I've noticed something on these boards...

Gompers, BSN, RN · Feb 7, 2006

I think the nursing shortage in the US has many nurses overworked and unhappy. That could have something to do with the culture of nursing being kind of rough on newcomers sometimes. Just a guess.

I hear that kind of thing happens in many units/floors in my own hospital. We get transfers from other departments or registry staff that support this. Meanwhile, we've never been understaffed because our turnover is very very low - most of our nurses have been on the unit for about 20 years. So we are generally happy and not overworked, which is crazy in nursing right now! Most of us are very supportive of our new grads and transfers. Of course, you're always going to have some nurses that don't seem to remember what it was like to be new and inexperiened, and they're going to be rough on the newbies. Overall, though, I think it's the general climate of nursing these days that is making it such a tough field to start out in.

Course, there's always been "baptism by fire" and things like that. But I don't think it's the same as eating our young. Sometimes you just have to push someone to jump in with both feet, and not hold their hand every minute. That doesn't mean you can't be there supporting them though.

JMHO.

UM Review RN, ASN, RN · Feb 7, 2006

I think it goes back to the roots and history of nursing as an independent practice. We were taught to report, not support one another.

Nursing was never really a "team" type thing until fairly recent history and our professional culture hasn't really caught up.

Just my off-the-cuff opinion. I'm sure that others can present equally valid points in the other direction.

Tweety, BSN, RN · Feb 7, 2006

There are nurses that eat their young. I don't know why that is. But you're buying into a stereotype that in my experience isn't true. I rarely have seen older nurses eat their young and I work med-surg where a lot of new grads start out.

American nursing is tough, with areas of shortages, and once a new grad is off of orientation, they are no longer coddled and expected to hold their own, which isn't fair because they need time to hone their skills, but they are expected to carry a full load alone and often those of us with experience are too busy in our own stuff to help them out.

Also remember this is where a lot of people vent their concerns and frustrations. It's wrong to judge based on the posts you read here.

Too often a new grad has a bad day, or is treated by one nurse out of the 50 she/he's had contact with that week and screams "WHY DO NURSES EAT THEIR YOUNG"?

Unfortunately, there are nurses that eat their young. Is it part of the culture of American nurses? I don't think so, because it isn't fair to judge an entire culture of nurses based on a few. There are going to be people that disagree with me.

It's hard to imagine a culture of rough looking, steaking eating, beer drinking, crocodile hunters producing nurses that are team players that don't eat their young.

j/k. Stereotypes are wrong. hehehe

bethem · Feb 8, 2006

Tweety, I agree that stereotypes are wrong. I realise that when people are coming here to vent, it's not going to give a positive impression. I was just struck by the number of people who seem to feel unsupported, in comparison to my own personal experience and that of my fellow students. I guess nursing is the same the world over.

You know, count me in with that steak-eating lot!

scotswoman · Feb 8, 2006

On the subject of supporting team members. At present I am working on a ward where everyone is very supportive of each other. But I am also in the process of applying for a job in Flinders Medical Centre, Adelaide (telephone interview tonight). I am really hoping that if I am successful I will find the same level of support that I have at present.

Grace Oz · Feb 9, 2006

it's hard to imagine a culture of rough looking, steaking eating, beer drinking, crocodile hunters producing nurses that are team players that don't eat their young.

now listen here young man!!!! cut that out or you'll get a clip under the ear too!!! talaxandra's in line for one, so why shouldn't you be too??!!!! :roll rough looking indeed! hurrumph!! ol steve irwin might look rough, but the rest of us....... sheer, unadulterated beauty! :chuckle

Grace Oz · Feb 9, 2006

do you think that this is a difference in australian *nursing* culture specifically, or australian culture in general? or have i been extremely lucky?

are you lucky? well, if you live in australia... yes!!

aussie nursing culture, aussie culture in general......... hmmmmm, i'm thinking that nursing has a basic thread through it regardless of where one practises. i also hold the opinion that here in oz, we're such a unique mob that there's definately a cultural difference. we're not as anal retentive as some cultures and that's what sets us apart.

now, don't anyone go flaming me! i'm not for one moment pointing the finger at any particular culture!! so stick yer flame sticks back in their pots!!!

Kim O'Therapy, BSN, RN · Feb 9, 2006

now listen here young man!!!! cut that out or you'll get a clip under the ear too!!! talaxandra's in line for one, so why shouldn't you be too??!!!! :roll rough looking indeed! hurrumph!! ol steve irwin might look rough, but the rest of us....... sheer, unadulterated beauty! :chuckle

lmao! too funny! have a super day.:roll :chuckle :roll :chuckle

Ruby Vee, BSN · Feb 9, 2006

disclaimer: this is not to bash us nurses at all, you're all great. love your work.
ok. after reading through a lot of these threads, especially the ones titled things like "nurses eat their young", i have noticed that american nurses in general seem to be very competitive with each other and almost perpetuate this "eating their young" thing by going in with a defensive attitude. in many of the threads, nurses are frustrated by colleagues who have no respect for teamwork or 'mateship'. now, i don't profess to have much experience at all. i have worked as an ain for a month, and been a student for two years. i have found every single nurse i've met to be helpful and cooperative. there are certainly some who could use a few more communication classes, but all in all there have been no major problems.
it could just be me. i tend to give people the benefit of the doubt. i also go in to a ward with the assumption that everyone will be nice, and i make sure i appear enthusiastic and helpful. when i don't understand or know something, i ask before it becomes a problem.
do you think that this is a difference in australian *nursing* culture specifically, or australian culture in general? or have i been extremely lucky?

i think all of the above.

you're lucky. but i suspect that if you go into a ward with the assumption that everyone will be nice, your chances of meeting up with someone who isn't nice will be markedly reduced. and even someone who isn't usually nice is more likely to be nice to someone enthusiastic and helpful who is expecting to be treated nicely.

i also suspect that anyone who goes in with a defensive attitude, or expecting to "be eaten" is far more likely to encounter that behavior. the proliferation of threads about "nurses eating their young" may also lead newbies who have encountered behavior among established nurses that is less than the touchy-feely mentoring they expected to pass it off as an example of this rather than questioning their own behavior, expectations and contribution to the problem.

my husband served as union representative for years, and in that capacity accompanied dozens of nurses to their formal disciplinary meetings. he found that in most cases, the disciplined nurse deserved to be disciplined -- in few cases were they innocently encountering nurses "eating their young." most of them felt thoroughly picked on, but in relatively few cases was that the truth. they had all contributed to their problems, and few of them were willing to recognize that or even to consider the possibility. (interestingly, in the few cases where nurses were being unfairly driven out of their units, they were at the top of their pay scales rather than at the bottom -- which may indicate that while nurses aren't eating their young, they are driving out their old. those nurses tended to start out blaming themselves rather than blaming those around them.)

team playing or "matemanship", once the standard here in the us seems to be the exception now. our culture has changed significantly in the past quarter century or so, and less teamwork seems to be one of its manifestations.

i can't speak to differences between us and australian culture -- perhaps there are others who can. but i hope your culture isn't on the same slippery slope as ours!

fergus51 · Feb 9, 2006

I think there are probably lots of differences between the two countries when it comes to nursing and culture. I do know one of the worst posts about bullying was posted on here by an Australian whose wife was a nurse, so it obviously must happen in both countries.

Noahm · Feb 9, 2006

The American bashing gets really old. I have been an American ex-pat overseas long enough to see the original intent of this thread for what it is.... another negative stereotype/American bash. Yawn.

You cannot tell me that there is no bullying in Australia. It is everywhere. I have worked in 3 countries and never experienced it first hand but I know it exists everywhere.

Just watch out because if we yanks get ticked off we may all jump in our pick up trucks with the gun racks in the back and chase after you so we can bring Jesus Christ and George Bush into your life and steal your oil. Thats the kind of stuff we live to do yeeha. :rolleyes: