Nurses eating their young-venting

mattsmom81 · Jul 12, 2004

Excellent point, sometimes our "disposition" doesn't have anything to do with eating our young, it's just a moment we are having right then. And it doesn't mean we feel the need to eat our young, we're just old battleaxes just trying to make it through another day. LOL :)

:chuckle

You made me smile again Tweety...thanks from a definite member of the ol' battleaxe club.

resqrider · Jul 29, 2004

just wondering, when have you put in enough time to get some respect, or is it just because i'm young. i am so sick of being the scapegoat for all the problems, sick of being treated like i'm not in the same league as them, and foremost, sick of having my ideas and my nursing underminded by others!!!! this morning after giving report, nurse x went to assess my patient. she comes out saying" did you take her pulse, because it's very irregular!!" i told her that i did and it was normal for me. a minute later she comes out saying "did you look at her arm, it's all puffy down to her hand!" i replied that i checked it and it was fine at 0530 and she goes"well, i have to take it out, and i have to call the doctor because she needs an ekg." the way she spoke and looked at me made me feel as though i hadn't even looked at my patient!! this is the kind of behavior that new nurses are dealing with every day, constant negativity about their work. just once during labor training, i would have liked to hear an encouraging word . instead the usual comment would be" that isn't wrong, but it's not the way iiiiii would do it". i began to think that maybe nursing wasn't for me because i could'nt do anything right(now i know better). why is it that in a profession where change is constant, senior nurses can't adjust to new people? i just want to say" guess what, i'm new, and that means i don't know everything like you do!!!" i've been at my job for almost 2 years and see no end to this behavior in sight- maybe it has something to do with the fact that i am their childrens' age? any body feel the way i do? :angryfire

let me say this first of all. it doesn't matter whether your a new nurse, student nurse, male or female. you are a member of the genetic species called homo sapien.

i remember one of my fellow classmates telling me, to sit back and chill out during a sno (student nurses organization) meeting one afternoon. the instructors (who were also the advisors) didn't step in when my character was called into question by one of my fellow nursing students,and she was trying to tell me how to do my job. i ended up, not only calling this student's attitude out into the open, but i ended up gaining her respect later on.

(note: i was voted to be the public relations chairperson for the group. i worked for one of the local radio stations in town too.)

so never surrender to the way others treat you. be true to you.

klondike · Aug 23, 2004

Rudeness; A weak persons imitation of strength.

ZZTopRN, BSN, RN · Aug 31, 2004

Just wondering, when have you put in enough time to get some respect, or is it just because I'm young. I am so sick of being the scapegoat for all the problems, sick of being treated like I'm not in the same league as them, and foremost, sick of having my ideas and my nursing underminded by others!!!! This morning after giving report, Nurse X went to assess my patient. She comes out saying" Did you take her pulse, because it's very irregular!!" I told her that I did and it was normal for me. A minute later she comes out saying "Did you look at her arm, it's all puffy down to her hand!" I replied that I checked it and it was fine at 0530 and she goes"Well, I have to take it out, and I have to call the doctor because she needs an EKG." The way she spoke and looked at me made me feel as though I hadn't even looked at my patient!! This is the kind of behavior that new nurses are dealing with every day, constant negativity about their work. Just once during labor training, I would have liked to hear an encouraging word . Instead the usual comment would be" That isn't wrong, but it's not the way IIIIII would do it". I began to think that maybe nursing wasn't for me because I could'nt do anything right(Now I know better). Why is it that in a profession where change is constant, senior nurses can't adjust to new people? I just want to say" Guess what, I'm new, and that means I don't know everything like you do!!!" I've been at my job for almost 2 years and see no end to this behavior in sight- maybe it has something to do with the fact that I am their childrens' age? Any body feel the way I do? :angryfire

This practice is very hard to deal with. As a graduate, you are not as experienced as the nurses that have been there the longest. This is one thing, but when they go to the supervisors and your evaluations are affected by these nurses snapping at your heals, how do you defend yourself if you are not as experienced as the others?

mv

SoldierMedic · Sep 3, 2004

Morphine can increase the oxygenation at the capillary level, although it slows the respirations.

He-he..the things you learn from this all nursing forum :)

SoldierMedic · Sep 3, 2004

I have been a nurse for 14 years.I am in NO WAY taking up for the "older nurses" behavoir.....but sometimes when you get a new nurse....they have to LEARN to kinda have a sixth sense about patients.That doesnt come easily.It only comes with experience.Sometimes I can glance at a pt.....and something inside my gut just tells me "SOMETHINGS WRONG".With new grads they dont have that gut instict caused by experience and for a large part they will have to depend on the more experienced rns.That sixth sense will come in time ...and by watching.Its not something attainable in a book.And....sometimes.....when we are as understaffed as we are, and our pt acquity is too high...the older nurses do get frustrated that they have to kinda be another set of eyes and ears for the new grads.Some.....hide their frustration well....others do not.And in this profession ....you cant wear your feelings on your shirt sleeve.The number one priority is not to "be careful" of everyones feelings...its to make sure that not one pt suffers bc of lack of experience from a new grad that doesnt YET have that sixth sense.It is a shame that more well seasoned nurses dont spend a lil extra time teaching the new grads WHY they feel the pt needs a EKG...bc it would help not only your feelings but also founder your experience and help YOU develop that sixth sense.
About 1 year ago a new nurse on my unit was arguing with a care partner over a pt being too sedated after surgery and a lil combative.From the jest of the converstaion I assumed the pt had MR.About an hour later the care partner came to me in tears saying something wasnt right with the new nurses pt.She wanted me to evaluate the pt.The CP told me the young pt was suppost to be mentally intact but had not spoken in the hour or so while on the unit.She also had NOT complained of pain at all after an extensive and very painful surgery.I walked in and found the pt to be in full grandmal seizure and the sedated behavoir was focal seizures.This is what the other new nurse called "just rousing from anesthesia and a lil combative".Her v/s were ok,her output was ok, her o2 sats werestill ok.......but her ICP was out the roof.We called a code.....and the end result is that a young pt eventually left our facility with residual brain damage many days later.The carepartner is wellseasoned and had been doing this job for 15 years.The CP gained that sixth sense that something was NOT right.So........after a few episodes like this(that occurs at ALL hospitals)...seasoned nurse sometimes tend to "not worry" over a new grads feelings.Its true that we should spend more time teaching instead of preaching though to you guys.Does this help you see the other side?I am so sorry that you are havinga rough time.But ask ask ask these nurses why they feel a ekg need to be run.did this help?I hope so.
sorry for my typos guys!

"Care Partner"

You work for Kaiser don't you :)

bobbiesal · Sep 3, 2004

In our struggle to be right...at the cost of being rude instead of helpful...

Hording knowledge instead of sharing knowledge

The 'not so invisible' bizarro 'hierarchy' of nursing: the idea that one specialty is 'better' or more knowledgeable than another: that flight nursing is better than ER nursing is better than ICU nursing is better than floor nursing is better than nursing care is better than home health is better than office nursing, etc...

That having a PhD makes you better than a MSN which is better than a BSN which is better than an ADN which is better than a diploma which is better than an LPN...

That day nurses work harder than PM nurse who work harder than night nurses who work harder than 'just weekend' nurses...

And WHAT UP with psych nurses?????

Do you all see that the adage of 'nurses eating their young' is what brings this profession down EVERY SINGLE TIME???

I have been fighting against this for the entire 18 years I've been a nurse. For the love of GOD, people, for being a profession of caring, we certainly treat eachother like crap!

By the way: I've been a night nurse. I've been a day nurse. I've been an afternoon nurse. I've worked all 3 shifts at once, swinging between the three. I've worked NICU, PICU, adult ICU, ER, burn unit, trauma, I certified as a SANE nurse, home health, ambulatory, both as staff and as management, director of nursing for adolescent residential treatment, I've taught - but only in programs administered by the academic institutions I've worked for, I've practiced as an NP, and am currently in clinical research...& many of these positions I've done simultaneously with others...always, ALWAYS trying to promote the sharing of knowledge & foster collegiality between groups...

Until we have this - as a profession we are doomed to remain exactly where we are. Everytime I hear the arguments about how entry into practice is what's holding us back - my blood begins to boil - that is not the problem...it is the overall devisivness toward one another versus supporting each other & helping foster growth and knowledge that does it.

And our leaders sit back & wonder why veterans leave...

LydiaGreen · Sep 7, 2004

Morphine DECREASES respirations...this was ordered for respiratory distress?

I had the same question once - ended up writing a HUGE paper on it because in my mind I just could not justify giving someone with 8-10 resps/min morphine for "respiratory distress". Long paper short - morphine acts on the smooth muscle tissue in the lungs and bronchii to decrease spasms and inflamation thus easing breathing.