Nurses need to stick together instead of EAT THEIR YOUNG!!!

Nurses General Nursing

Published

  • Specializes in Cardiac, Post Anesthesia, ICU, ER.

As I sit here and read many of the posts on this forum, I see a pattern that I, too have seen over my 10 years in this field. The trend of experienced nurses in management cannibalizing newer, younger nurses. It is saddening that in a day when we really need to support each other, stand up for each other and work together to help ensure that the profession is respected. The constant undercutting that occurs only makes it a more difficult profession to remain in, regardless of the financial gains. So as the Christmas season arrives, and the year comes to a close, I ask that we all consider our actions a little more closely and remember, that we are the future of our profession, every new nurse, every seasoned experienced nurse, and those in the middle, are the future. We can make it a bright one, or a dim one, the choice is ours. I mentor each of the less experienced nurses that works on my unit, give them guidance, encourage them to try different techniques, etc, with hopes that they will be a better nurse than I myself. Because someday, I will be the patient!!!

NURSES HELPING NURSES!!!:cheers: :yelclap: :yeah: :icon_chee

nursemaa

259 Posts

I agree with you that nurses need to stick together. We should all remember what it's like to be a new grad, and support and coach them as they develop their practice.

I haven't seen cannibalizing from managers though, mostly that behavior seems to be among the staff themselves. I'm not saying managers don't do it, just that I haven't seen it.

jschut, BSN, RN

2,743 Posts

I agree that it does happen, and we have to watch ourselves.

But there are also many, many nurses out there that are caring and kind enough to show a new nurse the ropes....that's mostly what I have run into in my days....

and only 1 new nurse has ever gotten on my nerves enough for me to say something. She had been orienting for a month in LTC and still actually cried when a family member asked her to go to a patients room and take vitals.....

Specializes in PeriOp, ICU, PICU, NICU.

Although I am not a nurse, I too agree that nurses should stick together etc......

I do however disagree that cannibalization happens here. I do see debates here and there ( difference of opinions that we all are entitled to express). A person or two that tries or has tried to make a point by pointing out their level of "expertise" or studies, but it is very minimal and usually taken care of. I don't even think that such behavior would even be tolerated or approved of here.

A difference of opinion may and will continue to exist and with proper respect for one another it shouldn't turn into anything major. If it does happen, you can simply use the report button as well.

I am sorry for the disrespect you have experienced in your career thus far. Praying it is non-existent now days. Have a wonderful holiday :)

SmilingBluEyes

20,964 Posts

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

I hope you visit lots of the forums and read some more. There are a LOT of nurses supporting and helping one another here, daily. I think sometimes, it's a "glass half-full or glass half-empty" outlook that affects what you perceive in nursing, and in life, in general.

Now am I saying there is no "young-eating" going on? No, not at all. What I am saying, is try and look for the positive and emulate that----and pay it forward, as the movie says. That is a start. Look for what inspires you and go for it.

Good luck to you.

Tweety, BSN, RN

34,248 Posts

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

I agree with Deb. There certainly is a lot of support going on here in this bb.

I'm sorry that in your ten years it's been so bad. Fortunately, in my experience, which basically has been only at two hospitals, new grads aren't eaten up by experienced nurses. I'm sure it happens on occasion, but fortunately I can't generalize that "nurses eat their young" because it's not true in my world. I wish it wasn't true in anyone's world.

I also think that there are nurses that eat their young. When it happens to someone, people generalize "nurses eat their young", when the reality is it was just that one nurse.

I think if I worked somewhere, where this was the culture I would scoot on out of there and fast.

Specializes in Tele/ICU/MedSurg/Peds/SubAcute/LTC/Alz.

I am so glad that I haven't found this problem. During the summer, I had a great precepter. It was so funny, because she new that we were new grads, and she said, "I am not your instructor!" Too funny, but I haven't even had a bad instructor. Even in clinical during clinical rotations the nurses were great to me. No doubt I have heard complaints, but I think most of the time it is personality conflicts.

pfister03

9 Posts

happy to hear that from one who has been in the field. being a student and being treated like dirt by so many nurses at many facilities is discouraging to say the least. i aim to always remember how i feel right now and strive to never treat students or anyone else for that matter like they are an outcast and burden. there has been a few very nice ones please do not get me wrong and those few gave me hope but a person's words and actions to a begginer can really cause damage if you allow it.

sjrn85

266 Posts

New nurses eat old nurses, too.

Could we just try to agree that we should be kind and nurturing to each other, regardless of how many/how few years of experience we have? Could we please retire this worn-out cliche?

Please?

llg, PhD, RN

13,469 Posts

Specializes in Nursing Professional Development.
New nurses eat old nurses, too.

Could we just try to agree that we should be kind and nurturing to each other, regardless of how many/how few years of experience we have? Could we please retire this worn-out cliche?

Please?

I couldn't agree more. Thank you for saying this.

llg

Kelly_the_Great

553 Posts

Specializes in home & public health, med-surg, hospice.

:yeahthat:

I agree this is a cliche and a catch-all for all the woes of the new nurse...:chair:

It's true, we're just as crappy to the older nurses. B*tchin' & complaining b/c they can't keep up, have lighter loads, yada, yada, yada. Instead of being grateful for his/her contributions and not bowing out early, leaving us (the younger nurses) to carry the entire burden.

Nurses need to care for nurses! I wish this could be emphasized as part of the actual curriculum in nursing school.

Oh well.

boulergirl, CNA

428 Posts

Specializes in Home care, assisted living.

Could it be...and I'm just spiffballing here...that because nursing has been primarily a female-dominated profession, this phenomenon exists? I'm just making a guess here. I work as a caregiver in a facility with no male employees except in management (and at times, the only man in the house was the maintenance guy). My skin has toughened in the time I've worked there because a lot of my co-workers have strong personalities and don't take junk from anybody. One co-worker has an abrasiveness about her and I have to be tough with her because every time we communicate, she has to argue with me and be difficult. It's not in my nature to be assertive, but with her, I have to put my foot down.

So...any thoughts about this?

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