Generational Gap in nursing?

Nurses General Nursing

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I was in report the other day, we do a conference type group report in our 2 nurse ICU, and we got to talking. One of the nurses was bemoaning having to float to med-surg, where the nursing staff is less mature. They got to speculating and one of them surprised me by saying that she thought this younger generation had a different attitude and work ethic than those of our generation (we are in our 40's and 50's)

For one thing, it made me feel a little old to hear that.:uhoh3: And I was surprised to hear it from such a hip looking nurse! Anyways, I wonder if some of this friction that I hear on this board between new nurses, who feel as if they are being badly is in part a generational phenomina?

I never considered my generation exactly the model of propriety truthfully. But, how much of this "nurses eating their young" mantra really is related to the generation gap?

Heh, heh! Those were the days! I actually did walk about 2 miles to Beverly Hills High, or else biked. Did you have 'Yellow Alert Day' in your school district? I remember one year Beverly Hills schools had a drill where we had to get home on our own (just like we would do in case of a nuclear attack, naturally :rolleyes:) Those were the days before people were so overprotective of their kids and actually let them roam the streets.

Oh we roamed the streets and fields (when there were still fields in So. Cal) - it was great. Oh the forts we made . . . . such fun.

I don't remember "Yellow Alert Day" but I do remember in elementary school having "air raid drills" where we had to hide under our desks in case of a nuclear attack . . .:D

These young whippersnappers . . . . . will be saying the same thing to the generation coming up behind them . . . . .as Roy pointed it, there is nothing new under the sun.

steph

Oh we roamed the streets and fields (when there were still fields in So. Cal) - it was great. Oh the forts we made . . . . such fun.

I don't remember "Yellow Alert Day" but I do remember in elementary school having "air raid drills" where we had to hide under our desks in case of a nuclear attack . . .:D

These young whippersnappers . . . . . will be saying the same thing to the generation coming up behind them . . . . .as Roy pointed it, there is nothing new under the sun.

steph

Yes, that's how those drills went. The Los Angeles school district had them too. The teacher would yell "Flash!!!" and we'd all scramble under our desks, cover our eyes with one arm and the back of our neck with the other arm. Cold War hysteria is what it was. I always wondered how effective covering one's eyes and neck would be against radiation poisoning.

The kids nowadays can talk about 911 and the fear of anthrax and terrorism.

Specializes in PCU/Hospice/Oncology.

The HS my partner teaches at recently started terrorist taking over the school drills..

Kids are told to huddle in a corner far away from the door in case they have guns or bombs :trout:

I say, if they have guns and bombs, youre going to die either way.. either in your seat comfortably or in a huddles ball of people, -_-

Todays education is interesting no?

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

There are definately differences in the generations and how they approach life and work.

I am amazed when I hear baby boomers say things about "young people these days...........". I think back 30 or so years ago to their parent's generation bemoaning the first "youth culture" and the lack of work ethics, laziness and wanting everying handed to them, being spoiled rotten, having no appreciate for hard work.........

And I just smile.

My charge nurse could be my child. Once we were talking about things and she casually said "yeah my mom is your age and..........."

I disagree with the presumption that "kids these days" don't have a work ethic.

There are definately differences in the generations and how they approach life and work.

I am amazed when I hear baby boomers say things about "young people these days...........". I think back 30 or so years ago to their parent's generation bemoaning the first "youth culture" and the lack of work ethics, laziness and wanting everying handed to them, being spoiled rotten, having no appreciate for hard work.........

And I just smile.

My charge nurse could be my child. Once we were talking about things and she casually said "yeah my mom is your age and..........."

I disagree with the presumption that "kids these days" don't have a work ethic.

I agree . . . but I do think we are losing a great generation of folks.

One of the docs I work with told a story yesterday about an Italian couple in Sonoma when he first started practice in the 60's who would invite he and his wife over for dinner. They would give him gifts of wine from their vineyard. They had 4 kids who worked very hard and didn't sleep in until noon on weekends and all had jobs outside of school and all went on to earn degrees and are successful young men and women. This couple held hands as they went for walks and obviously loved one another very much. The doc hoped then that his marriage would be the same.

My in-law's are from the WWII generation also - they have given our kids a special gift in relating their experiences.

Each generation has it's own challenges . . . and it's own gifts.

steph

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

Each generation has it's own challenges . . . and it's own gifts.

steph

I agree Steph. our parents and grandparents generation was an amazing group of people.......they ushered in the modern age, saved the world, etc.

I was studying in my soc. class a few semesters back, Aging in Society, that there is great resentment of the Gen Xers and those behind them (Gen Xers are now......gasp....over 30) towards the Baby Boomers, for many reasons, but it might grow as they presume we're going to sap up social security, hold on to the good jobs, blah blah blah. (Of course as I mentioned the generation that raised us had their own resentments as well.....hopefully we've proved them wrong, but many still hold on to some of it).

I'd like to think as we're dying off they will come around with the same attitude.........."we're loosing a great generation".

I can't get my mind wrapped around the fact that I'm a Boomer and getting old. Maybe I need to have another baby. ;);)

steph

I'd like to think as we're dying off they will come around with the same attitude.........."we're loosing a great generation".

If they live long enough, they'll appreciate us enough, just like we now appreciate our parents much more than we did when we were whippersnappers.

Specializes in Family Nurse Practitioner.
My charge nurse could be my child. Once we were talking about things and she casually said "yeah my mom is your age and..........."

We were talking about music, probably should have known not to go there and one (who isn't even all that young!) says, "my parents listen to ACDC"

Doh! I was young and cool once, I swear.

We were talking about music, probably should have known not to go there and one (who isn't even all that young!) says, "my parents listen to ACDC"

Doh! I was young and cool once, I swear.

I'm friends with a guy who was not even born when President Kennedy was shot and killed . . . . I once told him I didn't think I could stay friends with someone like him.

Our "touchstones" are so different in each generation . . . .

ACDC? Yuck. . .. .For me it would be James Taylor, Credence Clearwater, Led Zepplin, etc. . . . ;)

steph

I'm friends with a guy who was not even born when President Kennedy was shot and killed . . . . I once told him I didn't think I could stay friends with someone like him.

Our "touchstones" are so different in each generation . . . .

ACDC? Yuck. . .. .For me it would be James Taylor, Credence Clearwater, Led Zepplin, etc. . . . ;)

steph

Jethro Tull, Yes, Emerson Lake and Palmer, Moody Blues, Cat Stevens, Carole King, James Taylor, Joni Mitchell

Jethro Tull, Yes, Emerson Lake and Palmer, Moody Blues, Cat Stevens, Carole King, James Taylor, Joni Mitchell

Yep . . . yesterday while driving to the gym, Joni Mitchell's song "They Paved Paradise and Put Up A Parking Lot" came on . . . . .that is a fun song to sing to. :monkeydance:

steph

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