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 experienced some of the nurses "eating their young". My preceptor was one of them. But after going through that hellish experience (one that I would never wish on anyone), I have come to realize that she had some problems in her own life and she was just an overall unhappy person. She made me feel stupid, she laughed at me, she made me do her dirty work, etc. And this was my first glance at nursing, as this was my first nursing job ever, my first time ever working in a hospital.
Most of the nurses were great, but I did run into a couple of others that were of the same mind frame with eating their young. A few of them made me cry and really dread coming to work ..... they made me physically sick to my stomach. Like I said, some of the nurses were great though and that's what kept me staying there for as long as I did (a whole 5 months). They took me under their wings and told me "it's not like this everywhere, you're young ..... spread your wings!"
And that's what I did, after dealing with that for 5 months I moved on. And it's the best thing I ever did.
The place I currently work at .....
Sure there were very hard and trying times when I was on orientation, but for the most part it was a great experience. Still now, being a new nurse, I never feel like I'm in an environment where the nurses eat their young. I've NEVER once been afraid to ask someone for help or ask a question. Everyone is extremely supportive, helpful, and encouraging. We have some great teachers that precept and it seems like they really enjoy teaching.
Don't get me wrong, it's not all sunshine and rainbows .... of course we have a few people that aren't exactly the most friendly and helpful, but they don't precept and they just do their own thing. But even then, they're not unbearable and they're at least civil to students and to the new people. Some people are just better resources to go to with questions and help.
If I hadn't left that old hospital and met all the great teachers and co-workers at my current hospital ..... I probably would have quit nursing altogether. I'm grateful for the nurse at my old hospital that told me to go find something else better. I'm grateful for the nurses at my current hospital that took me in with open arms and showed me that not all nurses eat their young. All of this has shown me how even some little thing we do or say, can really impact someone's thinking and therefore their life and career.
To all the preceptors and experienced nurses that support and help the newer nurses ..... THANK YOU! I know it can be hard and trying, especially when you're busy with your own assignment, dealing with your own issues, and just not in the mood to answer another question or precept another new grad or student. There's some people that are just not cut out for precepting/teaching ... and that's fine, they shouldn't be forced to precept or take on a student because it just makes for a bad day all around, for all parties involved. That's why having people that do like precepting and teaching is SO IMPORTANT, so they don't have to force people to do it. You're all awesome, thanks for all you do!
i use to be a charge nurse too....got tired of the extra responsibility, lack of respect and constant complaints from the staff about schedules and "not being fair" when i bent over backwards for them....not to mention the pay hike wasn't that great to do it....
have you been spying on me?? that descrbes my job to a tee! lol
i liked doing the students too....so great to see the "i got it" look in the eyes when it finally clicks for them.....i have gotten thankyou cards, letters and even flowers from some students and one girl i precepted for new grad gave me a gift card to a restaurant for 40.00 after she was done and on her own....
i got you beat. i got a $150 gift certificate to a fancy restaurant. neener neener neener............
Specializes in Med/Surg/Ortho/HH/Radiology-Now Retired.
I got you beat. I got a $150 gift certificate to a fancy restaurant. neener neener neener............
Ohhh, you're such a show off, Tweety! lol
A friend once received an around country trip for two from one of her patients! I know it's not a staffer, but just the same, I was amazed at the generosity! I didn't think it was permitted to accept such a gift.
Specializes in Med/Surg/Ortho/HH/Radiology-Now Retired.
You know, I wonder if old, retired, ducks like me were to volunteer to precept students, would it make any difference to how the paid members of the staff treat them?
Perhaps others like me who still have their grey matter functioning reasonably well, could volunteer a couple of days a week and ease the "burden" on the overworked, understaffed regular employee.
Afterall, why not utilise us older, experienced, retired nurses, who might just be willing to help, and pass along our knowledge plus have the tolerance and patience and haven't quite forgotten what being young and new was like! Oh, and we've totally gotten over ourselves too! lol
You know, I wonder if old, retired, ducks like me were to volunteer to precept students, would it make any difference to how the paid members of the staff treat them?
Perhaps others like me who still have their grey matter functioning reasonably well, could volunteer a couple of days a week and ease the "burden" on the overworked, understaffed regular employee.
Afterall, why not utilise us older, experienced, retired nurses, who might just be willing to help, and pass along our knowledge plus have the tolerance and patience and haven't quite forgotten what being young and new was like! Oh, and we've totally gotten over ourselves too! lol
I'm partly kidding, of course!
But, I do wonder ...........
This is such a good idea that you know it'll never happen. Wouldn't that be nice, though. To have someone kind of shadow the newbies, who could give them little tricks of the trade and talk them through procedures in a way that they wouldn't scare them up a tree.
I suppose the big issue would be liablity. But if that could be hammered out somehow, it seems like everyone would benefit.
I have witnessed and experienced the "eating of young" on occassion. I like precepting new staff and helping nursing students when they are on the unit. I find that some of the nurses that do this are unhappy either professionally or personally, some I can't figure out why. I am currently going back to school for BSN and just started clinical where people may not know I am an RN, so it will be interesting to see if anyone tries to take a bite. Luckily, my skin in recent yrs has gotten tougher and may not be too tasty.
i won't elaborate, but i haven't had a great experience. I just graduated this past spring and have been made to feel very stupid on the unit i chose to work. maybe i'm in the wrong place?
Carrie I feel that the people on your unit are stupid and not you. They have forgot that they were once new on the job also. People can be very cruel at times, but we have to be strong an take a lot of things that come our way and never let anyone run you away from the department that you are working in. Eventhough you are out of school you still have to study the things that you are having trouble in. Overlook them and have a better day tomorrow. We all will have bad experiences, and we all will learn from them. I am a CNA and I felt very stupid on my first job. The nurses were very cruel to me, but they didn't run me away. I asked questions and was willing to learn. Now they always want me to work on their unit. Cheer up. You passed boards and you are going to be a great nurse.
i won't elaborate, but i haven't had a great experience. I just graduated this past spring and have been made to feel very stupid on the unit i chose to work. maybe i'm in the wrong place?
No one owns your feelings and can't make you feel anything. You're in charge of how you feel.
I was a new nurse on my current unit (gee where did all the years go? 15 years later I'm still here???) and the assistance manager, who had no people skills walked up to me in report, "you screwed up twice last night, blah blah blah, how does that make you feel?".
Me: "I don't feel to good about that, but this conversation needs to be held in private." I went over her head and reported her unprofessional behavior. It probably went in one ear and out the other, but she never tried to make me feel bad in a group again. Today she's my boss.
Personally, I couldn't work on a unit where all the nurses were unsupportive. One or two yes, there's always them wherever you go, and it's up to us to not allow them space in our head, to have the skills to deal with them assertively. But if it's everyone, I personally wouldn't be happy there.
I have seen many burned out older nurses that think it is taking too much time to teach the new nurses. I have also seen the greatest patient and caring teachers in older nurses as well. I think it is a combination of the individual, teacher and student(many new nurses come out of school with attitudes and that will turn away the older nurses.) It is about respect. Respect experience and respect education. I try to pass on my knowledge in a nonjudgemental enviroment and get great results. We forget the new nurses of today will be our personal nurses of tomorrow when we need medical care.
There will always be a few clinkers in the bunch. But other than that, I believe that respect filters downward. If management treats their seasoned nurses in a reasonable, respectful manner, they will be much more likely to pass that consideration on to the newbies. If management disrepects staff nurses by grossly understaffing on a regular basis, allowing toxic behavior in the workplace, refusing to pay extra for precepting (or acknowledging that effort in some other significant way), mentoring a new nurse becomes like trying to fill a cup from an empty pitcher.
RainDreamer, BSN, RN
3,571 Posts
The place I worked at before .....
I experienced some of the nurses "eating their young". My preceptor was one of them. But after going through that hellish experience (one that I would never wish on anyone), I have come to realize that she had some problems in her own life and she was just an overall unhappy person. She made me feel stupid, she laughed at me, she made me do her dirty work, etc. And this was my first glance at nursing, as this was my first nursing job ever, my first time ever working in a hospital.
Most of the nurses were great, but I did run into a couple of others that were of the same mind frame with eating their young. A few of them made me cry and really dread coming to work ..... they made me physically sick to my stomach. Like I said, some of the nurses were great though and that's what kept me staying there for as long as I did (a whole 5 months). They took me under their wings and told me "it's not like this everywhere, you're young ..... spread your wings!"
And that's what I did, after dealing with that for 5 months I moved on. And it's the best thing I ever did.
The place I currently work at .....
Sure there were very hard and trying times when I was on orientation, but for the most part it was a great experience. Still now, being a new nurse, I never feel like I'm in an environment where the nurses eat their young. I've NEVER once been afraid to ask someone for help or ask a question. Everyone is extremely supportive, helpful, and encouraging. We have some great teachers that precept and it seems like they really enjoy teaching.
Don't get me wrong, it's not all sunshine and rainbows .... of course we have a few people that aren't exactly the most friendly and helpful, but they don't precept and they just do their own thing. But even then, they're not unbearable and they're at least civil to students and to the new people. Some people are just better resources to go to with questions and help.
If I hadn't left that old hospital and met all the great teachers and co-workers at my current hospital ..... I probably would have quit nursing altogether. I'm grateful for the nurse at my old hospital that told me to go find something else better. I'm grateful for the nurses at my current hospital that took me in with open arms and showed me that not all nurses eat their young. All of this has shown me how even some little thing we do or say, can really impact someone's thinking and therefore their life and career.
To all the preceptors and experienced nurses that support and help the newer nurses ..... THANK YOU! I know it can be hard and trying, especially when you're busy with your own assignment, dealing with your own issues, and just not in the mood to answer another question or precept another new grad or student. There's some people that are just not cut out for precepting/teaching ... and that's fine, they shouldn't be forced to precept or take on a student because it just makes for a bad day all around, for all parties involved. That's why having people that do like precepting and teaching is SO IMPORTANT, so they don't have to force people to do it. You're all awesome, thanks for all you do!