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 there is no truth to it, then why does the expression exist?
Because it's not so much that they eat their young. It's just that you get a bunch of stressed out woman together and there will be bickering-doesn't much matter whether it's their young or not. The male nurses don't play that game.
Miaminightnurse, Men in nursing are just as catty as the women and prove themselves as less thancollaborative and helpful. Those who come to nursing for the money are usually not suited for the servant relationship that nursing requires. You and I are not responsible for the attitudes others bring to the table, when we find it gets in the way of our ability to mentor and hand-off communication we need to check our ego. We can come to a place where we are toxic and need to be in control and so a review of our motives is important. We, as nurses are to mentor those with less experience in the work environment, we are to focus on what will benefit the patient, it is not about what is in it for us as individuals. Nanacarol
Miaminightnurse, Men in nursing are just as catty as the women and prove themselves as less thancollaborative and helpful. Those who come to nursing for the money are usually not suited for the servant relationship that nursing requires. You and I are not responsible for the attitudes others bring to the table, when we find it gets in the way of our ability to mentor and hand-off communication we need to check our ego. We can come to a place where we are toxic and need to be in control and so a review of our motives is important. We, as nurses are to mentor those with less experience in the work environment, we are to focus on what will benefit the patient, it is not about what is in it for us as individuals. Nanacarol
I've never seen a male nurse act that way, but I am sure there are ones that do
Nurses eat on the run, they eat while standing in the med room, they eat while taking their first bathroom break seven hours into the shift, they eat cookies as they fly down the hall and hope no one sees the food on the med cart, they eat fast food because it's cheap and fast even if it's not healthy, they eat Slim-Fast even when they're not overweight because it's fast, they eat out on their rare days off because they don't have the energy needed for domestic chores like cooking, but they don't, don't, don't, don't eat their young.
Most nurses don't have any experience outside of nursing, particularly in any kind of business environment. They expect a nurturing, kinder, gentler work environment because that is what they are trained to provide their patients. They are surprised to encounter all different kinds of personalities, some of which don't mesh well with their own. Just like they would find in the real world. For every nurse who supposedly eats her young, these same nurses can cite another nurse who was a patient, superb mentor. Just like in the rest of the real world. They can't believe that nursing administration as well as staff nurses don't have every mechanism in place to make their transition into nursing a dream instead of a bumpy ride, not understanding their own role in creating and maintaining a professional work environment. These nurses expect an ideal workplace, thinking it is somehow a realistic goal in a bitterly imperfect world, and look for someone to blame when they find Shangri-La does not exist.
The very suggestion that nurses even *have* young to whom they haven't given birth is a sexist carryover, despite its seemingly innocuous meaning. We are not the mothers of less experienced nurses, and our obligation to these nurses is professional, not maternal. Can you imagine accountants or construction workers or lawyers talking about their "young?"
There are as many arrogant young nurses who disrespect their elders' experience and accumulated wisdom as there are old birds who are intimidated by new blood and new ideas. It's not a factor of age, but rather of the individual coming to the position. To perpetuate the mantra, "nurses eat their young," is to give continuing life to a stereotype and to reward a thoughtless naivete about the world of work, while providing a disservice to those veteran nurses who must repeatedly defend themselves against unfounded unreason, while bringing us all down as a profession worthy of serious respect.
:bowingpur
ridiculous! - and no offense...i am not saying that you have done it, but yes...i have been mulled over a time or two by an "experienced" nurse! at the cost of the PT!! YOU do realize that YOU were in fact a student at one time also? and yes you were scared but you wanted to learn and do what is best for the patient?? correct?? I don't expect an entire lecture rolled into one shift and NO i don't expect a you RN to take the blame....so please don't put it that way. If you are a true nurse, then you are there for what the patient needs, and whether you like it or not, clinical experience is the last leg of education. If you are in fact, there for the patient - please remember - WE are your pt's future...you don't have to believe what we say (we are not always right) but you could listen and take it as you will...I, as a student nurse am fully aware that i will have to instruct student nurses. You can NOT learn EVERYTHING in a classroom. I am 100% respectful of the nurses that i work with, however, i am a human being as well and deserve some (if any) RESPECT. I am sorry that i slow your day down, SORRY! I am and never have been arrogant. I am doing nursing to LEARN - but reading your post kinda makes me angry. And never has it been a sexist thing...EVER. it's not maternal...you made it that way. It weeks and weeks of training....I think that nurses deal with a lot more then accountants and construction workers
I can not tell you experienced nurses how much i appreciate "inconveniencing" you. im not naive, and yes you do deserve respect...as should every nurse. How about some respect for us "newcomers" who are thrilled to be there?
Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.
:bowingpur
ridiculous! - and no offense...i am not saying that you have done it, but yes...i have been mulled over a time or two by an "experienced" nurse! at the cost of the pt!! you do realize that you were in fact a student at one time also? and yes you were scared but you wanted to learn and do what is best for the patient?? correct?? i don't expect an entire lecture rolled into one shift and no i don't expect a you rn to take the blame....so please don't put it that way. if you are a true nurse, then you are there for what the patient needs, and whether you like it or not, clinical experience is the last leg of education. if you are in fact, there for the patient - please remember - we are your pt's future...you don't have to believe what we say (we are not always right) but you could listen and take it as you will...i, as a student nurse am fully aware that i will have to instruct student nurses. you can not learn everything in a classroom. i am 100% respectful of the nurses that i work with, however, i am a human being as well and deserve some (if any) respect. i am sorry that i slow your day down, sorry! i am and never have been arrogant. i am doing nursing to learn - but reading your post kinda makes me angry. and never has it been a sexist thing...ever. it's not maternal...you made it that way. it weeks and weeks of training....i think that nurses deal with a lot more then accountants and construction workers
i can not tell you experienced nurses how much i appreciate "inconveniencing" you. im not naive, and yes you do deserve respect...as should every nurse. how about some respect for us "newcomers" who are thrilled to be there?
you've missed the entire point of the post you were quoting.
we (experienced nurses) are not your mothers/you are not our young. we owe you the respect due any human being; we do not owe you endless handholding, a seamless transition into the working world or pampering. we will answer your questions, but please have the respect for us to listen to our answers and write them down if you need to. we're happy to share our experience with you, but not to do your job for you, nor to spoon feed you the information you need to survive. you are going to have to do some of the work. if we answer your question by telling you where/how to look something up, please do so.
i'm not sure what you mean about being "mulled over by the experienced nurse at the expense of the pt," but the physical therapists can usually help you out with things such as body mechanics, how to do range of motion, etc.
if you've had a bad experience with a seasoned nurse or two, please look at your own part of the interaction -- perhaps it has something to do with the way you presented yourself. but don't come claiming that the poster you quoted was "ridiculous" and you know this because you've been "mulled over." if you have 100% respect for senior nurses, that should come across in your post, and it does not. so i suspect that when you interact with senior nurses, what comes across is your lack of respect for them. this, rather than "nurses eating their young" may account for your bad interactions.
Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.
because it's not so much that they eat their young. it's just that you get a bunch of stressed out woman together and there will be bickering-doesn't much matter whether it's their young or not. the male nurses don't play that game.
now that's a load of malarkey. male nurses do play that game, and some of them are ever so enthusiastic about it.
now that's a load of malarkey. male nurses do play that game, and some of them are ever so enthusiastic about it.
that's what i am hearing here. the guys i work with are all easy going and would never act like that. i have never seen a male nurse act that way- i guess i've been lucky
wait til they use the ever precious 'life experience' catch phrase to prevent younger nurses from getting anywhere over there.
nurses eat their young, and sometimes it really isn't provoked. best example i can give is many years ago when i first graduated i finished top of my (small)class, i applied for the one job going at a hospital, so did the person who came bottom of the class that was 10yrs older than me. I was told that I didn't get the job because the other girl obviously had more life experience than me because of her age. At that time I had just broken up with my fiance, I had travelled the entire way around the country on my own, and had held down 2 jobs while going to nursing school. the other girl had never been kissed, never left home, and had never had a job, yeah obviously she has more life experience. You can not say that my date of birth is a provocation for a fight.
I firmly believe that in 20years time when the 'old school' nurses retire that the system will finally get a shakeup because there wont be anyone left that isn't a grad nurse and maybe then peoples attitudes can change
wait til they use the ever precious 'life experience' catch phrase to prevent younger nurses from getting anywhere over there.
nurses eat their young, and sometimes it really isn't provoked. best example i can give is many years ago when i first graduated i finished top of my (small)class, i applied for the one job going at a hospital, so did the person who came bottom of the class that was 10yrs older than me. I was told that I didn't get the job because the other girl obviously had more life experience than me because of her age. At that time I had just broken up with my fiance, I had travelled the entire way around the country on my own, and had held down 2 jobs while going to nursing school. the other girl had never been kissed, never left home, and had never had a job, yeah obviously she has more life experience. You can not say that my date of birth is a provocation for a fight.
I firmly believe that in 20years time when the 'old school' nurses retire that the system will finally get a shakeup because there wont be anyone left that isn't a grad nurse and maybe then peoples attitudes can change
Sounds more like age discrimination, rather than a case of nurses eating their young.
That's what I am hearing here. The guys I work with are all easy going and would never act like that. I have never seen a male nurse act that way- I guess I've been lucky
It's very hard to generalize anything about anyone. Saying "male nurses do such and such....." will cause someone to say "I don't see that where I work........" Saying "females nurses are so catty and eat their young........" doesn't work either.
Miami NightNurse
284 Posts
Because it's not so much that they eat their young. It's just that you get a bunch of stressed out woman together and there will be bickering-doesn't much matter whether it's their young or not. The male nurses don't play that game.