Eating our young and more...

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I am attempting to put together some of the scary situations I have experienced in my nursing career. Not the patient scary things but the nurse on nurse issues. The drama, the back stabbing, the blame game. I have a list of them including a nurse manager fabricating a med error (determined unfounded by the state because I had excellent documentation) in order to be able to fire me the day after I refused to increase my patient load when I was running my butt off (1 doctor had just completely re-written all the orders on like 3 of my patients, while several nurses sat reading magazines at the nurses station.) I have been blacklisted from school nurse jobs after I brought documentation to the superintendent that having a teacher's aide suction and tube feed a student is basically practicing nursing without a license (I was informed about a week later that my contract would not be renewed) and most recently I reported an issue to the state (about injury to a patient when someone else didn't do their job) and when the state investigator came the incident had somehow been blamed on me (0nce again my documentation saved me when I had the email I had sent to my supervisor about the incident and she confirmed that the other person had dropped the ball).

So I guess what I am saying is has anyone else had issues? Back stabbing, scapegoating, or just down-right unprofessional treatment? I am to the point where I don't want to be a nurse because I am afraid I can't trust anyone to be honest and professional. What does everyone or anyone think?

Oh, sweet keeristus, another school paper on NETY and bullying.

You doubtless feel this is a story that needs to be told and you're just the one to do it. Asking on AN or any other anonymous forum, however, is NOT an acceptable way to collect data for a paper or study, as you have absolutely no idea whether it is accurate or total fiction, or, as is generally the case, somewhere in between owing to the biases of the reporter-- yours included.

If you really want something to confirm your ain't-it-awful biases, there was a bogus WGU "master's capstone" Survey Monkey opinion poll a few months back with all the characteristics you crave. You can probably find it in the "academic research" forum, but be warned: as a work of academic research, it's useless.

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I really was just looking for some ideas of directions to go into, not fact. There is an interesting feed on nursing and politics here. I just feel that at times we do make it more difficult for ourselves always playing blame games and petty competitions. Society has become blame happy and at a time where we are trying to encourage nurses to speak up and report, there still looms a fear of repercussion. I used to teach in an LPN program and we all would comment about how hard nursing could be because it is a basically a female dominated professions and when you put a bunch of us together, there's bound to be some drama. I always told my students to grow a thick skin. With all the rapid changes going on it seems everyone is just trying to cover their butts and stay above water. There seems to be much less of the comradery and more of the watch your back. I guess I just wanted to see what some of the issues other people have experienced are and try to come up with something different to research. We've read all the articles on "the eating of the young" but I know there are many different issues out there. No one seems to be jumping in, other than to tell me I'm probably at fault for the problems I've had and that I shouldn't be posting this...but really, it's not all flowers and fairness...but if we want to pretend we are all a happy club always supporting each other, then I guess this isn't the place for an anonymous reality check.

Thanks for you input everyone.

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Specializes in Management, Med/Surg, Clinical Trainer.

I think the real words that the OP needs to research are lack of or unsatisfactory support from peers. In thinking of my own experience I would say I have never experienced the 'eating of young', but what I have experienced is lack of support and childish behavior.

Everyone needs a different level of nurturing when they first hit the floor, so one person's level of support may not be enough for the next nurse. This goes to the NM assigning the trainee to the appropriate mentor. Often times a NM is busy, and just assigns a new nurse to whoever has done it in the past. This does not mean that person is the best fit...it is just the easiest.

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Specializes in Management, Med/Surg, Clinical Trainer.

Should the new grad expect constructive criticism and advice. You bet!! Not only should the new grad expect it, but they should ask for it.

If the mentor was not doing this she would be remiss of her duties. However, I think the problem comes in when the mentors decide to deliver advice, loudly, in front of other people, or in a manner that is disrespectful.

THIS I have seen and it is quite common. We get busy and need an activity done right now...so the feedback is rushed. We may speak to loud or too quick. Was it meant to be harmful? No, but WE are the ones who own the responsibility to double back and make sure the newbie understands our intent.

At the other end of the spectrum is when the mentor decides to not help the mentee at all. This type of mentor just give them their patients and then sits at the nurses station and wait for questions IE. the sink or swim method. Even when the new grad struggles the mentee can't be bothered. This I have also witnessed first hand. Is this eating the young, no, but it is an example of a poor mentor.

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Specializes in PICU.

Seriously?!? SERIOUSLY? Another thread about nurses "eating their young"? There can't ever possibly be another reason?

Go ahead and submit that paper to your professor. I'm predicting a new thread or conspiracy to follow.

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Specializes in Management, Med/Surg, Clinical Trainer.
If you think they are picking on you - you're right, they are.Because you keep making yourself a target.

This is really inflammatory language and proves her point.

To say that if someone is picked on they deserve it and have brought it on themselves is quite callous.

Would you say the same to a rape victim or domestic violence victim?

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Specializes in Geriatrics, Home Health.
Here's a story for ya: I have never experienced the fictitious "nurses eat their young". I have, however, received constructive criticism that was not all rainbows and butterflies (and that's how it should be). The words bullying, nurses eat their young, and horizontal/lateral violence are far overused in inappropriate ways. Too many people take the smallest things and blow them out of proportion.

The fact that you haven't personally experienced something doesn't mean it doesn't exist.

I first heard about NETY from instructors in school. I experienced it several times in clinicals. I experienced it in 2 nursing jobs. I've actually had nurses nearing retirement tell me they discouraged their kids from becoming nurses because of the politics.

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ShillaBSN,

Thank you, but it is okay. I don't know if some people get offended by the "everything is not always rosy" in nursing attitude, but I know that in someways I am making myself a target because I don't just sit by when something is not right. Oh, and people telling me to keep my head down??? Really? I should ignore others neglect or law breaking? Sorry, can't do that! I'm like that in my personal and professional life and often management does not want someone pointing out to them things that are wrong. The good managers do, but there are a lot of bad managers out there. If I did just sit back while things were being done poorly or if I didn't stand up for myself when I am being taken advantage of, I would not be able to get out of bed in the morning. I just think that we are seeing a lot of nurse on nurse or management on nurse bullying. Not necessarily the NETY thing. I have been a RN for 15 years. I have seen nurses who ignore their own patients while keeping track of every move another nurse makes, trying to catch her doing something wrong. I have seen nurses remove patient flow sheets from clipboards after a nurse completes it, so they think it is lost and they have to redue it...Just so many times the smile at someone and pump them for info and then throw them under the bus 2 minutes later. I was just looking for a new topic to research and was looking to see if anyone had some similar (or different) stories. Wasn't really planning on getting attacked for asking for some to share their experiences... but like you said...it just proves my point that we practice nurse on nurse violence.

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Specializes in PICU.

So how about the situations where an experiences nurse starts a new job where the majority of staff is younger? Then the experiences nurse gets higher acuity assignments or is given more responsibility such as precepting or being charge. The young crowd has a problem with this and goes into cliques and gossip and complains that it's not fair. To be honest I've observed this happen a lot more than "nurses eat their young". Is it so hard to assign a personal experience as that. That preceptor that was mean and impatient. She might be burned out and was pushed into orienting...and she happened to be older. Does it mean that all older nurses are "mean"? This is the problem with this mentality. It's a blanket judgement. Maybe it happened more than once. Does that still mean that all older nurses are crusty old bats out to get the younger crowd? Do people think this is some behind the scenes conspiracy organized by all older nurses? That once you hit 20 years you get the official invite and you find out where the super, secret meetings are? I've actually seen a lot more bad behavior from "younger" nurses (20's-30's,

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I had a nurse in my first job who raked me over the coals every morning. I would be coming off a 12 hour night shift and she would drill me...over stuff that didn't even pertain to report...What does GERD mean? You should have done this and did you do this? How about this? I remember telling my NM that giving report at the end of my shift shouldn't be the most stressful part of the shift! I survived! But I never quite understood the whole "it was rough on us, so we need to make it rough on you" thing. When I worked clinicals with students or orient a new nurse, I just feel it's easier to absorb info if you're not petrified!

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There is so much wrong with this post I don't even know where to start with....maybe here: :no: OP one of the things that one does as a nurse is be RESPONSIBLE and ACCOUNTABLE for one's OWN practice; unfortunately you can't go around and police others practice; as far as your post, unfortunately you have admitted to a pattern that has had YOUR own practice and personality has developed into some sort of PERCEPTION-NOT NETY; if anything NETY needs to be retired like beading a dead horse. The most you can do is a) worry about your own practice, b) focus on your own practice, c) HONE your own practice and d) all the above, find a job (if you don't have one) secure your job and again FOCUS one your own practice, Best wishes.[/quote']

What ever happened to holding others accountable?

Ever seen the "silence kills" video at work? Everyone only worries about their business without challenging anyone else and well, silence kills patients, ideas, communication, etc.

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WoosahRN,

Oh, and by the way...I am not one of the "younger" staff. I am pushing 50 and I've been a RN for over 15 years. I am almost done with my masters degree. I really was not trying to focus this whole thread on NETY. It was just an example of bad behavior between nurses. What you report is just as bad! Anytime we do not support each other...young and old...we are doing our profession a great disservice. It just seems to me that it is getting worse and we have put ourselfs into an "every man for himself" situation and that is really sad.

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