Do nurses only "eat their young" in certain departments?

Nurses General Nursing

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This semester we are on Med/Surg. At first I thought this "nurse eating young" thing was just something made up by overly sensitive students, until I floated to other departments. I have been is short stay, OR and the ICU and the nurses in there are SOOOOOOOOOOO nice compared to the nurses on M/S! One of the nurses in OR told me "I want the student nurses to enjoy their time in here so they will come and work here when they graduate". He spent tons of time with me; quizzing me a little things, showing me how to sterile gown-up, and told me the names of all the instruments he was setting up. In M/S however, I feel like I am a big pain in the orifice! I try at all cost not to bother the nurses in this department, but if I can not find my teacher and my client is in 9/10 pain an is allowed prn morphine and it is time (we need assistance/an observer) they sigh and act all put out. Its like, if I was not there there would be a number of other things they would have to add to their list of things to do because I am taking two of their five patients and doing everything for them (minus needing them or my teacher when available for I.V. push meds). I even say, "as soon as you get a chance can you watch me give such and such med".

Don't get me wrong, there are some that are nice, but the majority make me feel hated. The school tells us that students in the past have been hired as techs that have left an impression...but who would want to work with these people? Some even ignore you when you say good morning!

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

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Same here. I like a glass or two of wine with my food.

Some of you are TOO FUNNY!! Thanks for the laugh! graduating soon, and i'd agree its personalities not "nurses".:lol2:

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Specializes in ICU,ER.
I like a glass or two of wine with my food.

Perhaps some fava beans and a nice chianti?

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

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Specializes in SICU.

Ugh, that phrase!! Hate it, hate it, hate it!

You're going to run into jerks no matter where you go; nursing is no exception. It's a personality thing - it is NOT unit specific.

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Specializes in Med-Surg, Trauma, Ortho, Neuro, Cardiac.

As much as I don't like the phrase, and even closed down a recent thread (but that one also included agism, which made me want to close it - it was later reopened) I think we should respect the original posters question without making light of it and making fun. If posters can't stick to the topic, please move on.

I don't think you can generalize your experience to all other hospitals.

The unit where I received the least amount of welcome was the OR. Most of the other units, including med-surg, I was a student at were a good unit wtih great nurses.

I work on a med-surg unit and finished precepting a student who said "I love it here, the nurses are so friendly and there's so much to learn". So I think our med-surg unit is reasonably open.

I wonder though if on units, and places where nurse satisfaction is low (and it's proven med-surg is high on this list) is that also the case where students are less well received. :)

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Specializes in Med/Surg, Geri, Ortho, Telemetry, Psych.

I like mine barbequed.:rotfl:

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Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.

I agree with Tweety. Can we please respect the original intent of the thread here? thanks.

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Specializes in Nursing assistant.

No one asked my opinion, but that has never stopped me before. So here we go:

It is not connected with departments. It is connected with some sick sick person geting in a position of power, and craving more more more.....

OK, that is a bit over the top.

But by golly, it may have something to do with that. If an organization is to function well, it must be peopled with functional people, not folks crazed with the quest for power.

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Specializes in Ante-Intra-Postpartum, Post Gyne.
As much as I don't like the phrase, and even closed down a recent thread (but that one also included agism, which made me want to close it - it was later reopened) I think we should respect the original posters question without making light of it and making fun. If posters can't stick to the topic, please move on.

Thank you. My intent was not to be made fun of. If it continues feel free to erase this thread completely, if its possible. Gee-sh! This is why I am timid to ask nurses for help...perfect example here!!

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This semester we are on Med/Surg. At first I thought this "nurse eating young" thing was just something made up by overly sensitive students, until I floated to other departments. I have been is short stay, OR and the ICU and the nurses in there are SOOOOOOOOOOO nice compared to the nurses on M/S! One of the nurses in OR told me "I want the student nurses to enjoy their time in here so they will come and work here when they graduate". He spent tons of time with me; quizzing me a little things, showing me how to sterile gown-up, and told me the names of all the instruments he was setting up. In M/S however, I feel like I am a big pain in the orifice! I try at all cost not to bother the nurses in this department, but if I can not find my teacher and my client is in 9/10 pain an is allowed prn morphine and it is time (we need assistance/an observer) they sigh and act all put out. Its like, if I was not there there would be a number of other things they would have to add to their list of things to do because I am taking two of their five patients and doing everything for them (minus needing them or my teacher when available for I.V. push meds). I even say, "as soon as you get a chance can you watch me give such and such med".

Don't get me wrong, there are some that are nice, but the majority make me feel hated. The school tells us that students in the past have been hired as techs that have left an impression...but who would want to work with these people? Some even ignore you when you say good morning!

Sorry you are having this experience. I am not a nurse yet, but I am human, and my advice would be to keep a smile on you face by looking at it through different eyes. I believe sometimes people feel under too much pressure, or they feel they are too stressed to differentiate between their current circumstances and the new ones that are being presented. Their viewpoint/perspective is temporarily fixed. This is also true of new nurses and many people if not most. I am sure these nurses are decent human beings who are temporarily blinded, just like you may be blinded temporarily by your circumstances on the m/s floor.

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Specializes in Neuro.

I have come to the conclusion that (in general) individual shifts on individual units have their own personality. I would simply chalk up your lousy experience to the overall morale on that shift on that unit and decide not to consider working with that group of people as a graduate.

I just started my peds rotation and we are on the floor from 2-10 pm, so we work with a day and a night nurse. The day nurse I was paired with on our first day (last week) was great -- very helpful, invited me to participate in care as much as possible, gave me pointers, etc. The night nurse barely acknowledged me, pretty much ignored me and looked snootily at me the whole evening. My classmates also noticed this incredible change in behavior between the two shifts (one commented to me "My nurse seems to be very 'anti-me'"). We'll see how things go in future weeks, but the difference was really shocking.

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