Do Nurses Eat Their Young?

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We have all heard the saying "Nurses eat their young". Do you feel this is true?

Please feel free to read and post any comments that you have right here in this discussion

Thanks.

This article sums it up for me... ?

http://www.dcardillo.com/articles/eatyoung.html

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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 am reminded to be thankful of those few staff nurses who did not mind and actually supervise us when I was a last year of being a student nurse while we were giving out oral meds, injecting IM to patients,knowing that its their licenses at risk..still they took the risk, so that we could LEARN, so that someday we might not be called MEDIOCRE...I thank those kind of nurses because I myself when there are student nurses in the unit try to lend a hand (orienting them to the ER cart, emergency drugs, equipments, do suctioning to patients)...I know for a fact nursing is a hands on experience, you cannot just learn by observing and reading....

Specializes in Psych/Substance Abuse & School Clinics.

Exactly!!!!! Amen

Yes, Nurses do "eat our young"- but as demonstration of what Patient advocates shuld do. We see mistakes, often critically offer advice- but in the best interest of the Pt. All nurses should stop being so offended. The only dumb question is one not asked.......

I do not think that nurses necessarily eat their young, meaning new nurses, but I do think that they eat nurses that are new to their unit especially the ones who have worked the same place for their entire career and think that their way, is the only way and if you do not know their way you are stupid. I have worked many places and have found this to be true especially in small hospitals. I have also found that the nurses who complain the most about others are actually the worst themselves they spend so much time looking at what others do they don't get their own work done and are a nightmare to follow but they never see that themselves.

Specializes in ER,ICU,L+D,OR.

Nurses do not eat their young, nor each other for that matter. I just don't see that as being viable.

Specializes in Trauma, ER, Cardiology & Spinal Rehab.

I believe that nurses do eat their young - I think stress, frustration and time limitations in a shift all contribute into this.

I guess in a way this happens, but I guess after the end of the day it'll be all because of work..No personal reasons at all..

I've been on trainings with Senior Nurse ahead of me and honestly, we are all unique and different in approaching each other through work or whatever.

I've been open to everything.. I guess it's a matter of accepting that each of us has different approach into things.. In the end, it's just a process of learning...

Yeah, I do agree that there are times we might think that Senior nurses are being mean and bitter to new nurses but i guess it's just a matter of how they have experienced it before..

So, in the end, it shall be a BEST EXAMPLE of what NOT TO DO when in time you become the SENIOR..

My mentor was great and very very helpful.. Because of her I was able to become Open and accept that, all of us has qualities and knowledge we can share, whether SENIOR or JUNIOR, More or Less experience.. We can learn from each other.. Just keep ourselves OPEN to things... It's a CONTINOUS process of Learning.. And hey, if we all have one goal, which is Patient health and life longevity, then what's the use of eating each other or eating the young ones?

It' will all lead to nowhere... we should be a team..

Im a GN I havent started working yet, but from rotations' experinces mmm I say yes haha but it's ok it helps to make us though, as long as we (new nurses) get a learning experience out of the criticism it's ok..

;)

Specializes in LTC, case mgmt, agency.

]sign0188.gif As a new RN I would like to say, holy cow, nurses eat their young!!!! I got ripped apart because a trash can was full in one of my patients rooms. sign0003.gif All my paperwork was done and my patients were ok. They didn't even have to do careplans because I did them, and I get tore apart over a full trash can???? Lots of nit picky things is what I am getting, but I've had no complaints regarding patient care.:D That's all that matters.:nurse:

Specializes in telemetry, med-surg, home health, psych.
]sign0188.gif As a new RN I would like to say, holy cow, nurses eat their young!!!! I got ripped apart because a trash can was full in one of my patients rooms. sign0003.gif All my paperwork was done and my patients were ok. They didn't even have to do careplans because I did them, and I get tore apart over a full trash can???? Lots of nit picky things is what I am getting, but I've had no complaints regarding patient care.:D That's all that matters.:nurse:

Oh My !!!! I don't remember students being responsible for emptying trash cans !!!!:cool: The ripper must have had a horrendous day or was just one of the "nasty ones" that we have all encountered...Just ignore it and keep on doing what you are doing....taking care of pts. and learning !!!!!! Happy Nursing :heartbeat

Well as one of my better instructor in nursing school said "what won't kill you, will make you stronger"...Nasty ol nurses who picked on newbie ol me before did strengthen my gut and character, it made me versatile and took criticisms constructively (some of it anyway, while some are just mean and demeaning) Lesson learned would be, at least we know how it feels to be in THAT shoe...that's why I go out of my way once in awhile to lend a hand, but I can understand how draining our profession can be..let's broaden our understanding and realize that they are human beings who have moods and gets tired too...one important thing I've learn from "meanies" is to be sensitive to fellow colleagues I.E. after 12 hours of toxic duty I try to be extra careful on my words and work as well as smile alot and give out kind words:up: worked for me everytime:smilecoffeecup::1luvu:

Specializes in ER, long term, psych, Day Surgery.

The only time I have seen a "seasoned" nurse mistreating a junior, was in a non-preceptorship hospital, where the senior nurse was given the new one to train on top of her allready busy day and heavy assignment. It turned out really badly sorry to say. The junior nurse quit within a week.

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