Do Newbies "Eat" Their Elders?

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Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.

the "do nurses eat their young?" thread has become incredibly long -- and, for the most part, repetitive. but someone recently posed a question -- and proposed a topic -- that bears some discussion. do newbies eat their elders?

as an "elder", i know i've seen cases where newbies have been "out to get" the more seasoned nurses in their area, where newbies have been difficult or demanding or impossible to get along with, and where elders have interpreted some genuine misunderstandings as a newbie being "out to get them." (probably the same range of realities that exist in the "nurses eat their young" universe.) but which reality predominates?

come on, seasoned nurses! do newbies eat their elders, or is any "eating" that occurs unidirectional?

stories, examples and venting welcomed!

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Specializes in onc, M/S, hospice, nursing informatics.

I'm not sure if it is an intentional thing, but I think there are several factors that come into play.

1-The younger generation seems to have an entirely different work ethic than mine. Generally speaking (don't yell at me) they seem to be more lax, have an attitude of entitlement, and don't always seem to be as responsible. Probably has some to do with experience, but also seems to carry on for years.

2-Many times I have found that newbies have the attitude that they "know it all" and cannot be taught anything by seasoned nurses. Perhaps they think that their BSN they just got at 22 years old has taught them everything they need to know, both now and forever more. (Yes, this is personal for me!)

And, in my case, they also know how to kiss up better than I do (well, I just don't do it). That seems to get them the shifts that they want and a seemingly lack of consequences for messing up, even repeatedly.

Thanks for letting me get this off my chest!

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I oriented a new nurse though not a young nurse, she was my senior by about ten years a couple of weeks back. Bear in mind I do rehab nursing in a skilled nursing facility so we're not staffed very well.

She was a right judgmental PITA. She had been an EMT for years, kept on about how nobody in our facility would know how to save a life, had noticed nurses not remembering to turn off nebulizers or rinsing them out, had noticed nurses giving meds half an hour after the alloted time etc and she hoped that I would not be as disappointing as they had been.

What I didn't tell her is that I was last on a list of about four nurses who had oriented her and the other three were sick and tired of her. Anyway, she took her own assignment last week and I hear from our charge that she had an awfully rough time, didn't pass all her 7:30am meds until 9:30, didn't have time to do any treatments so the charge helped her out.

I will say, she is unique in the bunch of new grads we've had this year. Every other one has been great, accepting that sometimes you don't get to do everything by the book however much you want to and helpful. Unfortunately, you always remember the bad experiences.

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Specializes in ICU.

Young people act like they know everything because they are insecure about not knowing anything and getting eaten alive for it. When you really do know everything, you really have no problem saying, "I don't know." and then going on to read your horoscope in the paper while you wait to do your next hourly vital sign check.

Young people act lax because they are still trying to appear "cool" which is a cover up for being scared and powerless. Also they may truly be less energetic because they've had more handed to them via technology, pop-psychology sympathies, and the last twenty years of debt-bubble spending by their parents.

A really good depression will fix everything!:smokin:

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Mmmm...tastes like chicken. :lol:

Yes, some newbies are out to get their elders and some elders are out to get the newbies. All those that do it should be ashamed of themselves. We are supposed to be a team and work together. And don't think some employers don't love the animosity amongst the staff. While that petty behavior goes on important issues like safe staffing ratios, fair pay, etc. go right out the window.

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Specializes in ICU.
She was a right judgmental PITA. She had been an EMT for years, kept on about how nobody in our facility would know how to save a life, had noticed nurses not remembering to turn off nebulizers or rinsing them out, had noticed nurses giving meds half an hour after the alloted time etc and she hoped that I would not be as disappointing as they had been.

I completely see where you are coming from, and I agree. So, if I may, allow me to add to my previous statement:

Old buzzards act like they know everything because they fear they don't know enough and will get eaten alive for it. They try to act disciplined and hard-working, because they fear they cannot keep up anymore.

Also, they may act more stressed out about not doing a good job because they've actually seen and experienced what happens in economic downturns when people don't have enough money to get by.

The best thing is to be 40 and never change that. Always be 40 no matter what.

Or, and this is a big oar for the boat we're all in: we could try to understand one another and tollerate it. We might even give the youngsters a chance to fly without throwing them off a cliff if they screw up, and we might listen to the old buzzards for a nugget of info we can use to grow older more carefully ourselves. When one can't keep up or one doesn't know, we can be their safety net.:loveya:

Or we can just eat each other alive--whatever works.:banghead::argue::angryfire

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Specializes in SRNA.

While I can probably spew sweeping generalizations about the older generation, I don't think it's professional or accurate.

What it all comes down to is attitude. I've found, as a new nurse with less than 1 year experience, is that not being afraid to ask for help and say "I don't know" opens up discussion with the more experienced nurses and I learn new things. I think I have a good relationship with the nurses I work with...some with over 20 years experience. They are really open to my ideas about updated practice that I learned while I was in school that they may not be aware of too. Does this mean that we always see eye to eye? HECK NO! However, we deal with each other respectfully and professionally.

On the flipside, some of my peers have had absolutely terrible experiences with some of the nurses that I get along great with. And I'm sure part of it is due to attitudes expressed by some of the other posters in this thread.

I don't think all young nurses are one way or all old nurses are another way.

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Specializes in LTC, Med/Surg, Peds, ICU, Tele.

Basically you have bad apples in every bunch. Some newbies are disrespectful know it alls with disdain for seasoned nurses, considering them outdated dinosaurs. Some oldies like to pick apart newbies piece by piece, then gnaw on the bones for dessert.

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I suppose they could try, but I suspect I would be tough and bitter. ;)

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Specializes in Community Health, Med-Surg, Home Health.

In definite agreement there. Many are very young, recent grads who are still green behind the ears and snotty nosed that really believe that the incumbant nurses are imbecils. What they need to know is while they may have learned more up to date information (maybe), it is also important to survive, a talent that seasoned nurses learned from experience. Some of them try to show us up, are condescending and confrontational. Sometimes, I believe it is the lack of 'reality education' in the schools where everything is written neatly in a textbook. In addition, clinical hours are not as long or as intense as before. Usually, these days consist of one or two not so difficult patients and off they go...

I am well aware that it does go both ways for sure...however, because I always knew that nurses had a tendency to eat their young, I came in there with some humility and common sense.

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Specializes in Cardiac Telemetry, ED.

As a relative newbie, I have never been "out to get" any of my more experienced colleagues. They are my lifeline. Why in the world would I shoot myself in the foot like that?

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While I'm not a nurse (yet), I will say that I have had trouble working with older people in the past. It is not and attitude or lack of respect on my part. I just get frustrated when older people treat me as though I'm 5 years old.

Older co-workers harp on me and order me around like I'm their child. Just because I'm the same age as their children doesn't mean they get to treat me like their child. That causes me to treat them coldly. :stone

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