses "eating our young"...it is a very real concept. Most facilities do not take near enough time to properly precept and train new nurses to feel comfortable in their role.

I currently work with a registered nurse that has opened my eyes to some of the problems of "eating our young". This particular nurse spends more of her time trying to find the faults of other nurses than doing her own work. She goes as far as checking other nurses charts and patients with the hopes of finding a missed item i.e. medication not signed off, dressing changed not done, etc.. Please don't get me wrong, these are very important items to insure are properly taken care of. The problem is no nurse is perfect! The solution is not to immediately try to fire everybody like this particular nurse tries to do, but to review and train nurses to help improve them, not destroy them.

My point here is oftentimes nurses who "eat their young" have a severe personality dysfunction. They have either been victimized and are trying to get even with society, or they know they are incompetent and inept and make a futile attempt to try and knock others down so that she/he may shine. But they don't realize they only create tension and mutiny amongst the team players.

How to resolve the problem is still a mystery. I have attempted to make friends with these kind of people and help them in every way I possibly can imagine, but that didn't work. I even mentioned how their behaviors and actions can cause other nurses to go "postal" and to be careful how they treat others. That didn't work either. Trying to run these nurses off is extremely difficult. The best advice I can give to new nurses is to do the best job you can, help everyone you're able to and treat your patients with the biggest smile and friendliest voice you can possibly muster. You will learn that if the patient's love you it won't matter if a displaced and dysfunctional nurse has it out for you. Those kind of people are generally so unhappy with themselves they cannot be happy in one place for very long and will hopefully move on by themselves.

Good luck to all the new nurses! May God bless you in your endeavor to help the ill.

Regards,

Bob Clemons RN,BC,MSA,LNC

May I humbly suggest you change your thesis from "'Eating Our Young' and ethics" to: "Do experience nurses support new nurses? If not, what are the ethical consequences?" I suggest this change for the following reasons:

1. It's a tired cliche'

2. It congures up some rather disgusting images.

3. With a few notible exceptions (Jeffrey Dommer, some indigenous tribes, soccer teams trapped in the Ande's etc.) most of us don't make a habit of snacking on each other. I mean I've yet to meet any nurse who orders up: McYoung Nuggets, Young on a half shell, Toasted Young Sandwich, or my favorite, Hot Buttered Young Clusters.

4. It really is a tired cliche'

Thanks.

PS I oriented to a surgical and rehab floor last May and my flesh is intact. Maybe I had an easier time because I never went in thinking I new it all. In fact, I started my first job thinking, "damn, I don't know crap." I still feel, I don't know crap. Anyway, I always felt supported by experienced nurses, all though, there are a few I don't care for. So, I just avoid them, works out great.

Good luck as you embark on your new career. I am very happy I became a nurse (most days).

Specializes in 5 yrs OR, ASU Pre-Op 2 yr. ER.
May I humbly suggest you change your thesis from "'Eating Our Young' and ethics" to: "Do experience nurses support new nurses? If not, what are the ethical consequences?" I suggest this change for the following reasons:

1. It's a tired cliche'

2. It congures up some rather disgusting images.

3. With a few notible exceptions (Jeffrey Dommer, some indigenous tribes, soccer teams trapped in the Ande's etc.) most of us don't make a habit of snacking on each other. I mean I've yet to meet any nurse who orders up: McYoung Nuggets, Young on a half shell, Toasted Young Sandwich, or my favorite, Hot Buttered Young Clusters.

4. It really is a tired cliche'

Thanks.

PS I oriented to a surgical and rehab floor last May and my flesh is intact. Maybe I had an easier time because I never went in thinking I new it all. In fact, I started my first job thinking, "damn, I don't know crap." I still feel, I don't know crap. Anyway, I always felt supported by experienced nurses, all though, there are a few I don't care for. So, I just avoid them, works out great.

Good luck as you embark on your new career. I am very happy I became a nurse (most days).

EXCELLENT suggestions!

I just find it funny that this thread started in the year 2000 is still alive. :chuckle :stone

Specializes in 5 yrs OR, ASU Pre-Op 2 yr. ER.

And perhaps people are learning from it even now.

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