Nurses Eat Their Young

[hpvarnad]

I'm a nursing student planning on graduating in December and then working as a nurse at a hospital, I just wanted some opinions from other nurses on what I have been hearing about experienced nurses "eating their young" and giving new nurses a hard time. Is this true for the most part? Any advise on what I can do in order to somewhat keep this from happening?

[AmyRN303, BSN, RN]

This isn't my first rodeo. I entered nursing school at 37 years old and worked in other positions in two other fields prior. I can assert that accounting managers, school principals, and kitchen managers all do, in fact, eat their young. They just don't talk about it like new nurses and students do. :)

And I've seen more than one surgeon devour an intern publicly. Doesn't make it right, but oh, boy, it happens.

[RNsRWe, ASN, RN]

Yet we don't hear about DETY (doctors eat their young), do we? I think, maybe, that it's understood that in medicine, the newbie has to earn stripes, and expects a certain amount of "why don't you know this?" and "NO, you are WRONG" from educators/senior staff. But I think you'd be hard-pressed to hear whining that it's being dispensed unfairly by 'mean, bitter doctors'.

[AmyRN303, BSN, RN]

Yet we don't hear about DETY (doctors eat their young), do we? I think, maybe, that it's understood that in medicine, the newbie has to earn stripes, and expects a certain amount of "why don't you know this?" and "NO, you are WRONG" from educators/senior staff. But I think you'd be hard-pressed to hear whining that it's being dispensed unfairly by 'mean, bitter doctors'.

I've seen their briefing prior to rounds in several different hospitals. How I wanted to jump in and help that intern who stalled when answering a question about hepatic encephalopathy and lactulose. He blanked out completely and started stammering. Then unleashed the instructor about how intern A was unprepared for the rounds, could intern B inform him of the correct answer. It can be hazing, plain and simple, as well. But I don't hear a lot of complaints, and the next morning intern A was at the top of his game.

I'm my own harshest critic. There isn't much anyone else could say to me that would be harder on me than I already am on myself.

[SmilingBluEyes]

I agree; do a search. Also while you are at, learn about nurses who "eat their old". Cause there is more and more of that under the guise of claiming "bullying" when a new nurse is corrected even in the most polite way. Good behavior and manners go both ways.