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'm sorry to say this but i am the young.. i was an lpn for 4 years and everyone tried to eat me.. don't get me wrong i had no problem with the older nurses i found most of them to be funny and very helpful but most of them were very clanish the worst were your nurse who had been nurse 2-7 years almost like they wanted to giv to me what they had been given .. as a matter of a fact the reason that i went back to school was because i never wanted to be pushed around and put down the way i was..at the end of the day it's nice to ike your co-workers but my experience is i do it for the patients... it's a tough profession i live in a tough city (miami).. we need to stick together and learn to work together all i know is that i will be kinder to those under me as well as other RN's because it's not a competition or an popularity contest we create a negative environment for patients.. and in nursing that new grad today may be your boss tomorrow.....
i'm sorry to say this but i am the young.. i was an lpn for 4 years and everyone tried to eat me.. don't get me wrong i had no problem with the older nurses i found most of them to be funny and very helpful but most of them were very clanish the worst were your nurse who had been nurse 2-7 years almost like they wanted to giv to me what they had been given .. as a matter of a fact the reason that i went back to school was because i never wanted to be pushed around and put down the way i was..at the end of the day it's nice to ike your co-workers but my experience is i do it for the patients... it's a tough profession i live in a tough city (miami).. we need to stick together and learn to work together all i know is that i will be kinder to those under me as well as other RN's because it's not a competition or an popularity contest we create a negative environment for patients.. and in nursing that new grad today may be your boss tomorrow.....
I'm not understanding you. First you say "everyone tried to eat me". Then you say that you had no trouble with the older nurses saying they were helpful and funny and finally you say most were clannish, etc.
I have a question for thos of of who niavely believe that the public (new nurses are part of the "public) sees us as individuals in the big context of things. We, ladies and gentleman are seen as NURSES and if just one of us crosses the line of professional expectation whether it is to treat one of our own badly or make a major med error or cross the picket line of is picked up after driving while intoxicated, it is alway, always referred to as "nurse" in the collective form. So, no you don't "eat our young, nor do I" but it does happen and it is happening every day in all work environments and the issue is not does it happen, reseach shows that it does, the issue is what do we do to make a change, one nurse at a time. Which of us is willing to speak up and redirect in a loving but firm manner when we see it or hear about it. Each of us can assume our professional responsibility to mentor not only the newbies but the senior nurses and model appropriate behavior. It is happening and just because you and I aren't participants does not change that fact. Nanacarol
I'm not understanding you. First you say "everyone tried to eat me". Then you say that you had no trouble with the older nurses saying they were helpful and funny and finally you say most were clannish, etc.
I'm confused.
I agree, I was confused by this too.
How can you say "everyone" tried to eat you when "most" were funny and helpful? Either they were trying to eat you OR they were funny/helpful, right? How can they be both??
Each of us can assume our professional responsibility to mentor not only the newbies but the senior nurses and model appropriate behavior. It is happening and just because you and I aren't participants does not change that fact. Nanacarol
I agree 100% it's our professional obligation to mentor our new graduates.
No one is saying that there are not nurses that eat their young.
The beef in the original article and my original point was I don't think that we as a profession should brand ourselves as one that eats it's young. Does it exist? Of course it does. Does it exist to the extent that you and I have to accept the lable that our entire profession is one that eats it's young. I don't think so. I get mildy aggitated when I read and hear "we are a profession that eats our young" or "I hear that nurses eat their young". It is demeaning to a profession that I'm proud to be a part of.
To deny that there are new grads having problems with experienced nurses is foolish. But to brand the entire profession...........sigh. Off my soapbox now.
let me clear this up the older nurses say 15-25 years were not the problem they were the only ones that understood and were helpful most of the problem was the other nurses that had been 1-10 were the truly horrible ones it was shocking that most had almost just been new grads and here they were.. typical teenage stuff ignoring me growing very silent when i would come around.. it could have been personal but i saw them do it to countless other new nurses. giving them the worst patients.. i realize tweety that maybe all parts of the country may not be that way but this is what i encountered as a student and as a new nurse.. I'm going to make a comment that may offened some but it's a suggestion i have heard before,the validity of it is questionable.. It's a profession mostly comprised of females and suprisingly woman can be extremely competitive and catty and again some become nurses for the wrong reason (money) it shows in their work ethic and compassion or lack thereof... most older nurses got inot this profession for the right reasons but again this may be why so many nurse quit this profession.. I think the people that can be hardest and cruelest to nurses are other nurses... maybe because of this we sometimes do not get the respect in our profession that we deserve.. when i mean respect i mean, treated with respect good patient to nurse ratios that don't compromise care and safety.. remember that law mandating mandatory lifts in hospitals? didn't pass.. We are the largest healthcare professions why are they're no laws to protect us.. food for thought when was the last time you saw a doctor bad mouth another doctor you can get on any elevator and find out the cheese on any floor.. i work at a hospital were nurses stand up so physicians can have their chairs and sometimes we get screamed at by these same doctors... Before someone counters with this is only my hospital i have seen it in other hospitals and heard the same from various other nurses...We want to be treated as a profession not as a trade we must learn to respect ourselves and our co-workers giving them a hand when they need to lift a patient.. a smile when they feel overwhelmed and generally being caring for each other as well as our patients.. hope this explains sometimes i need to vent this is just my opinion not a proven fact..
Nurses are people and like all people there will be nice people and there will be not so nice people.
I have come across really sweet experienced older nurses who will take the time to talk to you, greet you, and are just pleasant. Then, there are the nurses who will "eat" you simply because they are mean. These nurses are both young and old. I try to stay away from these nurses because although they may be nice to you one day, they'll be completely cold and condescending towards you the next day.
If these nurses were in any other profession, they would act the same way to their colleagues simply because that is who they are - they are just not nice people.
I agree 100% it's our professional obligation to mentor our new graduates.
No one is saying that there are not nurses that eat their young.
The beef in the original article and my original point was I don't think that we as a profession should brand ourselves as one that eats it's young. Does it exist? Of course it does. Does it exist to the extent that you and I have to accept the lable that our entire profession is one that eats it's young. I don't think so. I get very aggitate when I read and hear "we are a profession that eats our young" or "I hear that nurses eat their young". It is demeaning to a profession that I'm proud to be a part of.
To deny that there are new grads having problems with experienced nurses is foolish. But to brand the entire profession...........sigh. Off my soapbox now.
I totally agree. Of course there are people having bad experiences, but to say EVERY SINGLE NURSE eats their young is totally generalizing the whole nursing population. People need to be careful before they say "everyone" or "all".
As long as you and her don't judge the entire profession on hers.
(I'm not really understanding the above don't judge my experience on my experience? Why not? It's my experience afterall. I think I get the gist of what you're saying but am a little confused.)
MacunaRN
18 Posts
i'm sorry to say this but i am the young.. i was an lpn for 4 years and everyone tried to eat me.. don't get me wrong i had no problem with the older nurses i found most of them to be funny and very helpful but most of them were very clanish the worst were your nurse who had been nurse 2-7 years almost like they wanted to giv to me what they had been given .. as a matter of a fact the reason that i went back to school was because i never wanted to be pushed around and put down the way i was..at the end of the day it's nice to ike your co-workers but my experience is i do it for the patients... it's a tough profession i live in a tough city (miami).. we need to stick together and learn to work together all i know is that i will be kinder to those under me as well as other RN's because it's not a competition or an popularity contest we create a negative environment for patients.. and in nursing that new grad today may be your boss tomorrow.....