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.
No one is going to change these nurses, so my advise to you would be to simply steer clear of them. There are plenty of nurses on the floor who would be happy to be your preceptor, I'm sure. If you are assigned to a particular nurse with a negative attitude, ask your instructor to re-assign you to another nurse. I would suggest you not go into detail, tattle-tale, if you will, simply say that there is another nurse you have in mind to shadow, something like that.
Also, I would like to pose a question to all;
How many years of nursing is required to have the coveted lable of being "Seasoned"?
Just wondering
You tell us....please quantify the word "seasoned" in measurable terms. Should it be based on: education, yrs experience, number of med errors, how many procedures?
In response to Katie 91, "nurses who display this are just setting up to be eaten?" It's the nurses that have this attitude that make it bad for those of us just trying to make our way. Most of us "new nurses" are trained differently and are probably more educated; however, the older nurses don't need to be mean to the new ones. NO ONE sets themselves up to be "eaten!"
You say "It's the nurses that have this attitude that make it bad for those of us just trying to make our way.".........are you talking about the new grad know-it-alls that are ruining the reputation for new grads trying to make their way? It's kind of like saying "nurses eat their young", which stereotypes all of us experienced nurses and ruins it for us. Doesn't feel good does it?
You say "Most of us "new nurses" are trained differently and are probably more educated......"..........which sets up a "I'm different, and perhaps better" attitude from the get go. You do indeed have fresh up to date knowlege, but that doesn't necessary trump my 16 years of experience that I have to share. Mutual respect is the key.
You say......."however, the older nurses don't need to be mean to the new ones." This I absolutely agree with. Meaness isn't appropriate.
Finally, you say "NO ONE sets themselves up to be "eaten........". I'm not quite sure I agree. A confident new grad that respects the experience of his peers, who doesn't allow any situation with peers escalate to the point of being eaten, or who somehow puts out vibes to the potential bully "you can't eat me, so don't try" won't get eaten.
But the unconfident shy one who jumps when someone says boo is setting herself up. As is the cocky know it all new grad that thinks their poop doesn't stink and experienced nurses are old battle axes, or they are just buying their time "until I can be a real nurse in the ER" or who comes along "I don't like messes, I don't want to work nights and weekends, gimmee gimmee gimmee, me me me me me......" is going to become a target and get the cold shoulder.
Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.
you say "it's the nurses that have this attitude that make it bad for those of us just trying to make our way.".........are you talking about the new grad know-it-alls that are ruining the reputation for new grads trying to make their way? it's kind of like saying "nurses eat their young", which stereotypes all of us experienced nurses and ruins it for us. doesn't feel good does it?
you say "most of us "new nurses" are trained differently and are probably more educated......"..........which sets up a "i'm different, and perhaps better" attitude from the get go. you do indeed have fresh up to date knowlege, but that doesn't necessary trump my 16 years of experience that i have to share. mutual respect is the key.
you say......."however, the older nurses don't need to be mean to the new ones." this i absolutely agree with. meaness isn't appropriate.
finally, you say "no one sets themselves up to be "eaten........". i'm not quite sure i agree. a confident new grad that respects the experience of his peers, who doesn't allow any situation with peers escalate to the point of being eaten, or who somehow puts out vibes to be bully "you can't eat me, so don't try" won't get eaten.
but the unconfident shy one who jumps when someone says boo is setting herself up. as is the cocky know it all new grad that thinks their poop doesn't stink and experienced nurses are old battle axes, or they are just buying their time "until i can be a real nurse in the er" or who comes along "i don't like messes, i don't want to work nights and weekends, gimmee gimmee gimmee, me me me me me......" is going to become a target and get the cold shoulder.
thank you, tweety, for saying exactly what i wanted to say, and far better than i could have said it!
Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.
but the unconfident shy one who jumps when someone says boo is setting herself up. as is the cocky know it all new grad that thinks their poop doesn't stink and experienced nurses are old battle axes, or they are just buying their time "until i can be a real nurse in the er" or who comes along "i don't like messes, i don't want to work nights and weekends, gimmee gimmee gimmee, me me me me me......" is going to become a target and get the cold shoulder.
and unfortunately, the cocky new grad and the gimmee gimmee gimmee new grad aren't going to see what they have contributed to any difficulties they might be having with their new co-workers, and they will be the ones screaming that they know nurses eat their young because they're being eaten. any suggestion that they look at their own behavior to see what they could change to improve the situation will be dismissed as "blaming the victim."
it's the shy new grad who lacks confidence that may turn out to be the best of the three -- with a good mentor who can help her gain confidence. it's pretty difficult to teach anyone who already knows everything!
Let's get realisitic.....new grads are devoured by old cranky nurses who should have retired ages ago. However, we are stuck working with them and it gets old kissing butt to get their respect. So what do you do? You ignore them and stay away from them. This is why the nursing profession is going down the tubes and why bedside nurses are in such need - if some of these older nurses would be more positive than negative life would be easier.
Let's get realisitic.....new grads are devoured by old cranky nurses who should have retired ages ago. However, we are stuck working with them and it gets old kissing butt to get their respect. So what do you do? You ignore them and stay away from them. This is why the nursing profession is going down the tubes and why bedside nurses are in such need - if some of these older nurses would be more positive than negative life would be easier.
True enough. Please don't think that I'm saying there aren't cranky old nurses that devour they young. I know this from reading the bulletin board here, although it doesn't happen on my unit.
However, positivity works both ways. A new grad that comes in the attitude that all experienced nurses are "old cranky nurses" that require their butts to be kissed is not going to get positive vibes in return, and thus in their mind they are going to perpetuate the myth about us older nurses, when the cause lies within them. But as Ruby says, getting one of those new grads to see it is next to impossible.
But you're right, there are bright eyed positive new grads putting out their best and some cranky old nurse comes along and eats them. I'm not saying it doesn't happen. However, there are some nurses, like myself that are busy, older and yes to an extent feeling the stress of double diget years in nursing that don't eat our young. We're minding out own business, and here comes a new grad "roll out the red carpet for me I'm here!! What you won't roll out the red carpet? I'm going to Allnurses and post how rude old nurses are and what battleaxes they are and how they eat their young."
Do I think all new grads are like that? Absolutely not. Most new grads are eager beavers, scared, concerned about doing the best possible job they can do.
There's all kinds in nursing. sigh...........So how about this....I won't label you and give you the benefit of the doubt, if you don't approach nursing with the myth "nurses eat their young" and that I'm a cranky old nurse that should retire.
Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.
for tweety and ruby vee:
let's get realisitic.....new grads are devoured by old cranky nurses who should have retired ages ago. however, we are stuck working with them and it gets old kissing butt to get their respect. so what do you do? you ignore them and stay away from them. this is why the nursing profession is going down the tubes and why bedside nurses are in such need - if some of these older nurses would be more positive than negative life would be easier.
i'm sure that has been your experience. how sad. positive attitude, however, is a two way street. possibly you are far more positive in person than you are here, but if you treat the experienced nurses you encounter as negative, cranky old fogies who need to retire, i can understand why your experiences are so negative.
As a relatively "young" nurse, I guess I just have to say this: I heard this while in school. I have been blessed in my jobs, I guess. To date, I have encountered nothing but love and support from my peers. I have and do work with people I love and admire and whose company I enjoy (when I am not running behind and hoping all gets done by 0645...lol). I learn from each and every one of my coworkers each and every day and they have always answered my inquiries with respect and empathy. There may be those out there less than kind, but aren't they in every profession? By and large, we nurses are pretty awesome
What's up with nursing, really? Why we have 82 pages of heated debates of whether this phenomenon even exists, and if it does, then who is more responsible for it, the ones being eaten or the ones consuming their young?
The rough realities of bedside nursing is that people are locked up with each others for 12 hours in a row with no ability to escape unpleasant coworkers or situations; job itself is very stressful and rarely feels like rewarding; nursing consists mainly of females who culturally conditioned to get into each other faces and lives; nursing is on the bottom of the healthcare in regard to respect and compensation, but pressured to do more and more and more with very little rewards. Nurses still make in range of $20s, this is insane for the amount of responsibility we assume and the difference between life and death that we mean for our patients.
But instead of discussing these big and very real issues, we are still talking about how they brought it on themselves - new grads "know it all", not kissing up to the real "know it all's". Come on, people. What would you do when there will be no new grads anymore, how many of you ready to quit the profession because you'll be caring for 15 or 20 or how many else patients admins will decide, on a daily basis? How would you feel in 30, or 40, or 50 years from now, when you are old and frail, in hospital bed and in need of nursing services, do you instill in those new grads what you want to see in a future nurses?
What's up with nursing, really? Why we have 82 pages of heated debates of whether this phenomenon even exists,,.
Thanks for your input.
First, we are not debating whether or not nurses eating their young exists. We all know there are nurses that eat their young. Some of us take exception that some people lable the profession as one in which "nurses eat their young". For some of us that is akin to saying "gay people are pervert child molestors", "black people are lazy and want a free ride on welfare".
It's not fair to the profession to perpetuate this myth.
............But instead of discussing these big and very real issues............Thanks for listening.
Allnurses is a very large forum with many issues being discussed.
It's not like this is the only topic we are discussing. Look again, we are discussing many topics. Look at nursing news, look at nursing issues, look at first year in nursing.........the "nurses eat their young" topic is brought up so often, it must be important, which is why I merged all the ongoing discussions into this one long one.
What's up with nursing, really? Why we have 82 pages of heated debates of whether this phenomenon even exists, and if it does, then who is more responsible for it, the ones being eaten or the ones consuming their young?.
Because nurses old and new are alike in the fact that they are stubborn almost sharklike with this tenacity to hang on to to a topic. It is a fantastic trait that got everyone through school to begin with it is also good when they randomly happen to compromise. It is negative only in the sense that it becomes a form of insanity to have the same argument for several hundred years.........but hey at least some things remain a constant. (joking)
Anyways it's good for everyone to blow off some steam online and keep some of the goofiness away from work. If patients could hear the way nurses verbally kick drop each other they would run out of the hospitals and clinics with record speed. hahaha
:yeah:
:lol2:
alwaysABC
15 Posts
You tell us....please quantify the word "seasoned" in measurable terms. Should it be based on: education, yrs experience, number of med errors, how many procedures?