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 also seen new nurses that did not respect those with more experience. Many time, seasoned nurses that "know the ropes" and try to present a well rounded orientation to the new group of nurses, are getting nothing but lip and disagreements from the new graduates. Now, NOT ALL, but some. I don't know if standards are lower now than before or if it's just the way of the world. I have seen many new, young nurses come to a hospital or other healthcare facility full of arrogance and lacking in the "heart" department. No professional code of ethics. It's not only the nursing profession, it is everywhere. I'm negative, sorry. I know there are people out there that still care about other people. Just don't see it like I used to. : (
You know, there is good and bad everywhere! There are people you will like and those you will not. The best policy is to warn the new people coming in who the good resource people are without being negative about those that are not exactly friendly. I think sometimes the stress of our job leads to high tension and if you don't like someone you may lash out during a stressful time. Is it out there? Yes. We should all work to eliminate it. You don't have to like me in order to work with me but at least be civil. If your hormones are raging out of control due to menopause, see your doctor. Don't take it out on your colleagues!
Nurses kill their young, and STARVE their young as well. New employees, who are obviously after instructions on what to do in some circumstances are virtually ignored. For amusement purposes and "disliking" a nurse has for some others (it's okay not to like a person?) nurses get away with stupid social withdrawness.
Absolutely!! It's much worse now, than it was 30 years ago, when I was a new graduate. I had the good fortune to be hired by a small community hospital, whose seasoned nurses took me under their wing and had the TIME to nurture and teach. Now, no one has the time...not when they are being screamed at, to get these people in and out of the hospital double time. Order up, please.......!
Teshiee is absolutely right. Doctors would go to the end of the world not to implicate each other in any situation. Nurses on the other hand do not hesitate to lay blame on another nurse. I've seen nurses where I work search for mistakes. For a group of people who got into this profession because they care about people, we have absolutely no compassion for each other. In some cases can't even show common curtousy.
Don't flame me for this; it's just a thought: Many nurses seem to be from lower socioeconomic backgrounds. Perhaps all this backbiting and meanness is simply a lack of social skills?
Yes , some nurses do eat their young. I started out 20+ years ago, was an EMT in a small 20 bed hospital, the ambulance service ran out of the er, and we assisted in the er while not on runs. Those nurses were great, very patient, and taught me so much. I then went to nursing school, graduated and fell into a pack of nurses that absolutely gave me hell. Today I am thankful for it, know I know exactly how not to treat newbies, and how to help new grads. A university in our city has a nursing school that asks experienced nurses to have senior students shadow them for a month, I did that this spring and it was great. I grew very close to "my" student. Maybe if more schools did this the new grads would be more prepared for the "real world" and they would be with nurses that Want to mentor.
This must be something like the DOC's have in medical school with the good ole boy network and having to stay up 489 hours straight as a new grad!!!!!!!
Thanks---Randall [/b]
In med school, these "docs" have to put up with some major s* from their superiors and as one doctor I work with put it, "you just have to take it" so they have their "eating time". Of course when they are done they get to do the eating, and some do. Is it a form of payback for them? So maybe that is why some nurses "eat their young". Don't know though, I can see this happen to new nurses and can feel empathy for them. Some people actually learn from it where others need the "payback" to feel good about themselves. Just feel pity, both as a new nurse or an old one that sees it happen.
Don't flame me for this; it's just a thought: Many nurses seem to be from lower socioeconomic backgrounds. Perhaps all this backbiting and meanness is simply a lack of social skills?
as someone from a possibly lower than socioeconomic mainstream background.......me
$$$ or lack of does not make or break a person's attitude.......
it is something far else, about the negativity and outright war of personalities out there in this "caring" profession...........the majority of us are caring, open and nurturing individuals, thank goodness, but it only takes a few with much informal power to ruin the teamwork and comaraderie(chk spelling)
group negativity is a silent "animal" sucks the positive professionalism out of a unit, etc.
why?????
but you bring up a question and an opinion....Nancy.....no flame here.........
Since i am new, and am floating around alot, I precieve negative people, and that is both objective and subjective perseption. All the stuff I thought about, and learned from this board, I am beginning to see glimpses of. Negativity is by far the easiest to precieve.
I hafta be careful because, since I think it is upsurd to avoid eye contact with people or staff, I have started to snicker at staff as they pass if they look like a zombie. This is wrong because some people look frightened too, so why should I act dumb because a person is bugging out. Your better off just generating your own positive energy in a nice way and bring the balance back.
Young eaters are everywhere.....part of the process of growing up is to get a thicker skin and not let other people hurt/influence you so much....
Nurses are human like everyone else, and are under incredible pressures today. Just hang with the positive folks in your workplace....and avoid the negative ones...like everywhere else.
True story: My 16 year old son went to work in my hubby's company...doing shop cleanup and generally helping the mechanics. A few were pretty unsavory and I worried about the 'young eating' that might occur. He came home one night really peeved, and told his Dad in confidence one of the guys were pressuring him for details on his sexual experiences and being very harassing. After they talked, my son figured a way to handle the guy and the harassing stopped. Bottom line, younguns' need to learn how to stick up for themselves and not be a 'victim' in the workplace. It's part of growing up.:)
The poor do not necessarily lack social skills. I have seen more rich, wellborn and welloff jerks that treat others like dirt than poor. The poor don't necessarily have that 'entitled 'attitude.
I think that the suits in Health Care Biz foster these turf wars, to keep nurses down and from focusing on unity. If we all treated each of us better, we might unite against the suits and have real power.
Absolutely!! It's much worse now, than it was 30 years ago, when I was a new graduate. I had the good fortune to be hired by a small community hospital, whose seasoned nurses took me under their wing and had the TIME to nurture and teach. Now, no one has the time...not when they are being screamed at, to get these people in and out of the hospital double time. Order up, please.......!
boobaby42
95 Posts
I have also seen new nurses that did not respect those with more experience. Many time, seasoned nurses that "know the ropes" and try to present a well rounded orientation to the new group of nurses, are getting nothing but lip and disagreements from the new graduates. Now, NOT ALL, but some. I don't know if standards are lower now than before or if it's just the way of the world. I have seen many new, young nurses come to a hospital or other healthcare facility full of arrogance and lacking in the "heart" department. No professional code of ethics. It's not only the nursing profession, it is everywhere. I'm negative, sorry. I know there are people out there that still care about other people. Just don't see it like I used to. : (