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.
If nurses ate there young on my unit there wouldn't be any nurses left. Myself along with maybe 4 others are the only ones that are not new grads. I work on a cardiac step-down unit and new grads are coming to us right out of school - yikes! When I graduated 11 years ago a nurse had to have one year of med surg experience before entering a specialty. Think it's a good idea. Tough to get the "basics" down when your trying to learn cardiac rhythyms. Scary.
I almost hate to say it, but I think that's the best advice I've heard yet. :)
Knowing there are bullies on the playground who will steal your lunch money, being prepared to deal with them, is a lot better than saying "everyone on the playground are bullies that will steal your money".
I work in a unit that is pretty fairly devided between longtime nurses and new or recent grads, with the odd couple like me that are somewhere in between.
I have seen some pretty obvious examples of eating the young, but for the most part it is a test to see what they will handle etc. The older nurses generally learn to respect the newer nurses who stand their ground and eventually they are team members.
I don't think WE eat our young, but the system does. I work in a state psychiatric hospital. New nurses come in and almost quit the same day. The work is dangerous, the hours are long, support from the administration is nonexistent .
I can take it because I'm an agency nurse. I'm paid a lot. If I wasn't I would be gone from the Tea Party too
that's exactly it! and if you stay in this prof long enough you may one day in a simular conversation, look see from which mould you came. i do, and i like to think i've always taken the high road, but really now, i haven't always. sometimes it may have been because i too was overwhemed n' pissed off or maybe i just didn't like the person (nurse) for whatever reason. being human will win over on most of us, but cliques are a different animal. mean spirited A##H**** are neither and should be avoided especially if your young in this prof.
No one thinks they do (eat their young), but every shift I come home wondering if I shoud look for a different position. I'm an older, re-entry RN. I've had my own (succcessful) business for 20 years, my daughter is grown, I've traveled. I came back to nursing because I knew that my compassion and life experience would be welcome by patients, and I wanted to make a contribution. I started on a med-surg unit, with a very supportive group of experienced RNs. I learned the new technology and drugs quickly (I got no special training program for new grads or re-entry.) I was oriented for 3 weeks and dived in. All was well. After two years, I transfered to ICU. I'm finding cliques like in high school, gossip, put-downs and one-upmanship. I have a lot to offer, and I am a proven quick learner, yet I have been told I'm a slow learner but not to feel bad because its just my age--don't take it personally. It never occurs to them to look at their teaching skills or personal dynamics. I have started on the night shift, and I am awake, alert, and not taking a nap mid shift as they do. I'm rethinking this position even though it's where I wanted to be just because of the reception I'm getting. The men nurses don't show this caddiness. Not all, but many women nurses really need to reflect on their hyper-critical, know it all attitude.
ain't true men nurses can be just as bad (i'm male). tried out in cvicu once...1st precep very knowledgable and a natural teacher but an onery back biter. the 2nd even more knowledgable but sorry teacher and extremely lazy. the whole thing didn't work out. i've since found many cvicu are very cliquish but i really can't give a damn.
"lots are overweight, some smoke" What does this have to do with anything, as far as eating young?? I am overweight, I am older, I smoke... but I am supportive and caring to students and new nurses that come to our unit... and I try not to be too judgmental even if the new ones smoke, or are overweight, or funny-looking bite their nails, have bad hair etc... there will always be grumpy people around, and they would be grumpy whatever their job is...but don't condemn on the grounds of not being a perfect size or having a habit that you don't approve of... It's good that you found a place you can be happy in...
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As Oscar Wilde said (paraphrased) It's not whether people are good or bad, but if they're tedious or delightful. Some people are a drag no matter where they are. But let's face it, we're not at our best when tired and stressed out. Even so, some co-workers are mean, petty and back stabbing, and some you want to bring home with you. That's life eh?
I don't think WE eat our young, but the system does. I work in a state psychiatric hospital. New nurses come in and almost quit the same day. The work is dangerous, the hours are long, support from the administration is nonexistent .
I can take it because I'm an agency nurse. I'm paid a lot. If I wasn't I would be gone from the Tea Party too
Merlyn,
A Tea Party! Good metaphor! The danger of psych nursing is definitely there - with no warning, a psych nurse friend was attacked - he recovered, but hurt his back. It's worth keeping your guard up.
Specializes in med/surg;ortho/HD/OB;NICU/Hospice/ER.
to catlady,
I don't know what planet you are on, but new nurses are treated awful by more experienced nurses. There are a few good nurses out there that will be a mentor to new nurses but they are few and far between. At the hospital I work in, I was reduced to tears many times but I am too hard headed to give up. Unfortunately 2 nurses that started work about 4 months after I did were reduced to tears by more experienced nurses and were not quite as hard headed as myself. Guess what? In this situation everyone has lost! The unit I work on is so short handed we can't afford to lose nurses. Patient satisfaction is going down the tubes and the nurses left are completely overloaded! So next time you treat a nurse awful, remember you may need that extra set of hands sooner than you think!!
I do not like that term "nurses eat their young". But the meaning behind it is true. New nurses, no matter what setting are treated bad many times. New nurses as in new grads, new employees or new in that type of nursing, on and on. New is a word that upsets nurses. It is same as "change" which most do not like, but need to get used to that word. We are all supposedly professional. New grads and experienced nurses all have something to add and learn from eachother. What I think is there a lack of respect for the decsions we make at the bedside for a specific reason at a specific time. Many times at a later date and time there are other otptions thought of for the very same response but that is what that certain nurse did at that time to help with the situation. That many times is what causes problems, I think!!!
Specializes in School Nursing, Ambulatory Care, etc..
I have to confess, I didn't read the article, but I am going to weigh in anyway.
Yes, some nurses do eat their young. I have been nursing for just over 2 years and I am done. My first nursing job was very much "swim on your own or drown". I survived barely and made it out a year later to go to work in a place that not only embraced their young, but nurtured and helped us grow. Professionally it was the best thing I ever did. (Thanks to all who helped me grow there :) )
Then, due to DH's job (he's army), we moved again. I started a new job in a small ER - I had been ICU - on the Army Post. I was there 3 weeks with 1 day of orientation. I was counsled once for "just standing around and doing nothing" (I had techs/Medics take EKG leads out of my hands and tell me it wasn't my job or I wasn't fast enough to do it. I had another one tell me I was too slow to start an IV - I hadn't even gotten the tourniquet on the pt's arm to look for a vein and she took it out of my hand.) So I went in the next day and never stood still - cleaned my own beds, didn't ask the medics/techs for a thing. I was told on Tuesday that I had improved so much and I was really catching on. I was fired on Wednesday for not learning fast enough.
My contract lead told me she felt I was thrown to the wolves, that I was set up for failure. The Major that fired me never spoke to me - not two words. The Captain that apparently had the Major's ear sent me to triage for 12 hours then complained that I was slow. My lead sent another nurse to help me - Thanks Lisa! I learned alot from you!!! :)
In the end, it didn't matter. I was thrown out to the wolves and I was devoured. Some nurses do eat their young. I am sad to say, this nurse has had it. Once you have been picked apart by the vultures, there is nothing left. I'm going back to corporate America - at least the vultures there wear wingtips that come off at night.
Goodbye, yellow brick road - turns out Oz was an illusion.
I have to confess, I didn't read the article, but I am going to weigh in anyway.
Yes, some nurses do eat their young. I have been nursing for just over 2 years and I am done. My first nursing job was very much "swim on your own or drown". I survived barely and made it out a year later to go to work in a place that not only embraced their young, but nurtured and helped us grow. Professionally it was the best thing I ever did. (Thanks to all who helped me grow there :) )
Then, due to DH's job (he's army), we moved again. I started a new job in a small ER - I had been ICU - on the Army Post. I was there 3 weeks with 1 day of orientation. I was counsled once for "just standing around and doing nothing" (I had techs/Medics take EKG leads out of my hands and tell me it wasn't my job or I wasn't fast enough to do it. I had another one tell me I was too slow to start an IV - I hadn't even gotten the tourniquet on the pt's arm to look for a vein and she took it out of my hand.) So I went in the next day and never stood still - cleaned my own beds, didn't ask the medics/techs for a thing. I was told on Tuesday that I had improved so much and I was really catching on. I was fired on Wednesday for not learning fast enough.
My contract lead told me she felt I was thrown to the wolves, that I was set up for failure. The Major that fired me never spoke to me - not two words. The Captain that apparently had the Major's ear sent me to triage for 12 hours then complained that I was slow. My lead sent another nurse to help me - Thanks Lisa! I learned alot from you!!! :)
In the end, it didn't matter. I was thrown out to the wolves and I was devoured. Some nurses do eat their young. I am sad to say, this nurse has had it. Once you have been picked apart by the vultures, there is nothing left. I'm going back to corporate America - at least the vultures there wear wingtips that come off at night.
Goodbye, yellow brick road - turns out Oz was an illusion.
s
Dear Sara, first I want to say I am very sorry you experienced such unkindness from some very unsupportive mentors. Let me ask a question: is nursing truly your passion? If it is, please don't allow them to steal your joy. Perhaps there's a doctor's office or some other area of nursing that may better suit you.
I realize this message is coming from someone (me) who has not had experience as a nurse yet or in the medical field, and I hope and pray that I will not have this kind of experience, but I sure did in the corporate world many times. After making a major life change and moving across country, I tried to break into the legal arena in a new geographic area (I had had over 20 years legal secretarial experience) and to my surprise and dismay, I too was thrown to the wolves and devoured. . . not only by attorneys but by the other staff as well who were very backstabbing. Every new job and superior does things differently, but they were not willing to allow me that learning curve -- to learn their style. Unfortunately, I was terminated more than once from law offices in a new area. I analyzed over and over again what I could have done wrong. Of course, I was never given a reason for termination . . . just ,that it wasn't working out. Now keep in mind that in my 20 years of experience, I had primarily worked for one particular atty for 16-1/2 years, always had excellent reviews, great repore with other attys and staff. So, I was extremely surprised at the treatment I was receiving. I decided too I had had it with working corporate. This experience is what made me rethink what I wanted to do for the next 15-20 years of my life.
So here I am at 48 going to nursing school. So far, I am loving school, have maintained a very good GPA, and look forward to being accepted into th Fall 08 program. I have been regaining my self esteem which it took a hard blow from those experiences.
Please remember you are valued. If nursing is truly your passion, don't give up. Wishing you a wonderful Thanksgiving!
haveheart
5 Posts
If nurses ate there young on my unit there wouldn't be any nurses left. Myself along with maybe 4 others are the only ones that are not new grads. I work on a cardiac step-down unit and new grads are coming to us right out of school - yikes! When I graduated 11 years ago a nurse had to have one year of med surg experience before entering a specialty. Think it's a good idea. Tough to get the "basics" down when your trying to learn cardiac rhythyms. Scary.