Do nurses eat their young?

macawake, MSN · Feb 4, 2015

I'm going to go a bit against the grain, but I'll avoid using the terms bullying or feasting on young'uns lest I induce an anaphylactic shock in some of my fellow posters :)

I actually find the work environment in nursing/healthcare to oftentimes be rather harsh. Not because I believe that nurses or the type of people who become nurses are any way more inclined to rude/mean behavior than any other profession, I blame the nature of the job combined with the resources and support nurses are given.

Nursing is a really tough job. We are literally responsible for life and limb. We provide emotional support to human beings who are often experiencing the worst time of their lives, we educate and help our patients find ways to help themselves cope with their situation. We have to be proficient in physiology/pathophysiology and catch the early signs of a developing medical crisis. We have to assess, administer a cornucopia of medications and perform procedures safely. We also have to inform/support the patient's family/loved ones and coordinate with a dozen other healthcare professions. There are a thousand and one "small" things that we need to watchful about and still never lose track of "the big picture".

All this is still managable and can be highly stimulating/rewarding if you work in an environment set up for success, rather than failure. Many different factors affect this but I think that nurse-patient ratio is the most important one. It's been my experience that when you have a manageble patient load and you feel that you can provide safe care and have the time to take your breaks and help a co-worker when they need it and vice versa, the majority of "chewing on tender newbies" tends to disappear.

When I hear about "nurses eating their young" I think it can be a sign of a workplace where people are generally overworked and unhappy and I think that the "snappishness" affects all, not just the new nurses. I just think that a new nurse is often more sensitive to it than someone who isn't fraught with the insecurities and suffering the stress that comes with being new in a job that demands so much. When you're new (in any profession), you need support, guidance and feedback from your more experienced co-workers. In my opinion a healthy organization is one that provides the staff the means and opportunity to do just that.

No Stars In My Eyes · Feb 4, 2015

Oh, for heaven's sake. I was a nurse for 40 yrs and I've run across crabby co-workers and nice ones, more nice than not.

Of course, we didn't have preceptors and mentors or options for internships; we just went out and started working, having received LOTS of clinical time while in school. There was a skills list you had to fill out, and it was your responsibility to see to it that you'd get the skills you needed as the opportunities arose.

I guess with all the new technologies that have come up in the last number of years you'd HAVE to have someone to guide you through it all. Personally, I never minded helping someone get a new skill under their belt, but I would not enjoy having a shadow for the whole shift. I can well imagine how scary it is to be new on a job and feeling lost. You all have so much more to deal with than when I was a newbie!

I recently did a private duty case on a patient who was in an ICU, and I have to tell you, I felt like a country bumpkin in NYC for the first time. I looked at all the machinery and it totally boggled my mind! Made me heartily glad that I am closer to retirement and don't have to be responsible for so much STUFF! The nurse assigned to my patient was very nice about answering my questions and explaining things. I was only there as a sitter so the patient wouldn't be alone and so he wouldn't pull out the multitude of lines and wires he was hooked up to. Of course I helped with the personal care and turning, etc. and that kind of nursing is pretty standard. One thing I noticed was he didn't get skin care like massaging the bony prominences; we did turn him q hour and 1/2 so maybe it wasn't necessary, I dunno.

Don't take anything a crabby, grumpy nurse says personally; just somehow winnow out what you need to know and let the rest go. It takes all kinds to make the world go 'round and unfortunately that includes ALL kinds. You probably are not the reason they are like they are,some folks just move through life like that and are determined to take as many people as possible with them as they go. Why should anybody else be good-natured if they can't be?

It isn't your fault that things are the way they are now; you're just, for a time, caught up in someone else's atmosphere. You won't be there forever. This too shall pass.

Pumpkinn · Feb 4, 2015

Very well put everyone! You all bring up very good points!

wannabecnl · Feb 4, 2015

I've been the green newbie in several other professions, and while there is always a break-in period and clique-y-ness, this is the difference: in nursing, the stakes are VERY high. It matters a LOT if you aren't up to snuff. And you are NOT going to be up to snuff when you start. That's not a criticism of you or a wholesale dismissal of new nurses--I'm still sort of new and feel very green. It's just true, and when other nurses feel like they have to pick up the slack or go along behind a colleague (new or experienced) to make sure the patient is cared for, they get overworked and scared for the patient. This gets reflected in their interactions with the nurse in question, and some of them are nicer about it than others.

Don't confuse feedback for bullying. I say this because sometimes it's really hard to tell which it is! I have one charge nurse who asks/suggests improvements so kindly that I really WANT to do what she says and can see why it's the right thing to do, and I have another whose style is a little more "direct" but her intention is the same. She's an awesome nurse that I respect a lot, and I just keep my personal response to a minimum while I try to incorporate her "suggestions."

And then, you know, some people are just not happy or professional and they take it out on the new kid. You're not going to fix that.

hopeful003 · Feb 4, 2015

I've started working as a new grad RN in a hospital setting 2 years ago. Most of my coworkers have 5-10+ years experience. Some were very welcoming and nice however there were others who were rude and did not want to help at all. Instead they take advantage of the new employees, esp the younger inexperienced nurses. I've always had a positive attitude. I told myself that I'm working to help the patients not because of my co-workers. I've stood strong and worked. Since I was a new grad, I had ALOT of questions. I never hesitated to ask. I always asked when I did not know since they are senior nurses. In time, they accepted me and are way nicer and welcoming compared to 2 years ago. You will experience and meet all kinds of people whether they are young or old. Don't forget why you became a nurse :) I hope this helps.

Pumpkinn · Feb 4, 2015

I've started working as a new grad RN in a hospital setting 2 years ago. Most of my coworkers have 5-10+ years experience. Some were very welcoming and nice however there were others who were rude and did not want to help at all. Instead they take advantage of the new employees, esp the younger inexperienced nurses. I've always had a positive attitude. I told myself that I'm working to help the patients not because of my co-workers. I've stood strong and worked. Since I was a new grad, I had ALOT of questions. I never hesitated to ask. I always asked when I did not know since they are senior nurses. In time, they accepted me and are way nicer and welcoming compared to 2 years ago. You will experience and meet all kinds of people whether they are young or old. Don't forget why you became a nurse :) I hope this helps.

It does help thank you

JanieRN15 · Feb 4, 2015

I think if you show that you are willing to learn and put in the work it takes to get yourself to a higher level of thinking, communicating, and learning your skill set.. you will be fine. Utilizing other resources and not taking a needy approach also helps. I am a new RN but worked as an LPN for quite awhile and was always complimented on my willingness to learn and take initiative. Don't do anything your not comfortable with,but be willing to get comfortable with it. Good luck.. and yes... some nurses are just plain MEAN!! It takes awhile, but with the right attitude you will earn the respect and trust of others.

AZQuik · Feb 4, 2015

The published studies overwhelming demonstrate that nurses do bully their young at a much higher rate than other professions.
Be prepared to be told from a large group on this site that it isn't any worse in nursing than any other career or that it never happens.

Not sure about that. I would imagine there is a high probability for demographic bias. Go ask at a construction site about eating their young, or a firehouse, or an infantry platoon. Those fields are notorious for lateral violence, but most people put up with it as a right of passage.

I think a lot depends on who you work for, and management. I haven't noticed any of it. A friend of mine at another hospital got run out of her first job.

BSN GCU 2014. ED Residency

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Mr. Murse · Feb 4, 2015

there are good and bad, nice and mean people in every profession. In the time I've worked in nursing, I've not met anyone who I thought was intentionally "eating the young" or treating a new nurse badly simply because they were new to the field. The thing is, it comes across that way when you're running your butt off trying to get things done and you have this insecure little cling on nipping at your ankles asking you to explain everything and sometimes simply getting in the way. Some of us have the patience to handle it, others don't. I personally like teaching people. The ones that don't will sometimes snap at you or ignore or do things that make you feel like they're targeting you because you're new, but it's more so because they're just not good teachers......or just grumpy, unhappy people. Almost every floor has good and bad teachers, so find your good ones. Preferably find a couple of them so you're not wearing one person out, and go to them with questions and help. A lot of it is how you ask questions too. Know when is a good time, and when is the time to stay quiet and observe.

I think the "eat the young" mentality is just people playing the victim.

Pumpkinn · Feb 5, 2015

Lol I love the ankle biter part. Thank you

Lev, MSN, RN, NP · Feb 5, 2015

Hi there I am currently done my academic foundations in nursing and I am awaiting year two placement ( my program is a 1+3) structure. I am just trying to get a feel for what nursing will be like once I'm a new nurse, and I have heard experienced nurses are hard on the younger less experienced nurses. To the point that it makes these news nurses want to quit and disrupts morale. Have any of you experienced this? I hope I'm wrong! Older nurses should be mentors for the young nurses to increase productivity and patient care. New nurses must learn from experience and I imagine that would be difficult when the new nurses are afraid of what might happen.

There is a lot of stress in nursing, especially in the hospital. Nursing is a tough job that many new nurses are not prepared for. It is usually a reality shock. No one, and I mean no one gets what it's like to be a nurse. Even as a student you are very sheltered from the sometimes harsh reality. Nursing is a lot of responsibility. It takes knowledge and experience to understand how much responsibility you have. Your preceptors and experienced coworkers understand the level of responsibility they have. They have seen the detrimental effects of bad care. So yes, they may be stern. They may criticize your technique. They may question your knowledge. Because nursing is a serious business.

Farawyn · Feb 5, 2015

I'm going to go a bit against the grain, but I'll avoid using the terms bullying or feasting on young'uns lest I induce an anaphylactic shock in some of my fellow posters :)
I actually find the work environment in nursing/healthcare to oftentimes be rather harsh. Not because I believe that nurses or the type of people who become nurses are any way more inclined to rude/mean behavior than any other profession, I blame the nature of the job combined with the resources and support nurses are given.
Nursing is a really tough job. We are literally responsible for life and limb. We provide emotional support to human beings who are often experiencing the worst time of their lives, we educate and help our patients find ways to help themselves cope with their situation. We have to be proficient in physiology/pathophysiology and catch the early signs of a developing medical crisis. We have to assess, administer a cornucopia of medications and perform procedures safely. We also have to inform/support the patient's family/loved ones and coordinate with a dozen other healthcare professions. There are a thousand and one "small" things that we need to watchful about and still never lose track of "the big picture".
All this is still managable and can be highly stimulating/rewarding if you work in an environment set up for success, rather than failure. Many different factors affect this but I think that nurse-patient ratio is the most important one. It's been my experience that when you have a manageble patient load and you feel that you can provide safe care and have the time to take your breaks and help a co-worker when they need it and vice versa, the majority of "chewing on tender newbies" tends to disappear.
When I hear about "nurses eating their young" I think it can be a sign of a workplace where people are generally overworked and unhappy and I think that the "snappishness" affects all, not just the new nurses. I just think that a new nurse is often more sensitive to it than someone who isn't fraught with the insecurities and suffering the stress that comes with being new in a job that demands so much. When you're new (in any profession), you need support, guidance and feedback from your more experienced co-workers. In my opinion a healthy organization is one that provides the staff the means and opportunity to do just that.

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