Received this email today and I am steamed!!!

Nurses General Nursing

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I received the following email today from a RN/friend that I worked with and I am ticked! I cannot believe that this is making its way around the world wide web. At first I thought that they had just misused the word experienced and graduate. Or that perhaps they should substitute "experienced" for "burned out" or "incompetent" and "graduate" for "competent". Then I thought this email serves absolutely NO good purpose. It is just another symptom of the bigger problems in Nursing (have you seen one of these for drs? firefighters? police officers? etc?)

The email::angryfire

>Are You a Graduate Nurse or an Experienced Nurse?

>

>A Graduate Nurse throws up when the patient does.

>An experienced nurse calls housekeeping when a patient throws up

>

>A Graduate Nurse wears so many pins on their name badge you can't read it.

>An experienced nurse doesn't wear a name badge for liability reasons

>

>A Graduate Nurse charts too much.

>An experienced nurse doesn't chart enough.

>

>A Graduate Nurse loves to run to codes.

>An experienced nurse makes graduate nurses run to codes.

>

>A Graduate Nurse wants everyone to know they are a nurse.

>An experienced nurse doesn't want anyone to know they are a nurse.

>

>A Graduate Nurse keeps detailed notes on a pad.

>An experienced nurse writes on the back of their hand, paper scraps,

>napkins, etc.

>

>A Graduate Nurse will spend all day trying to reorient a patient.

>An experienced nurse will chart the patient is disoriented and restrain

>them.

>

>A Graduate Nurse can hear a beeping I-med at 50 yards.

>An experienced nurse can't hear any alarms at any distance.

>

>A Graduate Nurse loves to hear abnormal heart and breath sounds.

>An experienced nurse doesn't want to know about them unless the patient is

>symptomatic.

>

>A Graduate Nurse spends 2 hours giving a patient a bath.

>An experienced nurse lets the CNA give the patient a bath.

>

>A Graduate Nurse thinks people respect Nurses.

>An experienced nurse knows everybody blames everything on the nurse.

>

>A Graduate Nurse looks for blood on a bandage hoping they will get to

>change

>it.

>An experienced nurse knows a little blood never hurt anybody.

>

>A Graduate Nurse looks for a chance "to work with the family."

>An experienced nurse avoids the family.

>

>A Graduate Nurse expects meds and supplies to be delivered on time.

>An experienced nurse expects them to never be delivered at all.

>

>A Graduate Nurse will spend days bladder training an incontinent patient.

>An experienced nurse will insert a Foley catheter.

>

>A Graduate Nurse always answers their phone.

>An experienced nurse checks their caller ID before answering the phone.

>

>A Graduate Nurse thinks psych patients are interesting.

>An experienced nurse thinks psych patients are crazy.

>

>A Graduate Nurse carries reference books in their bag.

>An experienced nurse carries magazines, lunch, and some "cough syrup" in

>their bag.

>

>A Graduate Nurse doesn't find this funny.

>An experienced nurse does

Specializes in Telemetry, OR, ICU.
No, it is not. It's a negative stereotypical copout for bad behavior.

Hold on, we are both on the same side. Yes, I will agree those seasoned RNs that hold true, which not all do, the phrase "Nurses eat their young" are definitely exhibiting bad behavior, as well as a negative stereotype of seasoned RNs that enjoy precepting, as I do.

May I offer you a :beer: or :kiss or :flowersfo as a peace offering. Copy%20of%20wink.gif

Specializes in Obstetrics, M/S, Psych.
No, it is not. It's a negative stereotypical copout for bad behavior.

I think it's a tired old insinuation, too. Stereotypes are based upon positve as well as negative commonalities within a group. We all like to be thought of as caring and kind; the positive stereotype of a nurse. We cringe to think we could also be seen as intolerant, impatient or difficult; that negative stereotype of the wretched old nurse devouring the nubile grad. The real truth is somewhere in between. That's what made this "experienced vs new nurse" email humorous. We are all just people with our frailties as well great attributes, who also happen to have become nurses.

Specializes in Telemetry, OR, ICU.
I think it's a tired old insinuation, too. Stereotypes are based upon positve as well as negative commonalities within a group. We all like to be thought of as caring and kind; the positive stereotype of a nurse. We cringe to think we could also be seen as intolerant, impatient or difficult; that negative stereotype of the wretched old nurse devouring the nubile grad. The real truth is somewhere in between. That's what made this "experienced vs new nurse" email humorous. We are all just people with our frailties as well great attributes, who also happen to have become nurses.

:yeah:

No, it is not. It's a negative stereotypical copout for bad behavior.

How about changing the phrase to "nurses take care of their young," because when I got my first nursing job as an RPN/LPN that's exactly how the experienced nurses treated me and everyone else. I also don't see any "eating" amongst the RNs I work with now.

I think it's awful when I see nursing students posting that they've heard the phrase "nurses eat their young," from their instructors. If a student is assigned one of my patients, I want them to feel they can approach me.

When I read this, my first thought was.... when i become a nurse, I hope i am somewhere in the middle and hope i stay there. It dosen't shed any good light on the experienced nurse or even the graduate for that matter. I can see how they become that way (experienced)and was wondering if it is inevitable. Kinda dampend my spirits about the profession. The experienced nurse appears to be uncaring, lazy and desensitized, and the graduate appears to be overzealous. I undertand it is a joke, but i can also see how it can be misconstrued. Despite all that... I still thought it funny and if i were a nurse i would probably be rolling on the floor too. When the OP said "nurses who eat their young"... I thought uh oh.. here it comes....lol.... but if the OP is so concerned about image and being offensive..why make a comment like that???? Would like to know why they said it and if they believe its true...

Specializes in 5 yrs OR, ASU Pre-Op 2 yr. ER.
Would like to know why they said it and if they believe its true...
\

Seems like it was said out of surprise that the majority of people didn't agree with the opinion on the email.

Specializes in ER, ICU, Nursing Education, LTC, and HHC.

I enjoyed it. I found it very funny... I have been a nurse over 18 years and I found all the humor in it.. :roll :roll

I received the following email today from a RN/friend that I worked with and I am ticked! I cannot believe that this is making its way around the world wide web. At first I thought that they had just misused the word experienced and graduate. Or that perhaps they should substitute "experienced" for "burned out" or "incompetent" and "graduate" for "competent". Then I thought this email serves absolutely NO good purpose. It is just another symptom of the bigger problems in Nursing (have you seen one of these for drs? firefighters? police officers? etc?)

The email::angryfire

>Are You a Graduate Nurse or an Experienced Nurse?

>

>A Graduate Nurse throws up when the patient does.

>An experienced nurse calls housekeeping when a patient throws up

>

>A Graduate Nurse wears so many pins on their name badge you can't read it.

>An experienced nurse doesn't wear a name badge for liability reasons

>

>A Graduate Nurse charts too much.

>An experienced nurse doesn't chart enough.

>

>A Graduate Nurse loves to run to codes.

>An experienced nurse makes graduate nurses run to codes.

>

>A Graduate Nurse wants everyone to know they are a nurse.

>An experienced nurse doesn't want anyone to know they are a nurse.

>

>A Graduate Nurse keeps detailed notes on a pad.

>An experienced nurse writes on the back of their hand, paper scraps,

>napkins, etc.

>

>A Graduate Nurse will spend all day trying to reorient a patient.

>An experienced nurse will chart the patient is disoriented and restrain

>them.

>

>A Graduate Nurse can hear a beeping I-med at 50 yards.

>An experienced nurse can't hear any alarms at any distance.

>

>A Graduate Nurse loves to hear abnormal heart and breath sounds.

>An experienced nurse doesn't want to know about them unless the patient is

>symptomatic.

>

>A Graduate Nurse spends 2 hours giving a patient a bath.

>An experienced nurse lets the CNA give the patient a bath.

>

>A Graduate Nurse thinks people respect Nurses.

>An experienced nurse knows everybody blames everything on the nurse.

>

>A Graduate Nurse looks for blood on a bandage hoping they will get to

>change

>it.

>An experienced nurse knows a little blood never hurt anybody.

>

>A Graduate Nurse looks for a chance "to work with the family."

>An experienced nurse avoids the family.

>

>A Graduate Nurse expects meds and supplies to be delivered on time.

>An experienced nurse expects them to never be delivered at all.

>

>A Graduate Nurse will spend days bladder training an incontinent patient.

>An experienced nurse will insert a Foley catheter.

>

>A Graduate Nurse always answers their phone.

>An experienced nurse checks their caller ID before answering the phone.

>

>A Graduate Nurse thinks psych patients are interesting.

>An experienced nurse thinks psych patients are crazy.

>

>A Graduate Nurse carries reference books in their bag.

>An experienced nurse carries magazines, lunch, and some "cough syrup" in

>their bag.

>

>A Graduate Nurse doesn't find this funny.

>An experienced nurse does

Ohhh I must really be experienced (24yrs) because this is so true that it is funny I even have it printed in a frame in my room for a while now!!!

I found most of these statements gave me a little chuckle, especially when I could put a face with some of the statements. I did not take this as a serious comment on nursing, even though some of the remarks are true, I think it is meant for a laugh.

all in good fun relax.

Specializes in ob, med surg.

Our 'seasoned' instructor gave this to us our first year and told us to keep it and pull it out in a few years!:rotfl:

Specializes in Pulmonary, Cardiac.
I thought it was pretty funny, and I'm just a nursing student. Does that make me an experienced nurse?

It's just a joke. I don't think it's supposed to be a laundry list of facts about nurses. :rolleyes:[/quote

I too am a nursing student, and I thought it was funny.:rotfl:

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