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 nursing instructor, LPNs and CNAs. (Our small and esteemed LPN school just closed, and I think in great part because of lack of faculty, poor pay and long hours of unpaid prep time). I actually had a time sheet returned to me to remove work hours from my next paycheck. My experience: my students are trying to learn in a work environment filled with staff overwhelmed by their own workload. It takes time to mentor and maintain a positive attitude. Too often, my students were regarded as just a warm body to carry some of that work load. That horrible phrase "that shall not be spoken", con't to apply to one or two nurses, who singlehandedly raked my students over the coals, and sent them to the utility room in tears. Yes, she was counseled, yes, she was spoken to, ... so I just refused to assign my students to any of her patients. And tried to teach them that they only have control over how they react to something someone else says or does........and that professionalism, in view of the unspoken reality of that phrase.......is their responsibility. And no, I don't. But I saw it happen time after time.
Wilbur's mom: you sound like a teacher who really looks out for her students. I am sorry your school is closing. I am wondering if you have noticed if there is more bullying among RN's or LPN's or is it all the same? One of the hospitals that I did clinical at had major problems with bullying. I sure would hate to think that this is the norm at all hospitals.
i dont really agree with the saying that nurses eat their young. i believe that its really up to the individual nurse. when i had my first job, the AM nurse was trying to eat me but another experienced nurse saved me. eventually, the don got involved and chewed up the AM nurse on soo many occasions for me. ive only been an lpn for about a year now and im choosing to get my msn and become an ACNP not because of how "nurses eat their young" but for the autonomy and broader scope of practice.
I have to say that most of the nurses that I have worked with in my three years of nursing are great; While I understand that the learning curve is steep in nursing, there are nurses who enjoy seeing the new nurse fail; Call it eating our young or whatever; We, as nurses sometimes are not good to ourselves or each other; We do not stick together and when we see this happening, we don't step up and put a stop to it; Instead we gripe about the terminology
I beg your pardon, maybe some of us are "griping" because we do not eat our young, don't allow our young to be eaten and in fact nuture our young. My "gripe" is that people, instructors, etc. accept that "nurses eat their young" and it's insulting to the entire profession. I'm not particularly griping about terminology and semantics, but a mindset and acceptance that allows our profession to be degraded so.
I beg your pardon, maybe some of us are "griping" because we do not eat our young, don't allow our young to be eaten and in fact nuture our young. My "gripe" is that people, instructors, etc. accept that "nurses eat their young" and it's insulting to the entire profession. I'm not particularly griping about terminology and semantics, but a mindset and acceptance that allows our profession to be degraded so.
I have to say that most of the nurses that I have worked with in my three years of nursing are great; While I understand that the learning curve is steep in nursing, there are nurses who enjoy seeing the new nurse fail; Call it eating our young or whatever; We, as nurses sometimes are not good to ourselves or each other; We do not stick together and when we see this happening, we don't step up and put a stop to it; Instead we gripe about the terminology
Your post makes no sense. You state that the majority of the nurses you've worked with are great, but based on the actions of some, you're ready to paint the entire profession in a bad light. Instead of focusing on the mostly positive behavior you've seen, you focus on the negative.
So when people call you on it, they're not being picky about your terminology. They're just pointing out that you're being inconsistent. Oh, and what a nice way to say "thanks" to the majority of those nurses who have been so great for you to work with.
For those interested in the subject and research that supports the contention that this behavior occurs more frequently than any of us would like to believe, google, Nurse to Nurse Hostility. Then retrieve the book from the library. Very interesting read with information for those of us who are willing to stand up to the bullies and make change for the profession.
Those responders who have indicated "not all" nurses fit the description are correct, however, the public does not separate one bad apple from the collective "nursing Profession" and as a result, we all get the bad rap. What the float nurse did when she confronted the poor player was great and is a great starting place for the rest of us who embrace the future nurses and have not forgotten what it was like to be a student or a new nurse in an organization.
When we are silent and make excuses for the bad and inappropriate behavior of nurses who "don't like students or newbies" we a condoning the behavior and yes we to are demonstrating a negative image for our profession. Good professional behavior and manners should be the norm for ALL professional nurses, whether over worked or not.
Nanacarol
I agree completly! But, I have always thought that nurses who don't think it goes on are the nurses who are taking part in the eating!
I'm a new nurse and I've been eaten by experienced nurses about 3 times in the 2 months I've been working.
Yes, the VAST majority of all nurses are as nice as pie,
BUT
have you heard the customer statistic about how folks who have bad experiences will tell 10 people about it vs. they might tell one person about a good experience?
The same is true with these workplace situations.
The 3 or so really crappy experiences I've had so far just cloud the whole experience for me.
I like what someone said about the respect needing to be top-down. I think that might be a part of the problem in the organization I'm in.
Anyway, I left work this morning feeling like I need to look for a new job, and I've only been a nurse for 2 months.
wilbur's mom
66 Posts
I am a nursing instructor, LPNs and CNAs. (Our small and esteemed LPN school just closed, and I think in great part because of lack of faculty, poor pay and long hours of unpaid prep time). I actually had a time sheet returned to me to remove work hours from my next paycheck. My experience: my students are trying to learn in a work environment filled with staff overwhelmed by their own workload. It takes time to mentor and maintain a positive attitude. Too often, my students were regarded as just a warm body to carry some of that work load. That horrible phrase "that shall not be spoken", con't to apply to one or two nurses, who singlehandedly raked my students over the coals, and sent them to the utility room in tears. Yes, she was counseled, yes, she was spoken to, ... so I just refused to assign my students to any of her patients. And tried to teach them that they only have control over how they react to something someone else says or does........and that professionalism, in view of the unspoken reality of that phrase.......is their responsibility. And no, I don't. But I saw it happen time after time.