This semester we are on Med/Surg. At first I thought this "nurse eating young" thing was just something made up by overly sensitive students, until I floated to other departments. I have been is short stay, OR and the ICU and the nurses in there are SOOOOOOOOOOO nice compared to the nurses on M/S! One of the nurses in OR told me "I want the student nurses to enjoy their time in here so they will come and work here when they graduate". He spent tons of time with me; quizzing me a little things, showing me how to sterile gown-up, and told me the names of all the instruments he was setting up. In M/S however, I feel like I am a big pain in the orifice! I try at all cost not to bother the nurses in this department, but if I can not find my teacher and my client is in 9/10 pain an is allowed prn morphine and it is time (we need assistance/an observer) they sigh and act all put out. Its like, if I was not there there would be a number of other things they would have to add to their list of things to do because I am taking two of their five patients and doing everything for them (minus needing them or my teacher when available for I.V. push meds). I even say, "as soon as you get a chance can you watch me give such and such med".
Don't get me wrong, there are some that are nice, but the majority make me feel hated. The school tells us that students in the past have been hired as techs that have left an impression...but who would want to work with these people? Some even ignore you when you say good morning!
I am a student nurse also....I have been the appetizer, main course and dessert. I found out that if you are confident about yourself and don't back down, they will change their attitudes quickly. I'm 39, a veteran, and I refuse to back off, I am there to learn and quickly remind them they had to start in diapers themselves....Don't let them intimidate you and don't treat your CNA's and student nurses that way when you get licensed...
23 years in nursing and I will say that this does happen in every nursing unit. I try to distance myself from people who can only complain and gossip, they are not happy at work or in their private lives.
The only time I worked anywhere besides nursing was when I worked at JC Penny's(to save money to start nursing school). I don't remember anyone treating other employee's like what you have experienced.
i'm an r.n., in fact, the only r.n. on a skilled floor in a ltc facility. we have a large influx of newly licensed l.p.n.'s on the floor. there are 2 halls 30 residents each hall. a new grad was put on the 7-3 shift, not because of what she knows, but because of who she knows, the staffing coordinator. another lpn that has worked there for 14 yrs. wanted the 7-3 position, but it was given to her . he has gone elsewhere. so, we lost a good seasoned nurse. the floor is very high acuity, trachs, pegs, piccs, and various drains. this grad doesn't have a clue, can't even read a lab report, has no assessment skills, and thinks nursing is just passing meds. we all have tried to help her, but nothing seems to sink in. i don't blame her, i blame the staffing cor., she put her in a postion she wasn't ready for. friday, she was told she could go to the long term care unit or leave. she left in tears. i really feel sorry for her, having her bubble burst so soon after graduating:angryfire .
I used to think that nurses eating their young was something just based on individual personalities and that only certain "burnt out" nurses participated in this sort of behaviour. I then did a rotation on a long-term rehab floor where every single nurse (without exaggeration) that our class came into contact with, treated nurses HORRIBLY. I could list incident after incident where this occurred but it would be of little benefit to do so. We unfortunately had a clinical instructor who was more interested in trying to make friends with these nurses and make them happy, than she was in advocating or sticking up for us. Whenever a student was sick and absent these nurses would make such a fuss over it that our instructor would end up taking on the patients of the absent students. I couldn't help but think that a lot of the actions and behaviours we witnessed were precipitated by the nurse manager / charge nurse on this floor who would treat the nurses like crap...and maybe that is because she is treated poorly by the people above her. Maybe it is just a cycle of "abuse". Either way...it was pretty demoralizing to the students in my clinical group, who by the end were dreading going to the placement on this floor. It wouldn't have been so bad if we had a supportive instructor who we could go to, but often she was so busy with "her own" patients that she was unavailable to students. It became dangerous for us to be there I believe, because most of the students were too intimidated to approach staff, but couldn't find the instructor so in the end they did something on their own that they maybe should not have, or didn't do something they should have. Anyways, not saying all nurses are like this, but I really believe certain floors (not departments) can encourage these sorts of behaviours.
I have heard that it is true that "nurses do in fact eat their young" But only when the young are truly very tasty and tender.... not tough and stringy! :) Teaching is like any other occupation some are very much willing to do so - and to pass on their craft & knowledge to the next generation, and others are so terrified of the fact that they may have to teach someone that they cover up that fear with a sense of "oh you're bothering again..." Look around on each unit and find those that will teach and avoid those that will not. They really are easy to spot.
I am a student nurse too. When getting ready to start my Peds rotation the clinical group who was already there told of nurse eating monsters and horrors of the unit. I was really looking forward to peds up until this point, now I was dreading it. The peds unit was moving during the last rotation so I figured this to be part of the problem, they were done with the move so hopefully my group would be accepted a little better, but we took no chances we showed up on day 1 with breakfast for the nurses and a good additude (dispite the last groups nay saying). We have had three weeks on the unit and I must say all of the nurses have been nice and encouraging to me, I would love working there after graduation!
Specializes in Med/surg, ER/ED,rehab ,nursing home.
So do the students work any shift but the busy till you drop day shift? One LPN class did work with staff at night many years ago. They were surprised to find that we were able to take time with them after the pill rush at 2100(9PM) . Days have pills, doctors,and more family issues than we do at nights. We have less staff and more responsibility on nights. 7P to 7:30 AM. What I do find to be different is the students no longer have their assignments up for them the night before so that they can come and review the chart early. Now the assignment is like the day shift. They have to share the chart with the doctor and staff,plus one or two more. I have noticed that both the LPN and RN students have a team leader that can help. But when I went thru my clinicals, both as a LPN and RN student, I was not allowed to have anyone BUT my clinical director observe my procedures. Another nurse on staff did not count.
I do not "eat my young", but I do find some of the recent grads have too much on their plate to handle the frequent needs of a student. I am not giving excuses, but just what I have seen. Also I had a student say to me "you're too pretty to be a nurse" and then said that she had given me a compliment????? I did not think of it that way. To me she was being catty and untruthful. I overheard her to say to her friend. I've gottem my compliment out of the way, it's your turn. NUTS TO THIS.
I am a recent grad who just had the experience of 'being eaten'. I was on a ortho/med/surg floor with a perceptor who had never been in the preceptor role before. Some history - the hospital where I am working has a 12 week internship for new grads. For these 12 weeks we are paid by the education department and have a close relationship with our educator who is there to ensure that we learn correctly and integrate into our units. My preceptor was unable to answer some my questions and gave me incorrect directions on some procedures - some that could endanger the patient. When I tried to talk to my preceptor about these issues she became very upset and blamed me for not having a good education (graduated with a 3.9 GPA). So as instructed, I went to my educator with my concerns. By the time I returned to work the next week it was like walking into a different unit - no one would talk to me, including my preceptor. The manager of the unit talked to us both and supposedly worked out the situation. At the end of the shift when I had my day's review with my preceptor she viciously attacked me saying I was a backstabber, that she did not trust me, that things that happened on the unit should stay on the unit and not be discussed outside of the nurses there and that I was going to be on my own without help while everyone else watched me suffer. I consider this being eaten!
The next day I was moved to another unit where the nurses have been very nice. The manager and educators have apologized for this experience, stating that this floor 'has problems' and that I was the first intern to be put there (thanks!). I hope this has a happy ending after thousands of dollars and years of school.
I understand that the nurses are busy and I can handle that just fine...it is more the issue of respect. I know this is a two way issue and some students have warranted the treatment that they receive; however, many of us have not. The charge nurse on the floor I just finished placement at, was responsible for selecting patients for the students, and inevitably she would select patients that none of the nurses wanted to have, rather than ones that would provide learning opportunities for students. Then once the student receives this patient, the nurse wants to wash her hands of them. The fact is, if I was not there, the nurse would be responsible for doing EVERYTHING for that patient. So why is it that when I've already bathed the patient, done their meds, IV fluids or meds, VAC dressing, and now just want them to help me boost her up in bed, do I have to get treated like the scum of the earth. My issue is not getting an answer of "hang on I'm busy" or "would you mind finding another student or your instructor". It is the fact that this semester I was treated worse than I would treat even my worst enemies. It isn't like this on every floor I have been on...but it is a real issue. Unfortunately abuse is cyclical, and many students will soon forget what it was like and go on to do this to future students unless it is stopped. I think it is something that needs to be addressed more in nursing school in order to prepare students for it and provide some solutions or at least hope :) Just my two cents...
Specializes in Med/surg, ER/ED,rehab ,nursing home.
Would you believe that the LPN instructer, and sometimes the RN instructer will actually listen to those of us on the night shift? We do make suggestions as to perhaps NOT assign this patient to a student. Don't want them to freak out at a particuliarly difficult patient. Maybe later in their training. They do listen. All of us want students to be functional, and welcome. I have had many orientations due to spouses job moves in the past and I have been both a LPN/VN and RN student. I think due to the instructer we had interesting cases, and did not have to bother the staff.
Please note, I have been doing this since 1973, and got my RN in the early 1990's. Again as I have read various postings, the staff on a particuliar floor may not get along with each other, and it spills over to you.
My med/tele floor is the best Sunday thru Thursday. But the weekend workers are totally different. No one helps you, some of them disappear off the floor without telling their team leader(more than a break or dinner).
This is esp. true on weekend nights. We are supposed to make rounds every hour. That means opening the door,and checking on the patient. You do not have to wake them up.
Having the right mix of staff that care for each other will make it much easier. Right now we have a mix of 4 of us that are over 55, a couple in their 30's and three new grads ages 22 to 25. We older folks find it a lot of fun(in a good way) listening to their chatter on breaks. Reminds us of our daughters.
I do hope every thing works out for you. The only place that I got "eatten" was in Emergancy Department. I had returned from a surgery and found that the department had been rearranged. To top that, I also found that I had no clue as to what something was...such as an otoscope. I would be looking right at it and did not recognise it anymore. Of course once I was shown this, I did remember. I told in confidence to my co-worker this problem. I suggested so as not to upset the patient, that if I could not remember what it was that the doctor wanted, I would offer to take over for her and she would go and get it. Well my department head was told and really rammed it to me. She said " don't give me that anesthia amnesia ****", but that was what had happened. It did not help that the whole area had been moved around either. I was able to function smoothly and was very good at my job. Now I was punished for something I had no control over. I learned fast what items I had forgotten. That was the strange part, just items, not medical knowlege seemed to have been erased from my brain. IT was just that I would not know that I "didn't know" until I was called upon to retreive the item. In hindsite it would have been better if my department head gave me a review of objects I would be using.
So keep the faith. I truly enjoy my job and can not see myself doing any thing else.
This only happened once in the several surgerys that I have underwent.
I've been chewed on and spit out several times by grumpy RN's in L/D and M/S. I just suck it up and vow never to treat a student that way when I am an RN. I figure it's their loss, because I am more than happy to take over and do total care for the pt when allowed.
A. New nurses do not need to be treated like patients. Apples and oranges there. I think most of us do treat newbs with support but I doubt we have the time to "help them develop that necessary backbone" and such. They need to do that way before they become a nurse. That is part of becoming an adult.
B. Second point, yes newbs should feel supported and you know what? So do ALL nurses, even senior ones. Many, many times we don't get ANY support at all from management or administration yet we suck it up and push through. And after getting dumped on by everyone and receiving no support ourselves, most of us still manage to be decent to newbs. The few that aren't, suck, that is true but sometimes I get why.
Case in point- We've been short a nurse for 8 months, lately I've been about to snap, I'm so overwhelmed. My boss tells me to "deal with it". nice, huh? Yet I turn it around and still smile for my pt's.
Everyone has their strengths and weaknesses as people, no matter how old they are. If someone otherwise seems to have the ability and motivation to become a good nurse but have a hard time standing up to certain kinds of bullying, why not "help them develop" a stronger backbone? I'm not talking about transforming a totally shrinking violet with no interpersonal skills. But it seems to me that there many people who have functioned quite successfully in life as adults but still find the active unsupportivess of some nursing units intimidating and overwhelming.
I totally agree that ALL nurses need support, from each other and from management/administration. I imagine that much of the bad attitude from nurses to new nurses is directly a result of the management/administration being unresponsive to them. I know I'm not going to feel cheery and generous when I'm barely managing to get by each day.
Personally, I'd rather hear from a harried nurse "I wish I could help but, to be honest, I'm barely able to manage my own responsibilities" or "If we tell the manager that I'm too busy to help you, which I am, she'll just tell me I need to work faster, but that's unrealistic. I'm sorry, but I'm stuck" than "What?! They didn't teach you that in school?!" or rolling one's eyes, huffing, and making some snide comment under one's breath.
labvampire
43 Posts
I am a student nurse also....I have been the appetizer, main course and dessert. I found out that if you are confident about yourself and don't back down, they will change their attitudes quickly. I'm 39, a veteran, and I refuse to back off, I am there to learn and quickly remind them they had to start in diapers themselves....Don't let them intimidate you and don't treat your CNA's and student nurses that way when you get licensed...