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.
Even though I'm not a new nurse, I must say that I was practically eaten alive this weekend. Charge nurse did every thing possible to ensure a miserable shift for 2 days. Gotta love it! Still recovering with swollen hands.
I had a coworker who has been driving me nuts lately with all her yaking who initially would not stop her "conference with a family member" to come okay my insulin and I was fully garbed in an isolation patients room. She was the only one in site, and when I said "excuse me Tallulah, I need you to okay my insulin" she snapped and said "I AM IN CONFERENCE RIGHT NOW!" I stated firmly, "Yes, I see you are, BUT you are the only nurse available!" She practically threw her badge at me, instead of coming to the doorway of the isolation room which was all of 4 steps from where she was standing with her patient's family member. Later in the break room she encountered me and said "I am sorry about that but I WAS IN CONFERENCE." I replied, "I could see that but I was between a knot and a hard place.....and I did say excuse me!" Her reply was something like "It will be what it will be!"
This woman is rude, and talks all the time. She was flagrant in her disregard for the rules and disrespectful toward me. I don't know that it had anything to do with me still being fairly new, I think she was just rude. I wonder what her approach would have been had the situation been reversed?
I had a run of not too difficult patients this past week, but they were each and every one in isolation with all requiring accuchecks and she happened to be the one with patients in the nearby rooms, so I had the pleasure of working closely with her my entire schedule, YUK, Yuk, DOUBLE YUK! She is not one of those who will go out of her way to be mean, but is one who will never offer to help you and if you make a request, 2 out of 3 times she can't do it for what ever reason. She was already on my "don't even ask" list, but in this situation I had to ask her. To make matters worse, she is very loud and thinks she knows everything about everything. She doesn't seem to know a whole lot to me. Well here I have run on and on about one person, so obviously she is taking up too much space in my head, free rent! :grn:LOL! Just venting.
Specializes in med surg, geriatric, clinical, pool.
Never heard the phrase before, though Im not surprised considering how many sob stories I read on this site. Still, its human nature to abuse those in your power if you have been abused yourself. So I dont think its unique to nurses or around simply for the sake of tradition.
On the other hand, they could just do it to weed out the weak. If you cant take a little abuse, why are you in nursing?
Who is in nursing to take abuse? I wasn't and I doubt anyone likes being abused...would you?
I have heard the term "weed out", and that is a bunch of malarky. If you make it through the entire nursing program one has pretty much prepared, but then again I experienced rudeness, backstabbing, noncompassionate nurses that I never met in everyday life! And to me that is sad and pitiful that we as nurses can't treat the very people we work beside with respect.
NO one deserves to be torn down. I have been there more than once and I truely wish I could forget such ..... people! I was a happy person before nursing, now I don't think I could go back to nursing. What a shame when I gave so much of me to this profession.
Just biding my time. What comes around goes around as far as I'm concerned. Thanks for the inspiration. :thnkg:Thinking evil thoughts!!!!!!!!!HAHAHAHAHAHHA!!!!!!!!!!
I had a coworker who has been driving me nuts lately with all her yaking who initially would not stop her "conference with a family member" to come okay my insulin and I was fully garbed in an isolation patients room. She was the only one in site, and when I said "excuse me Tallulah, I need you to okay my insulin" she snapped and said "I AM IN CONFERENCE RIGHT NOW!" I stated firmly, "Yes, I see you are, BUT you are the only nurse available!" She practically threw her badge at me, instead of coming to the doorway of the isolation room which was all of 4 steps from where she was standing with her patient's family member. Later in the break room she encountered me and said "I am sorry about that but I WAS IN CONFERENCE." I replied, "I could see that but I was between a knot and a hard place.....and I did say excuse me!" Her reply was something like "It will be what it will be!"
This woman is rude, and talks all the time. She was flagrant in her disregard for the rules and disrespectful toward me. I don't know that it had anything to do with me still being fairly new, I think she was just rude. I wonder what her approach would have been had the situation been reversed?
I had a run of not too difficult patients this past week, but they were each and every one in isolation with all requiring accuchecks and she happened to be the one with patients in the nearby rooms, so I had the pleasure of working closely with her my entire schedule, YUK, Yuk, DOUBLE YUK! She is not one of those who will go out of her way to be mean, but is one who will never offer to help you and if you make a request, 2 out of 3 times she can't do it for what ever reason. She was already on my "don't even ask" list, but in this situation I had to ask her. To make matters worse, she is very loud and thinks she knows everything about everything. She doesn't seem to know a whole lot to me. Well here I have run on and on about one person, so obviously she is taking up too much space in my head, free rent! :grn:LOL! Just venting.
Mahage
Got to love them "Know it alls." My charge nurse actually took the time out of her busy schedule of sitting on her butt to come and find me(while I was in an isolation room for respiratory and contact MRSA)to tell me 2 of my IV machines were beeping. GEEZ!!!!!!Cant' ya see I'm a little busy here?" Ya would think after all that time searching for me, she could have just gone in and stopped the pump and flushed the IV........I swear......sometimes I just wonder how these people even managed to obtain their position.
Got to love them "Know it alls." My charge nurse actually took the time out of her busy schedule of sitting on her butt to come and find me(while I was in an isolation room for respiratory and contact MRSA)to tell me 2 of my IV machines were beeping. GEEZ!!!!!!Cant' ya see I'm a little busy here?" Ya would think after all that time searching for me, she could have just gone in and stopped the pump and flushed the IV........I swear......sometimes I just wonder how these people even managed to obtain their position.
Sounds like one of our charges! Or maybe "Tallulah" was in charge on your unit, LOL! No actually she wouldn't do that, she would let someones Dobhoff tube go and get clogged before she would flush it for you and certainly wouldn't come get you. So ya know she wouldn't have tracked you down to tell you about your IV's. :icon_roll
You are absolutely right, what goes round comes round!
Specializes in med surg, geriatric, clinical, pool.
Sounds like one of our charges! Or maybe "Tallulah" was in charge on your unit, LOL! No actually she wouldn't do that, she would let someones Dobhoff tube go and get clogged before she would flush it for you and certainly wouldn't come get you. So ya know she wouldn't have tracked you down to tell you about your IV's. :icon_roll
You are absolutely right, what goes round comes round!
Mahage
Seems we all know such negligent nurses, guess they don't think of serving their pts like most nurses who actually care. Something is down right wrong with a fellow nurse who won't stop to help another who is busy! And they should be fired on the spot!
yes some nurses do eat their young and anyone else who gets in their way lol, but not all of them do. I had it happen to me and i was left crying in a supply closet . Have i done it to someone....? yep i have then i felt bad, and learned to take a minute and count to 3, and remember my own experience. :heartbeat
Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.
yes some nurses do eat their young and anyone else who gets in their way lol, but not all of them do. i had it happen to me and i was left crying in a supply closet . have i done it to someone....? yep i have then i felt bad, and learned to take a minute and count to 3, and remember my own experience. :heartbeat
nearly 2000 posts and while the majority of posters claim that "nurses eat their young," you're the first nurse who has actually admitted to doing so! good for you!
i personally think that's a misleading and invalid statement and that if "young" don't get along with certain nurses they work with, they ought to take some responsibility for figuring out how to get along. but since the majority of posters claim that nurses do it their young, then they ought to take responsibility for doing some of the young-eating. yours is the first post i've read where someone actually has! the majority seem to believe that it's only "someone else" who munches on young and that they are blameless.
nearly 2000 posts and while the majority of posters claim that "nurses eat their young," you're the first nurse who has actually admitted to doing so! good for you!
i personally think that's a misleading and invalid statement and that if "young" don't get along with certain nurses they work with, they ought to take some responsibility for figuring out how to get along. but since the majority of posters claim that nurses do it their young, then they ought to take responsibility for doing some of the young-eating. yours is the first post i've read where someone actually has! the majority seem to believe that it's only "someone else" who munches on young and that they are blameless.
ruby, it is my belief that the worst perpetrators don't believe that they do it, or if their behavior is anything like described then it is because the "young" don't know how to behave or "get along with coworkers" and thus it is their responsibility, not the responsibility of the perpetrator. i have fresh tooth marks in my tail and take total responsibility for being less than up on everything that i should be up on, but you know, i learn loads better from constructive criticism (and yes i can take it) than i do derogatory remarks rather than instruction and advice during a crisis.
Specializes in med surg, geriatric, clinical, pool.
nearly 2000 posts and while the majority of posters claim that "nurses eat their young," you're the first nurse who has actually admitted to doing so! good for you!
i personally think that's a misleading and invalid statement and that if "young" don't get along with certain nurses they work with, they ought to take some responsibility for figuring out how to get along. but since the majority of posters claim that nurses do it their young, then they ought to take responsibility for doing some of the young-eating. yours is the first post i've read where someone actually has! the majority seem to believe that it's only "someone else" who munches on young and that they are blameless.
oh, then what should i have answered to my head nurse when she asked if i was busy fluffing pillows? i was actually helping pts to the bathroom which the 3-11 nurse she would do, but never did!
Mahage, LPN
376 Posts
I hope those swollen hands are from bashing back!
Mahage