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.
Specializes in Gerontological, cardiac, med-surg, peds.
Nurse eating is endemic to the culture of nursing. It begins in nursing school, unfortunately, with constant emphasis on performance and "measuring up." This emphasis on performance, performance, performance, can be a killer to the student with poor self-esteem. Our culture of performance-orientation has the rationale to protect the patients and public from inept nurses. I agree that the standard has to be high, but we must be careful that in the process we don't so traumatize people and flatten people's egos that all they can do to feel good about themselves is to compare themselves to someone else with "poorer performance." Team work and supporting one another needs to be emphasized as a counter balance, perhaps incorporated into the grading criteria of nursing school.
Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.
Originally posted by VickyRN
Nurse eating is endemic to the culture of nursing. It begins in nursing school, unfortunately, with constant emphasis on performance and "measuring up." This emphasis on performance, performance, performance, can be a killer to the student with poor self-esteem. Our culture of performance-orientation has the rationale to protect the patients and public from inept nurses. I agree that the standard has to be high, but we must be careful that in the process we don't so traumatize people and flatten people's egos that all they can do to feel good about themselves is to compare themselves to someone else with "poorer performance." Team work and supporting one another needs to be emphasized as a counter balance, perhaps incorporated into the grading criteria of nursing school.
This "culture" is pervasive throughout our society. It is not limited to nursing or to WOMEN either. WE do need to employ a bit of the "golden rule" in WHATEVER we do---but also protect ourselves and stand up for our own rights just a bit. It's part of being in the big bad ole world these days, sadly.
Nurse eating is endemic to the culture of nursing. It begins in nursing school, unfortunately, with constant emphasis on performance and "measuring up." This emphasis on performance, performance, performance, can be a killer to the student with poor self-esteem. Our culture of performance-orientation has the rationale to protect the patients and public from inept nurses. I agree that the standard has to be high, but we must be careful that in the process we don't so traumatize people and flatten people's egos that all they can do to feel good about themselves is to compare themselves to someone else with "poorer performance." Team work and supporting one another needs to be emphasized as a counter balance, perhaps incorporated into the grading criteria of nursing school.
Vicky I totally agree this whole phenomenon is fuelled by unrealistic expectations (not just high standards) + lack of research into nursing actions + difficulty in applying defined actions to patient care variables + Theory practice gap + unit to unit hospital to hospital variance in known procedures and you end up with a profession where anyones opinion is as good as thenext mans/ womans/ aliens. With no verifible certainties and a large variance in how to apply our basic "principles" does make nursing a very different profession to say, working at a local supermarket.
Hi all...I'm new to the forum but I've just got to put in my two cents based soley on my own experience for the past year and a half. From being told that "I'd loose that smile soon enough" to "haven't you ever heard nurses eat their young" I have been raked over the coals. Patients love me, families love me, Doc's and I get along great (which earned me the rep of screwing anything/everything in pants.....and I haven't gone near any of them!) I have made a point of involving myself in as many learning experiences as I could....never said no to ANY JOB that needed doing, worked the crappiest shifts and done everything I can think of to get along. It's all earned me many headaches from the stress of not letting them see me cry. From those few who I think are trying to be helpful, I hear repeatedly that the others are jealous. Personally, this is the most rediculous thing in the world. I've been through hell most of my life and at 44 am just starting out. Telling them some of my life story earned me the nickname of Cinderella. Sweet aren't they! My nurse manager, unfortunately has not been of any help.....when I went to her for support after a secretary screamed at me for 15 mins. at the nurses station and I wanted her written up.....I was told that I had a "bad attitude". I have never, ever been told such a thing and actually have never, ever had a problem getting along with people. I'm writing today because my experience has been that people in general are not like this. I'll admit I've been pretty freaked out about this and was afraid that it was going to be like this everywhere. There have been no complaints about my nursing abilities and for that I'm proud and thankful.......one of the NA's said they could lie about some things but that was one area where they couldn't get away with it. I was pretty scared during my first eval because I knew I need that as my reference for my next job. I've yet to figure out a way to explain what 's been happening to me without sounding whiny and that is just so not me. So.....bottom line....I'm looking to get out before I blow, crack or otherwise give up! LOL.
I can only pray that my next position will give back some of the faith I had about teamwork and nursing in general that I had when I hit the floor that first day. Well, thanks for letting me vent and now I'm off to bed.....have an interview tomorrow.........
Hi all...I'm new to the forum but I've just got to put in my two cents based soley on my own experience for the past year and a half. From being told that "I'd loose that smile soon enough" to "haven't you ever heard nurses eat their young" I have been raked over the coals. Patients love me, families love me, Doc's and I get along great (which earned me the rep of screwing anything/everything in pants.....and I haven't gone near any of them!) I have made a point of involving myself in as many learning experiences as I could....never said no to ANY JOB that needed doing, worked the crappiest shifts and done everything I can think of to get along. It's all earned me many headaches from the stress of not letting them see me cry. From those few who I think are trying to be helpful, I hear repeatedly that the others are jealous. Personally, this is the most rediculous thing in the world. I've been through hell most of my life and at 44 am just starting out. Telling them some of my life story earned me the nickname of Cinderella. Sweet aren't they! My nurse manager, unfortunately has not been of any help.....when I went to her for support after a secretary screamed at me for 15 mins. at the nurses station and I wanted her written up.....I was told that I had a "bad attitude". I have never, ever been told such a thing and actually have never, ever had a problem getting along with people. I'm writing today because my experience has been that people in general are not like this. I'll admit I've been pretty freaked out about this and was afraid that it was going to be like this everywhere. There have been no complaints about my nursing abilities and for that I'm proud and thankful.......one of the NA's said they could lie about some things but that was one area where they couldn't get away with it. I was pretty scared during my first eval because I knew I need that as my reference for my next job. I've yet to figure out a way to explain what 's been happening to me without sounding whiny and that is just so not me. So.....bottom line....I'm looking to get out before I blow, crack or otherwise give up! LOL.
I can only pray that my next position will give back some of the faith I had about teamwork and nursing in general that I had when I hit the floor that first day. Well, thanks for letting me vent and now I'm off to bed.....have an interview tomorrow.........
I am so sorry it has been this way for you, and I believe every single word you have written. It really is like this. I am just a NA, so I cannot totally understand the stress you are under. I had an odd thing happen on my last job. The nurses I worked with said I was their best, but when I went for my review, the RN that supervised me gave me a rating of 2 out of 4 and told me I worked too hard and too well. Hmmm. Strange world, nursing.
Dont give up on nursing, but dont hang around for abuse. I am sure you have made some good contacts. Move on to a place where you know the people are not loony bins.
I've been a pre-nursing student for a year....IMHO it's already happening way before getting into nursing school. AT my school the competition for good grades is so fierce and the behavior of some students is so outrageous you've got to watch your every move or you might end up with a knife in your back
Specializes in Critical Care, Cardiothoracics, VADs.
I would have to agree with Catlady's original comments, and echo them. This is not merely a "nursing" issue, it seems related to the fact that most people in the profession are women, and unfortuntely, women tend to be their own worst enemies (as a group) a lot of the time.
I also agree that MDs support each other (again, probably because they are mostly men, and that is what men do) overall - which is why doctors have stronger representation and get more money than nurses: they stick together to fight the battles together which affect them all.
I work in a corporate environment now, and to some degree, there are always going to be people that are unhappy and take it out on others, but nowhere near the degree that it happens in nursing.
I was fortunate to have superb mentors, but I was also involved in the care of patient whose case ended up in the coroner's court, and the doctors were more supportive than my "team" of nurses, who could not distance themselves quickly enough.
Catlady is absolutely right though - why do we call them "our young"? I am not a mother, I am a professional. New nurses (young or old) are the future of our profession, and we owe them a service of teaching them about the profession they have entered.. PROFESSIONALLY.
To all new nurses, I would say: you know nothing about nursing. You can't, until you've done it. It is not something you can learn at school, that only prepares you for the experience. What you can bring is a fresh point of view, a professional attitude, and an eagerness to learn. Treat more experienced nurses as potential role models, and assume they will act as such. Stand up for yourself if challenged, and never apologize for being inexperienced - we all were. Most of all, I hope you learn the feeling of "I am a nurse". It's not just a job which you do, it is something you are, deep inside - and I for one, am proud to be one.
Off-topic: It really p**ses me off when people ask why I never went to medical school. It implies that I was smart enough to "step up" to being a doctor. I always tell them with a smile that I wanted to be a nurse, and not a doctor, although I had the choice to do either, and explain that it is significantly different work, despite being in the same field. Why do people insist on viewing nurses as "doctors' helpers" instead of professionals in their own right?
Here's a question -- as a new grad or a nursing student, how do you tactfully handle a situation where someone is "eating you"?
Everyone says not to take B.S., but nobody explains how. If you stand up to these people, it may bite you in the lunar side. So how do you "not take the B.S." AND avoid retaliation?
VickyRN, MSN, DNP, RN
49 Articles; 5,349 Posts
Nurse eating is endemic to the culture of nursing. It begins in nursing school, unfortunately, with constant emphasis on performance and "measuring up." This emphasis on performance, performance, performance, can be a killer to the student with poor self-esteem. Our culture of performance-orientation has the rationale to protect the patients and public from inept nurses. I agree that the standard has to be high, but we must be careful that in the process we don't so traumatize people and flatten people's egos that all they can do to feel good about themselves is to compare themselves to someone else with "poorer performance." Team work and supporting one another needs to be emphasized as a counter balance, perhaps incorporated into the grading criteria of nursing school.