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.
Why do nurses put up with it, or DENY IT AS SOME DO? Why don't nurses stand up against bullies by staying something or quitting? I realize that my quitting won't have a huge impact but why don't those more experienced nurses stand up and say that humiliating and playing with the livlihood of other nurses will not be tolerated? I guess everyone is just worried about their job. Here I am, a perfectly decent nurse, who cares very mmuch for her patients and loves her job, walking away because she's sick of the violence, bullying and backstabbing. The company wants to set me up with a different jbo, they suggested going back to med/surg, but why should I when I've done nothing wrong? Why should I be switched to a different department because of these bullies. It makes me want to just walk away from nursing because I feel powerless, and I feel that even the company is powerless to stand up to these bullies. They just want to do what is easiest. God bless them though, for at least seeing my worthm and wanting to keep me. Is it worth it though? I am seriously having doubts after all these years in nurseing, 7 if you include schooling.
Like rehab, I think the first step is to admit that the problem exists. "Hi, I'm pug and I'm a nurse. I haven't eaten a co-worker for ..."
My employer has recently started a program against lateral violence. The policy has been in place for years, but now they are putting teeth to it. They realize this costs not only by the loss of valuable nurses, but in terms of patient safety and pg scores. They now realize it affects the bottom line.
You'll find places less tolerant of the kind of stuff you saw at that last job. Since you love nursing, please stay in the profession. To weed out the wrong places, tell them at your next interview that you have zero tolerance for lateral violence. A place like you described, usually has a reputation and other hospitals take advantage of that in recruiting.
Specializes in telemetry, med-surg, home health, psych.
scrubby.........kudos to you for your courage and good common sense....so many knew grads would not have that courage......that is the reason for "nurses nibbling" on others....if we could all speak up for ourselves it may deter the harshness that exists.....
Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.
Respect, If you want some, GIVE SOME. Don't expect "elders" to jump through hoops to make it easy for you. But DO expect them to mentor and help you on your way. But you need to show a bit of respect if you want it to happen.....
It's a two way street. I see a lot of "old" eating too....
Honestly, no mystery there; it goes both ways, friends. I am in the middle, I guess, being only 11 years at it and neither "old" nor "young" I see both sides. Like Gandhi said, "be the change you want to see in the world".
lets say i am a cruise director. i go to work, am on the ocean and addressing my customers. guess what, they are all delighted to be there and for the most part intent on having a good time.
now lets say i am a nurse, which i am. i go to work on my onc/med/surg unit and am addressing my customers. guess what, none of them want to be there and for the most part they cannot help but be miserable.
i think i can't help but soak up some of the misery and perhaps i pass it on or get it passed on to me by my peers.
right now i am dealing with a predator nurse that many of my co-workers have complained about, with no support from the nm.:uhoh21:
lets say i am a cruise director. i go to work, am on the ocean and addressing my customers. guess what, they are all delighted to be there and for the most part intent on having a good time.
now lets say i am a nurse, which i am. i go to work on my onc/med/surg unit and am addressing my customers. guess what, none of them want to be there and for the most part they cannot help but be miserable.
i think i can't help but soak up some of the misery and perhaps i pass it on or get it passed on to me by my peers.
right now i am dealing with a predator nurse that many of my co-workers have complained about, with no support from the nm.:uhoh21:
for the most part, i whole heartedly agree. that's why pg is so inappropriate. still, i've met patients who not only are glad to be in the hospital, they make every effort to stay. a hospital visit for them is like a vacation for most of us.
i'll bet you have a policy of zero tolerance for lateral violence. just not well known. write an incident report, those must go beyond the nm. that's how you tell her and her boss that you have zero tolerance. otherwise, take the advise of others and walk. seriously, even in this economy, you have options.
to all those of u who are so bent on claiming that this phenomenom doesnt occur, can u seriously take a look inside urselves and think that all the people with tons of examples that have posted on here are just making this stuff up to make nursing look bad. common now seriously. personnally i hav experienced what is pure evil. let's face facts people. anyway, u all hav a happy thanksgiving. i know i will.
i read your thread. i was just electing not to comment. it appears that your problems started when you got caught sleeping on the job. i'm not so sure that's an illustration of nurses eating their young, or an example of bad people picking on someone blameless. but i have no interest in fighting with you.
ruby u are not even worth my anger or spoiling my mind when im looking forward to having my nice holiday with my family. im so glad u dont know any nurses that have ever slept on the job up to the point where they deserve to get their livelihood taken away for over two years. in what other profession to u see such a thing happening. i never said i was blameless, all i said was that the punishment has far exceeded the crime thanks to the cattiness of a co-worker. now y i bother explaining myself to such a person as u i dont know, probably because i have one good nerve left and u are getting on it. have a happy thanksgiving holiday.
i feel the need to point out here that some people seem to be using the words blameless here a lot. i believe that is not the underlying idea at all. just because someone makes a mistake, maybe a small one (bc to er is human) doesnot warrant them getting almost killed for it by a supervisor or co-worker or pier. this also feeds into the nurses eating their young phenomenom. my first day of clinical in nursing school i was reluctant to give a patient an insulin shot bc i was afraid to stick a pt. now was i right in being nervous, of course NOT. to become a nurse u hav to get over it and stick the patient. Did it warrant my instructor yelling at me, humiliating me infront of the whole medical unit and telling me i was no good and will never amount to anything up to the point where i had to run into the bathroom in tears. OF COURSE NOT. so i guess my point here is that when we say say nurses eat their young, the people getting eaten are not necesarily blameless, not in every scenario but a little kindness could go a long way. being kind to a coworker will not only help them put it will make ur day go faster and better as well. please i know im not just speaking for myself but i go thro a lot at work almost daily, granted its not from everyone but if i have an opportunity to vent on allnurses.com and reduce my stress then i really dont need to be accused of being anti nursing or women. let me talk about my frustrations and maybe that'll help me. im actually begging here...
hi to everyone im cathy a student nurse and im a new user in this forum. i wanna know some tips in making a nursing care plan?? thank you. hope someone will answer me. im just a second year nursing student. thanks.
hi to everyone im cathy a student nurse and im a new user in this forum. i wanna know some tips in making a nursing care plan?? thank you. hope someone will answer me.
woodenpug thanks for the link. yah, now i know that im in a wrong thread. im just a beginner here and making mistake was not funny. anyway thanks again.
woodenpug thanks for the link. yah, now i know that im in a wrong thread. im just a beginner here and making mistake was not funny. anyway thanks again.
I really thought you were joking. And it's still funny for me, kinda ironic that you'd post to a thread about eating young nurses with a question about care plans. But, I apologize, I did not intend to make fun of you or a simple mistake. I'd hoped to be laughing with you.
Woodenpug, BSN
734 Posts
Like rehab, I think the first step is to admit that the problem exists. "Hi, I'm pug and I'm a nurse. I haven't eaten a co-worker for ..."
My employer has recently started a program against lateral violence. The policy has been in place for years, but now they are putting teeth to it. They realize this costs not only by the loss of valuable nurses, but in terms of patient safety and pg scores. They now realize it affects the bottom line.
You'll find places less tolerant of the kind of stuff you saw at that last job. Since you love nursing, please stay in the profession. To weed out the wrong places, tell them at your next interview that you have zero tolerance for lateral violence. A place like you described, usually has a reputation and other hospitals take advantage of that in recruiting.