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 am a new nursing student and I have found that a few seasoned nurses were reluctant to help or even answer if I had a question. Then again, there were others that were kind. It is very intimidating when you are first learning and need guidance. Why is it that people feel better about themselves when they make others feel small?
Why is it that although you found there were seasoned nurses who were kind you chose to focus on the few who were reluctant to help you?
Every profession has "bad apples that ruin the bunch" I have experienced great nurses and the "meat eaters" as well. Not all nurses eat their young. (BUT SOME DO!!! Yikes! :chair:)
To all experienced nurses who nuture us new nurses, thank you!! You dont go unappreciated...
I have read Ms. Cardillo's article and she writes well. Her book for First Year Nurses is very encouraging with great tips and strategies. I can understand why many on this board respond to this cliche and broad stroke generalization about "nurses eat their young", BUT there is a growing body of articles in nursing journals that supports a disturbing trend of "horizontal violence" amongst nurses (peer to peer, instructor to student, and management to subordinate); and this trend appears to be an international phenomenon. I find it alarming to Google "horizontal violence" and the returns are nearly all related to nursing. Suzanne Gordon wrote "Nursing Against Odds" that details at length the challenges nurses face today including horizontal violence. She also provides a succinct history of nursing and the many socio-political and socio-economic dynamics involved.
That said I agree with Tweety (if I understood correctly) that we are all responsible for our individual behavior and action. I think it is a fair generalization to say that many nurses enter the field because they care about other human beings and have some modicum of compassion to alleviate suffering. After all there are easier ways to earn money. It is possible that the health care system places nurses in a situation where far more weighs on them than other professionals and there is little outlet for frustration. Profit margin and humanity are (in my opinion) diametrically opposed concepts and realities.
I have experienced quite a bit of the negatives and questioned my sanity at times, as have my classmates. I feel as a male at times I am hold to a different standard, but all I can do is my best and find the help I need. Isn't this the same in all endeavors in Life? What I know for certainty is that my peers have had to learn more than the nurses of twenty years ago, and I have no doubt in twenty years from now I will be stunned at what those future nurses need to learn. Maybe then I will be a little gray around the muzzle but kinder and choose not to sink my teeth in new flesh. A sense of humor is a necessity because we are dealing with others at a time of their most profound vulnerability. Hope we can remember to be professional and knowing that one day we are the one in that bed.
I have read Ms. Cardillo's article and she writes well. Her book for First Year Nurses is very encouraging with great tips and strategies. I can understand why many on this board respond to this cliche and broad stroke generalization about "nurses eat their young", BUT there is a growing body of articles in nursing journals that supports a disturbing trend of "horizontal violence" amongst nurses (peer to peer, instructor to student, and management to subordinate); and this trend appears to be an international phenomenon. I find it alarming to Google "horizontal violence" and the returns are nearly all related to nursing. Suzanne Gordon wrote "Nursing Against Odds" that details at length the challenges nurses face today including horizontal violence. She also provides a succinct history of nursing and the many socio-political and socio-economic dynamics involved.
That said I agree with Tweety (if I understood correctly) that we are all responsible for our individual behavior and action. I think it is a fair generalization to say that many nurses enter the field because they care about other human beings and have some modicum of compassion to alleviate suffering. After all there are easier ways to earn money. It is possible that the health care system places nurses in a situation where far more weighs on them than other professionals and there is little outlet for frustration. Profit margin and humanity are (in my opinion) diametrically opposed concepts and realities.
I have experienced quite a bit of the negatives and questioned my sanity at times, as have my classmates. I feel as a male at times I am hold to a different standard, but all I can do is my best and find the help I need. Isn't this the same in all endeavors in Life? What I know for certainty is that my peers have had to learn more than the nurses of twenty years ago, and I have no doubt in twenty years from now I will be stunned at what those future nurses need to learn. Maybe then I will be a little gray around the muzzle but kinder and choose not to sink my teeth in new flesh. A sense of humor is a necessity because we are dealing with others at a time of their most profound vulnerability. Hope we can remember to be professional and knowing that one day we are the one in that bed.
Excellent post! Welcome to allnurses.com. I like your writing style.
to me being a nurse means being entrenched in the human condition everywhere you turn. often the most disturbing behavior is found in our coworkers and those on our healthcare team. you see humanity at its best and at its worst.
nurses are no better or no worse than anyone else. you will find all types in the nursing field. there are a few characters i like to keep in mind so that when i am confronted with nurses who i find difficult, or not, i can think of the character and it helps me deal with them....
1) the alpha nurse.... the one who tries to dominate everything, when someone asks a question, she will answer it, when the phone rings, she will answer it, if something is being discussed, she has to get in on it and make sure everyone knows her opinion, if there is a pt transferring to your unit, she will run the transfer. she is not necessarily the know it all, but she tries to be in charge of it all, even if she isn't charge.
2) the know it all nurse.....she knows everything and it is her way or the highway. she know all the policies and procedures and can cite them chapter and verse...
3) the "i am so much better than you, you don't deserve to breath the same air i am breathing" nurse.....
4) the shy, quiet and retiring nurse....
5) the 'i need help all the time' nurse....
6) the fun loving, center of attention nurse....
7) the approval seeker nurse......
8) the massively insecure nurse....
9) the "do not make me work hard" nurse....
10) the "brown noser" nurse......
11) the "social butterfly" nurse....
12) the "it is time for my break" nurse.....
13) the average "just trying to do my job the best that i can" nurse...
i do feel that most of us belong to #13, we are just trying to do our best... but as in life, there are those other characters that can make things very trying... i also strongly believe that if a person rubs you the wrong way, it is very likely that you are not the only one who feels that way. personally, for me it was very difficult to let the crap just roll off my back and to not let it bother me. i think those people who "eat their young" continue to try to eat most all of us...we just have learned to cope with it or have trained the person that it is not ok to do that with us. at some point we have all had to stand up against bullies.
As a nursing student I would like to say something on this topic. I found the article interesting but I would have to say the idea of someone "eating their young" is actually kind of humorous to me. Let me explain. When I hear the horror stories that basically start "Once upon a time a nurse made me feel like a heel......" I kind of get the glazed over look because, just from what I have been around through personal experience as the daughter of a physician and a nurse and on clinical rounds at the hospital and nursing homes, when a nurse begins the "barking" I find it as her/him challenging me to do better, think smarter, and all-around kick me in the pants. I don't see this as a profession for men or women who can wear their hearts on their sleeves, God knows if they did they wouldn't last long. Nurses are in the trenches of the medical war that goes on day in and day out. If people could actually take what they see as a negative experience "Being eaten by a more experienced and WISER nurse" and turn it into a "Ok, now you have challenged me and I will show you JUST how dedicated I am" situation, newer nurses would gain more confidence in their own ability as well as making the "FEEDERS of the young" take notice. Sometimes in life we have to take off the black and gray glasses that take the color out of our world.
13) the average "just trying to do my job the best that i can" nurse...
i do feel that most of us belong to #13, we are just trying to do our best... but as in life, there are those other characters that can make things very trying... i also strongly believe that if a person rubs you the wrong way, it is very likely that you are not the only one who feels that way. personally, for me it was very difficult to let the crap just roll off my back and to not let it bother me. i think those people who "eat their young" continue to try to eat most all of us...we just have learned to cope with it or have trained the person that it is not ok to do that with us. at some point we have all had to stand up against bullies.
i agree that there are a wide variety of nurses out there.
the point you make, that i would like to support is that most of us are really just trying to do the best we can and that it's unfair and inaccurate to label the entire profession as one that "eats our young". there are nurses that eat their young for sure, new nurses meet them probably every day. we need to have the skills to deal with them. but to tell new nurses that "nurses eat their young" is crazy. every single one of us targeting a new grad nurse??? would any survive that first year? if they did do they then move on to because a nurse that eats their young?
Nurses could be doing some great things for their profession, and their patients. Nurses should not have time to "eat their young", as there are more important issues at hand.
When I did orientation 3 yrs ago on L & d I had one great preceptor who I had for the main part. She was patient, kind and very caring. I nominated her that yr for nurse of distinction award and she won.
The rest of the nurses were nasty, cruel, very impatient and I left almost every day crying and vowing to quit. I signed a clause in my contract that if I left before 1 yr, I would have to pay a few thousand dollars to the hospital. That's the only thing that kept me there.
Nurses do eat their young for the most part. It's sad, but true. You have some that are kind and patient, but I believe that is because that's their nature.
I precepted when the newbies came to the unit as well as travelers. I tried to be kind and showing them not all of us are hard hearted.
It didn't work with all the new ones and I often had to be mean, tough, and repetitive.
While I didn't like doing so, it was often necessary. These are lives we deal with on L & D in very volatile situations that call for immediate and efficient response.
The one's that I really like I will continue to help them immensely, even if it means being tough. It does make them better nurses in the end. I do tell them off the bat that they are getting a b*^ch.
The ones that become great nurses always say thank you.
Specializes in Trauma,ER,CCU/OHU/Nsg Ed/Nsg Research.
I signed a clause in my contract that if I left before 1 yr, I would have to pay a few thousand dollars to the hospital. That's the only thing that kept me there.
The only way I would've signed that contract is if it were for tuition reimbursement. I hope that was the case. :uhoh21:
Not all nurses eat their young. (BUT SOME DO!!! Yikes! :chair:)
Spidey's mom, ADN, BSN, RN
11,305 Posts
You are correct sir . . . . the answer is NO. :balloons::balloons::balloons:
steph