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.
LOL! All us grouchy ol' nurses have developed such a thick tough hide that it's impossible to be eaten...which is why we've survived the cannibalism! Hehehe.
Staying too tender and sweet guarantees you'll be a fine meal for someone.
nurses do eat there young, at least some (most) do. It has been in the Nursing culture for a very long time and its time for it to go. Only nurses can change the culture and if the profession is going to grow and survive in the challenging decades ahead it must be expunged from our culture.
As a student nurse I had a not so good experience during one of my clinical rotations...ambulatory surgery. I was ready to help and ready improve my clinical skills when the first thing said to me was to stay out the way...they had to get patients to OR...reallly!!! I was finally assigned to be with a RN...she was not happy the have me around...so she would send me off to be with a tech and do vital signs! Oh WOW!!
Well...she finally let me attempt to start an IV on a pt with no veins...I could not do it...she could not...and two others...so you know what? I did vital signs the rest of my rotation.
To make a long story short...two weeks later I run into the RN that was assigned to me on one of the med/surg floors...she was working overtime...she did not recognize me... I was the Unit Secretary assigned to that floor. Some how the subject got on about the nursing shortage...one nurse admitted that she has been trying to encourgae her friends to go into nursing. Well the RN from Ambulatory was not happy about that comment...she said that the nurses in school are trying to take their jobs, and they need to protect themselves...I could not believe the comment. The nurses just looked at her and said nothing. Believe me...I do not want her job...I want my own job! Its sad that she feels this way. Once I finish school I promised myself that I will treat everyone like I wanted to be treated. Everyone was a student at one time... we had to start somewhere.
As a student nurse I had a not so good experience during one of my clinical rotations...ambulatory surgery. I was ready to help and ready improve my clinical skills when the first thing said to me was to stay out the way...they had to get patients to OR...reallly!!! I was finally assigned to be with a RN...she was not happy the have me around...so she would send me off to be with a tech and do vital signs! Oh WOW!!
Well...she finally let me attempt to start an IV on a pt with no veins...I could not do it...she could not...and two others...so you know what? I did vital signs the rest of my rotation.
To make a long story short...two weeks later I run into the RN that was assigned to me on one of the med/surg floors...she was working overtime...she did not recognize me... I was the Unit Secretary assigned to that floor. Some how the subject got on about the nursing shortage...one nurse admitted that she has been trying to encourgae her friends to go into nursing. Well the RN from Ambulatory was not happy about that comment...she said that the nurses in school are trying to take their jobs, and they need to protect themselves...I could not believe the comment. The nurses just looked at her and said nothing. Believe me...I do not want her job...I want my own job! Its sad that she feels this way. Once I finish school I promised myself that I will treat everyone like I wanted to be treated. Everyone was a student at one time... we had to start somewhere.
We certainly do eat our young and each other. I've seen and experienced it.
We already work under unimaginable stress. Why must we attack each other and we know what I mean by that. I've seen nurses report, "write up" desrvedly or not, other nurses especially if they aren't in the little "clique" God bless the one person people don't like and you all know what I'm talking about. It seems to me that alot of us are "out to get" each other. Maybe it's due to the stress, who knows, I'm not a shrink.
Let me tell you one thing, if you are on the receiving end it makes the work we love almost intolerable.
We all make mistakes and anyone says they haven't isn't being truthful. None of us are perfect and instead of gossiping lets try and help the person.
Maybe we could have more people become nurses. We can only hope:
I am just constantly amazed at the attitudes of nurses that I work with who are:
a) the first to complain that there isn't enough staff
b) the first to degrade the agency or float nurse that comes to help them by being overtly rude and giving them the worst assignment
c) having enough time on their shift to go behind the float or agency nurse and NITPICK--finding ANY little detail to write up and request that the agency nurse be made "Do Not Use"
d) rip the newbies on the block a new b---hole when they forget to do something as innocuous as forgetting to sign off the box on the flowsheet that is marked "heel elevation" for 1 out of 12 hours
Believe it or not, I actually work with a couple of nurses like this. The one will calm down when confronted, but the other is a total wild thing when you confront her on her behavior. She is a good clinician, but there is no excuse for trying to make everyone else as miserable as she seems to be personally. It just riles me that in this time of nursing shortages, and supposedly being a nuturing profession, that we continue to chase people away.......
Thanks........it just gets my Irish going when nurses behave this way. Who wins? I think no one, and especially not the patients under the care of a nurse who is constantly in fear of being written up or publicly humiliated
:kiss :roll
well said!!! :balloons:
Jay Levan
154 Posts