This vile expression implies that experienced nurses do not treat new nurses kindly. My first problem with the statement is that it’s a generalization implying that all nurses are like that. Interestingly, whenever I hear someone utter the expression, I always say, “I don’t do that. Do you?” The person making the statement always says, “Oh no, I don’t, but many others do.” I’ve never heard even one nurse own up to doing this, although some nurses are willing to indict the entire profession. Every time that statement is repeated, it causes harm and casts a dark shadow on every nurse. Say anything enough, and it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy.
Please note that by moderator consensus some of the "Nurses Eat Their Young" posts will be referred to this thread where there can be an ongoing discussion, rather than several threads saying the same thing.
To students and new grads that are having problems with nurses, please take a moment to read the above link. Is it really the entire profession, every single nurse, or do you need help with one or a few nurses? We will be glad to help you in dealing with those people, but let bury the phrase "Nurses Eat Their Young".
To experienced nurses who claim our profession eats it's young, please take a moment to read it as well and think about it. Also take time to teach, be friendly and nurturing to the new nurse and students on your unit.
I have to admit that all of these comments about nurses eating their young is scaring me to death. I will be a brand new nursing student in the fall. Nursing school is intense I hear and then thinking that once you get into clinicals and as a new grad you get beaten black and blue just because you are new and inexperienced -- well it makes a newbie feel even more insecure. How does this get resolved? I want to be the best nurse I can be.
Just be cool and remember, there is never a reason for abusive behavior. Nursing can be a lot like high school if you let it. Just have a positive attitude and be kind even to less than stellar people and you should be okay.
When I hear "the new nurse comes in knowing everything" I remember that this attitude is a normal response to one who has recently been released from academia. Nursing students would never survive nursing school if they did not take the stance of "I've got it". As more senior nurses, we know they haven 't seen anything, done anything, haven't been tried by the fire of losing or almost losing a patient out of ignorance, so we have the opportunity to be the champion and remain available for the time (and the time will come) when the bottom drops out and the bubble bursts. As care givers we should be there as a safety net, loving and supporting even when the younger ones act out badly. That's what I believe we are to be about. nanacarol
Well Said! It is a part of respecting each individual as human being and taken the responsibility for your own actions. One that does not do this lacks a lot of maturity.
I brought this subject up at work yesterday...out of the 4 of us there when I mentioned this 2 of them reacted with "no, they eat each other!!" and the other one agreed and started on her past experiences with "not so helpful nurses"......this is a tragic shame....I am almost ashamed for the entire profession....BUT I do think that it is not only in nursing but in a vast majority of trades, businesses, what have you. I wonder what the percentages are of those of us that are helpful and don't like to see others belittled???? People tend to remember the bad ones more than the good ones, I would hope....
I brought this up at work as well, with about six nurses at an in-service. Before I could even finish the question, all six said yes! Four of the six had been on the job 15 yrs or more! The stories were hair-raising. One of the older nurses told how when she was starting out, there was one nurse that loved to try and make her lose count while starting an IV drip, since she started nursing before IV pumps had come out.
Another said she knew a nurse that would make the statement "Fresh Meat" every time a new nurse would start. And those were the tame stories.
Perhaps at times we are hard on our young, but I don't think we eat them. I also find that the new grads I am seeing (I practice in Canada) are not well prepared for acute care. I work in a rural hospital and am responisble for all clinical areas including er and maternity. The new grads that come here are ill prepared for this kind of work. We are very busy, short staffed, and are still expected to carry the new grad. There is a mentorship program and I have tried to help them. I will not be doing this anymore. The last new grad I was asked to mentor had never taken a doctor's order over the phone, never spoken to a doctor, never transcribed an order, did not know what IV push meant, and on and on. I cannot teach basic skills that should be given to the new grad while still in nursing school. Some of the new grads are lazy and almost expect that the experienced nurse will cover for them and pick up their load. This is so difficult, as we are always busy and always short staffed. Rural nursing can be exremely stressful, as we see and do everything that comes in the door.
I do not always feel the new grad respects the older, experienced nurses. I recall a new grad with a BSN telling me I should not be allowed to work without having a degree! How insulting!
My advice to new grads - Don't give up. Work in a larger hospital were there is more support staff, and please respect the experienced RNs. They were also new grads at one time.
Perhaps at times we are hard on our young, but I don't think we eat them. I also find that the new grads I am seeing (I practice in Canada) are not well prepared for acute care. I work in a rural hospital and am responisble for all clinical areas including er and maternity. The new grads that come here are ill prepared for this kind of work. We are very busy, short staffed, and are still expected to carry the new grad. There is a mentorship program and I have tried to help them. I will not be doing this anymore. The last new grad I was asked to mentor had never taken a doctor's order over the phone, never spoken to a doctor, never transcribed an order, did not know what IV push meant, and on and on. I cannot teach basic skills that should be given to the new grad while still in nursing school. Some of the new grads are lazy and almost expect that the experienced nurse will cover for them and pick up their load. This is so difficult, as we are always busy and always short staffed. Rural nursing can be exremely stressful, as we see and do everything that comes in the door.
I do not always feel the new grad respects the older, experienced nurses. I recall a new grad with a BSN telling me I should not be allowed to work without having a degree! How insulting!
My advice to new grads - Don't give up. Work in a larger hospital were there is more support staff, and please respect the experienced RNs. They were also new grads at one time.
Thanks!
I agree that new grads should respect the more experienced nurses on a floor. My intention is to learn everything I can from any experienced nurse willing to teach me! And yes we are very under-prepared for hospital nursing (MOST of us are aware of this!) In our program however, we are not ALLOWED to take a verbal order whether it be in person or over the phone, a licenced RN has to do this. Also we are not allowed to transcribe orders and are discouraged from interacting with physicians. I am in Northern Ontario and assume the programs are similar there. Often areas that experienced nurses take for granted as being part of basic nursing education are no longer part of the curriculum. While I can appreciate that having a student can be very stressful and time consuming (nursing is my second career, I have taught students in my current career) please remember that many of us are not happy with the direction of basic nursing education either. I would much rather be on a floor learning real skills than in a classroom discussing empowerment theories! The majority of us really do WANT to learn
Specializes in Critical Care/Pediatrics/Cardiac/ER.
No. Stupid cliche.
Has anyone quit nursing and gone into a big Corporate Business lately (completely unrelated to Health care)? It made me realize that health care professionals as a whole tend to be compassionate people.
In my business experience (Large firm in Metro Financial District), new Senior Managers and Partners are given a laptop and told 'learn to use it'. Employees will have the rug pulled right out from underneath financially; if profits drop, they get escorted out the door, with security, the day of layoff so they don't sabotage or take clients with them. If you can't bring in a quota of money, see ya later. In bad times, the youngest professionals get fired first. Boys-club cliques exist. Business men are just as "catty"(f.)/"angry"(m.). People talk. The grapevine is alive and well. I watched it all, kept my mouth shut and went back into nursing. Medicine shares information, Industry wants to charge you for it.
There are personality issues everywhere. People may learn that quicker in the business world. There is more financial stress on them.
if you work hard, keep your mouth shut and, learn what others have to offer, you will be fine. Notice that everyone always wants to be right and people want credit. Their information is free. If you think you know something, try precepting. You will find out how much you know.
Some of the behavior I am reading about is disgusting. My business place had a saying; "People don't leave bad jobs, they leave bad managers". (Anyone throwing a bloody anything at another person should be fired on the spot.)
Always remember, people are consistent. If they bad mouth others, they will bad mouth you as well. Seek out the sane ones.
Specializes in Informatics, critical care, research.
Corporate business varies by your actual role and the organization. You can't generalize, at least as much as you can with bedside nursing since the same interpersonal dynamic seems to run through all the hospitals I've been to from coast to coast. My experience has been that one is treated with a lot more respect than bedside nurses. Less common is the paternalistic manner in which doctors treat nurses with little or no advocacy from management. Assertive interactions are discouraged for the most part in nursing, with few exceptions but that is the expectation for the most part in the corporate environment. Pay is usually better and you won't hit a ceiling as early as you do in nursing.
No one said the situation doesn't exist in other industries. The fact that it does, however, doesn't mean it doesn't happen in nursing.
There's very few that are saying it doesn't exist in nursing. The sad thing is that it does. I think students and new grads should be warned that they may come across a nurse or nurses that like to eat young. They should be taught skills in how to deal with these people.
However they should not be told that "nursing is a profession where nurses eat their young", because that insults me personally and the overwhelming majority of us doing our jobs to the best of our ability under tough working conditions and whom treat each other decently.
There's very few that are saying it doesn't exist in nursing. The sad thing is that it does. I think students and new grads should be warned that they may come across a nurse or nurses that like to eat young. They should be taught skills in how to deal with these people.
However they should not be told that "nursing is a profession where nurses eat their young", because that insults me personally and the overwhelming majority of us doing our jobs to the best of our ability under tough working conditions and whom treat each other decently.
Not have medical or nursing experience yet, I cannot truly compare nursing to the corporate world. However, after working in the legal field as a legal secretary/legal assistant for over 20 years, I have to say that most people do encounter an experience where you have to "prove yourself" and sometimes the treatment is very unfair. The legal arena is very backstabbing at times. But I think it must happen in every profession. I just want to do well in nursing school this fall, and the rest of the semesters, become the best RN I can be and be as compassionate and caring towards my patients and co-workers as I would want them to treat me or my family. I am looking forward to the career change.
michaelarose
53 Posts
Just be cool and remember, there is never a reason for abusive behavior. Nursing can be a lot like high school if you let it. Just have a positive attitude and be kind even to less than stellar people and you should be okay.