Do nurses eat their young, even when they are their teachers?

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Specializes in ICU.

I hear all the time about nurses eating their young, whether true or not it's a hot topic. I was wondering if you guys experienced this from any of your teachers. I know they try to weed out the weak in nursing school but sometimes the instructors I have had are blatantly disrespectful and will flat out refuse to give you a rational on some things that they say when you ask. Anyone else notice anything similar

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I hear all the time about nurses eating their young, whether true or not it's a hot topic. I was wondering if you guys experienced this from any of your teachers. I know they try to weed out the weak in nursing school but sometimes the instructors I have had are blatantly disrespectful and will flat out refuse to give you a rational on some things that they say when you ask. Anyone else notice anything similar

Evidently it depends on your location and current nursing situation in your state. The question that is on everyone's mind now is....why is there a nursing shortage? Why exactly is there a nursing shortage? Why do you think there is a nursing shortage? I think anyone who has been through school or is currently working in the field would be able to answer.

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Specializes in Emergency Dept. Trauma. Pediatrics.

I don't think they do. I think you will have all kinds of people in all professions, some rude, some not very people friendly and so on. I don't look at it as "eating their young" Most of the teachers and Nurses I have encountered have been good and friendly and respectful. Some more firm than others which some students have taken the wrong way. But I have encountered very few "bad apples" so far in nursing school in regards to teachers and nurses.

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Specializes in ICU.

I believe there is a nursing shortage for a variety of reasons. Primarily because the financial compensation for an instructor is much less than what a nurse with a masters degree can make at another position. Less instructors leads to less programs and smaller programs. Secondarily I think it has to do with the baby boomer generation reaching the retirement age. More nurses are hanging up their scrubs than are putting them on for the first time.

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My teachers each have only one child...my best deductive reasoning leads me to believe that you are correct...they ate all subsequent children.

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My teachers each have only one child...my best deductive reasoning leads me to believe that you are correct...they ate all subsequent children.

HeHe :yeah: I really like that!! It made me smile and let me tell you I need all the smiles I can get! I have gotten away with having AMAZING clinical teacher until now and of course it is my last semester! I feel like I am being eaten very slowly and cry every day I have clinical, but I guess you will always encounter negative people in your life so I'll take it as a learning experience on how to deal with such negativity, and dislike! :crying2:

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Specializes in Emergency Dept. Trauma. Pediatrics.
HeHe :yeah: I really like that!! It made me smile and let me tell you I need all the smiles I can get! I have gotten away with having AMAZING clinical teacher until now and of course it is my last semester! I feel like I am being eaten very slowly and cry every day I have clinical, but I guess you will always encounter negative people in your life so I'll take it as a learning experience on how to deal with such negativity, and dislike! :crying2:

It's also a lesson in what kind of nurse or instructor not to be. When I have encountered a "bad" nurse I make a mental note to not let myself become like that.

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HeHe :yeah: I really like that!! It made me smile and let me tell you I need all the smiles I can get! I have gotten away with having AMAZING clinical teacher until now and of course it is my last semester! I feel like I am being eaten very slowly and cry every day I have clinical, but I guess you will always encounter negative people in your life so I'll take it as a learning experience on how to deal with such negativity, and dislike! :crying2:

Yes we should all be prepared because once we start working not only do we have doctors to deal with, but unhappy and misplaced charge nurses and the many veteran nurses who complain everyday about retiring but know they won't budge.

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Specializes in ICU.
It's also a lesson in what kind of nurse or instructor not to be. When I have encountered a "bad" nurse I make a mental note to not let myself become like that.

Very true, I find myself in this same class, not only have I vowed to myself that I will never turn into the people I ***** about I realize that I would one day like to pursue life as an educator, substituting for all the mistakes and stubbornness/disrespect that I have felt from a certain few instructors.

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It's also a lesson in what kind of nurse or instructor not to be. When I have encountered a "bad" nurse I make a mental note to not let myself become like that.

Very true!!! I actually have a little journal type book that I write things like that in. I try not to fill it up with negatives though and like to make notes on the people (nurses, doctors, pcts, therapist ect.) that I admire and hope to be like. I also work as a PCT and one thing I have learned is "thank you" goes a long way! The nurses on my regular floor won't even call the PCT's by name let alone say hi, bye, or any type of conversation! When I floated for a bit, and now that other floors are closed and more RN's are floating I realized RN's from other floors were so respectful and well just nice. The first day I floated all of the nurses leaving for the night came up to me called me by name and said thank you! I was shocked (literary experienced tachycardia, tachypnea, and hypertension.... I recently had a test on shock)! I will always remember that feeling, and even more so I'll remember what my mom always said to me "Be careful on your way up the ladder.... you don't know who you'll run into on your way down!" One thing I have learned is to remember names especially house keeping, and dietary when I need something for a pt I rarely have to wait and I believe it is because I always say hello and ask about their day and call them by name.... well off to bed clinical at 7 am tomorrow

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Specializes in Med/Surg.

there is no nursing shortage anymore....

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there is no nursing shortage anymore....

There is an experienced Nurse shortage. ;)

Don't worry, those baby boomers will hit sooner or later. Just a bit later than anticipated.

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