Seasoned nurses eat their young?!

Nurses General Nursing

Published

I am a nursing student, who by the way will graduate in December, and am sick of being eaten alive every time my clinical group hits a new floor. I don't understand how so many hateful people have made their way into such a caring profession, but I personally would not want them feeding my pet much less my child. I'm sure that everyone has had to be in our position and it's really pathetic that these nurses cannot try to remember that, especially in such a shortage, and just try to give us a little guidance. We are all very hard working and we don't just take care of our assigned patients. We are more than willing to work will any and all of the patients on the floor, if the beasts will just let us. Does anyone have any suggestions to break the ice?

Good point about nurses eating their OLD too!

Sad but true! We had a nurse only months away from retirement who handled the job very well, but they always seemed to give her the heaviest pt's on the far end of the hall!

I made it a point to offer to help her almost every day if I could.

She always looked pleasantly shocked that she'd get a little help for a change.

Let's not forget what it was like to be young & new and let's not forget to imagine what it would be like to do this job as we age.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Cardiothoracic Transplant Telemetry.

I understand that floor nurses get frustrated with a constantly revolving set of students that all need help, and who are never around long enough to truly be helpful. I understand that the nurses job would be easier if the student wasn't there. I feel for the plight of the nurse who can't remember whether this is the day that the students pass meds! All of this s@cks!

Several people have posted that they do not feel that they owe anything to students. Of course they don't, but they do owe something to their patients. The clinical instructor may be responsible for the actions of the student, but the floor nurse is responsible for the level of care that is provided. In order to ensure the best level of care possible, the staff nurse should be open to questions and be willing to give input to the student.

I have worked with nurses in the clinical setting who were wonderful. This one male nurse in particular allowed me to observe in proceedures that we had not yet been taught in class, merely because I wanted to have as much actual observation time as possible. He took the time to explain why he was going to do things and how he was going to do them.

On the other side of the spectrum were the nurses who flatly ignored anything that I said to them. Now I know that I am new, and that my assessment skills aren't perfect yet, but I would hope that the nurse would at least look at a patient that I was concerned about. Example. I had a patient with a history of CVA's who had been immobile for a extended period of time. The patient was complaining of lower extremity pain, crying out in pain if her calves were touched. Her feet were also cool to the touch. When I reported these findings to the nurse, she smiled politely at me and went on with what she was doing. She hadn't done a head to toe assessment when she started the shift, and she didn't come to check the patients legs during the rest of my shift. Hello? What am I missing here? The patient was gone the next time that I worked on the floor, and I didn't know who to ask about her progress. I pray that she was alright. I did tell my instructor about the incidence during post conference, and she just talked about how we were new on the floor and had to earn the nurse's trust. TRUST, I'm talking about standard of care here!

Nurses have a difficult and demanding job. I understand that. I have been impressed by the hard work and dedication that I have seen. Our instructor does everything that she can, but there is one instructor for 10 students. That is 20 patients per instructor. I know that students are a pain. But if we are going to be treating people, we need to be able to rely on the nurses around us for guidance. Help us to help you with your work. Your patients will thank you for it :p

Up Vote Up Vote ×

"Second, drop the "entitlement" attitude and be aware that NOBODY OWES YOU ANYTHING"

Gee, there's a great "attitude" right there.

BOY YOU NAILED THAT ONE ON THE HEAD!!! I am sorry but she seemed to have a nursing student hanging out of her mouth where she was getting ready to devour it.

I did not see any attitude in the students post. But my opinion is just that mine.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I am an ICU nurse and I was a nursing instructor. I think some people make great mentors while others do not have the "nurturing" instinct. It would be helpful if those nurses who like to take fledglings under their wing would offer their services before the new students hit the floor. I left the patient assignments up to the charge nurses.

Louise:D

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Originally posted by study4nursing

In order to ensure the best level of care possible, the staff nurse should be open to questions and be willing to give input to the student.

Yes, to a point, but as mentioned, the INSTRUCTOR should be your primary teacher. The nurse may not have the time, and her priorities may be different than yours.

Example. I had a patient with a history of CVA's who had been immobile for a extended period of time. The patient was complaining of lower extremity pain, crying out in pain if her calves were touched. Her feet were also cool to the touch. When I reported these findings to the nurse, she smiled politely at me and went on with what she was doing. She hadn't done a head to toe assessment when she started the shift, and she didn't come to check the patients legs during the rest of my shift. Hello? What am I missing here? The patient was gone the next time that I worked on the floor, and I didn't know who to ask about her progress. I pray that she was alright. I did tell my instructor about the incidence during post conference, and she just talked about how we were new on the floor and had to earn the nurse's trust. TRUST, I'm talking about standard of care here!

Your patients will thank you for it :p

Hmm. Well, your instructor was right. And I sense a lot of entitlement and judgment in your post. You assume too much if you conclude this nurse was lax because she did not immediately jump on your bandwagon. In time you will learn in YOUR practice what to prioritize: what needs immediate attention, and what can wait. I was not on duty this day with this nurses' patient load, so I will NOT judge her (as you seem to have done).

I see the generalizing and judgments start early...in nursing school. I (like most older nurses) just try after 27 yrs to get through my short staffed shift and do my best, in a workplace that increasingly asks me to do more with less. I deserve a little respect from students. We ALL do. And yes, it goes both ways. But, if a student comes on my unit and expect me to immediately prioritize with THEIR needs amongst the chaos, and judges me as a bad nurse if I don't, they may get a smile and no comment from me too. Maybe worse. ;)

Regarding a student going to to an instructor talking about a seasoned nurse she/he thinks is' bad?' Hmm. Such impudence from a 'baby' nurse. When I was a student (in the stone age) this was NOT tolerated. Can we talk about students trying to eat the seasoned nurses here???

But I'm an old cranky nurse...part of the problem I guess...I know nothing. :rolleyes:

PS: I agree with SJoe...this entitlement has gotten out of control, and I predict students with attitude WILL encounter problems in their clinicals...no doubt. :eek:

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Well mattsmom a nursing student is supposed to discuss what they see on the floors with their instructor. So I don't know what you mean by that wouldn't be tolerated when you were a student. I was a student not too long ago and after each clinical day we would talk as a group about our day and our observations. A clinical instructor is their to educate the students about what may or may not be going on based on their experience. But from this students assessment maybe the nurse should have looked at the patients legs. And as far as you knowing nothing this may not be true but you sure show ignorance and a lack of respect for people in general by attacking this student.

As for students. Just suck it up is my advice. I hated clinicals and I really disliked a lot of the nurses I had to deal with during clinicals. But nursing schools is not that long and if you can suffer through it then you can chose who you want to work with when you graduate. You will find bad nurses no matter where you go but you find that in any job too. Find the ones you enjoy working with and stick with them. You will also find that 2nd and 3rd shift nurses aren't as high strung and are easier to work with, IMO. That's why I volunteered to do evening and night clinicals in nursing school.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

When I was in nursing school, the students didn't go to the patient's primary nurse, we went to our instructor. It was our chain of command. This avoided experienced nurses feeling criticized, so to speak, by the students. If our instructor felt there was something to our observation, then she would talk to the nurse. It avoided a lot of conflict - and I can not really think of any bad experiences with experienced nurses while in school. Guess I was lucky. But we do all know that there are some pretty crabby nurses out there - and some pretty aggressive students too. And when those two get together, look out...

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Gerontological, cardiac, med-surg, peds.

It is very interesting to read the different perspectives here. I agree that some students do have the "sense of entitlement" attitude, but most do not. Most enter the floor with fear and trepidition. Most sincerely want to learn and make their patient's day brighter. I have not been an instructor long, but I have seen a wide range of clinical experiences. Most clinical sites have been very hospitable. One, in particular, rolled the red carpet out for us and could not have been better. On the other hand :eek: one floor was a floor from :devil: and several of the nurses were HORRIBLE to the students. One cursed at one of my students, another tried to pin a med-error on another (the student was without fault). Another tried to blame the student for a patient incidence (again, the student was without fault). Trying to conduct a clinical on that floor was like having a clinical in a snake pit :uhoh3: It was awful. I will quit before I return there. Thank God, that was only one site out of many.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

CougRN, I have zero ignorance on being a practicing nurse. A student, however, does.

My posts are MY opinions, and are not attacks. Please refrain from calling people ignorant. I would say THAT is an attack.

This thread is discussing why students feel eaten. The post I responded to was a clear example of why some nurses are not warmly inviting to students.

We ALL have a responsibility to live by the Golden Rule..nurses and students alike.

Perhaps this practice of students' being allowed to critique staff nurses sets everyone up for the catty backstabbing behavior we encounter today. When I was in school instructors were quick to STOP this behavior in the aggressive student. I'm amazed it is condoned now.

I taught for a short time. I avoided criticizing a fellow practicing nurse (how unprofessional) I WOULD say to my students 'there are lots of ways to accomplish a task, and shortcuts you will learn later...but for now THIS is how I want you to proceed and why.'

The dysfunction in our profession appalls me sometimes.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Psych.

I don't even know where to begin... It's true that nursing is full of this horizontal violence and it benefits the management of any given organization because if the nurses are busy fighting amongst themselves, then they can't organize and initiate change. This is even true in a union facility.

Example: I'm new to a unit, but been in the same hospital for 2 years. The other day, I arrived half an hour early and the charge nurse said "Can you start early?" I said sure and did. She told me I could home early. I work in the PACU. Not only did I not get to go home early (i got the last pt), but everyone else did. They all walked out at 11 (our shift ends at 11:30). Typical. Let me add that none of them signed out early. They barely know me, they totally dis' me and then have the nerve to walk out and not sign out early. I could be anybody -- like the son of the CFO or something...

Example 2: A veteran nurse on the unit sits and reads the newspaper with back to me while I get an admit. Most blatant example of how unhelpful people can be on the unit. I was sure to be at this nurses bedside eveytime they got an admission. Kill them with kindness!

The unit is full of new nurses and travellers and this is how we are welcomed. Having worked in another area of the hospital, I can say that it isn't just the PACU nurses that behave this way. It amazes me!

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Whew! I just had to reply to this discussion because it brought back such memories....good and bad!! Nurses have been on both sides, from being a nursing student to a seasoned RN who is trying to balance a busy floor plus help train and supervise the new nursing students. I so agree w/ PJ on the idea of "killing them w/ kindness". Believe me, the "mean" nurses will remember you long after your clinicals, and if you decide to work there after graduation; they will be your "allies" when you are working. It is hard to take the "hatefulness" of some floor nurses; but, hang in there Cyndi! I always treated the students very well, and taught them what I could. I do know that it is sooo much harder now that nursing schools have cut down the "clinical" hours on the floors. Nursing students lose so much valuable clinical time to learn hands on nursing. After graduation; the new RN is thrown out to learn all of this on a floor as a "preceptor period". I know the reality of both sides. I am just glad that I went to a diploma school where I received book learning and good clinical teaching. I think nursing programs are doing a disservice to new nursing students.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

It's soooo unfortunate that your feeling that nurses eat their young. I felt the same way when I started my job, and don't have any idea how that phrase came into exsistence, but there has to be some truth in that statement, for many people experience it!

My only advise: You CAN'T change the people around you, and you CAN'T change some of your circumstances, but you CAN change YOU, and you CAN change how you RESPOND to those circumstances, THAT, is key!!!

So, just do your best, and know that, "and this too shall pass."

Best of luck to you, keep going forward, and be the best nurse YOU can be to someone else, K?

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Add a Comment