**nurses Who Eat Their Young Should Be Kicked To The Curb***

[suziesunshine]

We are in the realm of evidence based practice where nursing "traditions' have little value. This should translate over to the tradition of nurses who eat their young. We've all met them..usually middle aged with no significant other who pride themselves in being tough. Their attitudes are reflected in their slovenly appearances and of course they are great hands on nurses since they have little else in their worlds.

NP programs are no different. I've had clinical experiences with physicians and NP's alike and the physicians are professional, curteous and will correct me without the underlying insult. Most of the NP's have been rude or have ignored me and one went off on me. I threatened to sue the school if they didn't change my preceptor and they changed my assignment that day.

Those nurses (and NP's) are the reason that half the world doesn't view nurses as professionals. MBA's do not belittle students, interns or new employees. Neither do engineers or any other professionals. Many bright nurses have left the field because of these low lifes.

We should all make a concerted effort to stop this behavior in ourselves and other nurses. If they are rude or belittling, they should be told that if they want to be considered a professional...then act, dress and behave like one. If they don't listen, then administrators should be told and if necessary, they should be let go since they are making a mockery of the profession.

If you are young and starting out and your preceptor is a schmuck to you, then tell her to start looking and acting like a professional, report her to your supervisor or administration. Don't be intimidated and don't take it. It's time these "tough cookies" were kicked to the curb where they belong.

In today's world of evidence based practice...this has got to go.

[suziesunshine]

My original thread was closed for whatever reason. I have been in the profession for over twenty years and I've met middle aged nurses or NP's who enjoys humiliating new nurses, orientees or students. Tell me, what other professional does this out of "tradition"?....answer...NONE.

MBA's don't insult their interns or orientees. Engineers are not put through a "right of passage" by middle aged women with very little else in their lives but their jobs.

In the land of evidence based practice, nursing research and emphasis on professionalism..this has to go. If you are a new grad, a new orientee or whatever and you are humiliated, being treated rudely or maligned, then go to administration. Don't take that nonsense.

We will never be recognized as professinals unless this behavior stops.

[Spidey's mom, ADN, BSN, RN]

My original thread was closed for whatever reason. I have been in the profession for over twenty years and I've met middle aged nurses or NP's who enjoys humiliating new nurses, orientees or students. Tell me, what other professional does this out of "tradition"?....answer...NONE.

MBA's don't insult their interns or orientees. Engineers are not put through a "right of passage" by middle aged women with very little else in their lives but their jobs.

In the land of evidence based practice, nursing research and emphasis on professionalism..this has to go. If you are a new grad, a new orientee or whatever and you are humiliated, being treated rudely or maligned, then go to administration. Don't take that nonsense.

We will never be recognized as professinals unless this behavior stops.

Hi again

If you go back and read the thread, you will see that some of us are disagreeing that there is a "nurses eat their young" mentality and it is just jerky people, who exist in all professions.

If you read my post further down on that thread, I was treated terribly by a man with an MBA. That doesn't mean all MBA's are bad people.

Being middle-aged . . .I take exception also to the characterization of being mean and having little to do outside of work.

"Nurses Eating Their Young" as a stereotype needs to be kicked to the curb.

steph

[Spidey's mom, ADN, BSN, RN]

As I mentioned in the original thread, this happens in all professions.

I've been told "this is the way it is - just live with it" by many different folks in many different professions.

No one should stand for that kind of behavior. Ever.

I personally object to the stereotype that "nurses" eat their young.

I wish to see that go away.

steph

[suziesunshine]

I worked in the OR years ago and I was told by the nurse manager (after being humiliated by my preceptor in front of an entire O.R. team) that this was "the way it was" in the O.R.

When I went through my NP training, I saw a vast difference in the way some NP's treated me in clinical compared with my physician preceptors. My nursing advisor then relayed how she went home in tears after her clinicals as an NP student several years previously. Hence, these are not isolated occurances but continuations of "rights of passage" still practiced by many nurses. Also, if these were isolated incidences, people would be surprised to hear about this type of behavior.

Many a bright young person has left the profession because of this and it must stop if nursing is ever going to be considered a worthwhile profession.

[Spidey's mom, ADN, BSN, RN]

if you google "bullying" you will see that it happens everywhere.

and no one should tolerate it anywhere.

if we just talked about the instances of this and what to do about it instead of lumping all nurses (or middle aged nurses) into a category of:

nurses eat their young

then i wouldn't have a problem.

steph

[wooh, BSN, RN]

Sometimes I wonder if it's really that nurses eat their young or it's just the new nurses are being treated like newbies in any other profession and just can't take that the real world of nursing isn't full of angels called to their profession by a higher power. Lawyers are mean to new lawyers. Doctors are mean to new doctors. It's life. I had some crappy days in nursing school, I had some crappy days as a new nurse. And guess what, I've got crappy days now as an experienced one. But every job I've been in, I've had someone that was mean to me when I was new. I think it's only in nursing that we expected to be coddled as newbies.

[suziesunshine]

I don't consider being treated as an adult as coddling. That many nurses "eat their young" my be a stereotype but, sadly to say, it's an earned one. Everyone has heard about it and many have experienced it. A person on this thread said that it was part of the nursing culture. Since when is bad behavior accepted as part of a "culture"?

I now work in an Ivy League University Hospital where that type of behavior wouldn't be tolerated for one minute. We are now in the era of evidence based practice, research and many many wonderful changes. Young and middle aged and older women are staff RN's, NP's, educators and researchers and my dream for our profession is that every nurse would look her best and behave her best.

[Young Woman]

Hey i read this ladies post and i found the opposite i am a young one myself working with middler aged and olderwomen they treat me fine, they think i look bout 16 but sometimes they go over with the good girl stuff like saying to me your a good girl your such a good girl its just crazy

[Gennaver, MSN]

My original thread was closed for whatever reason. I have been in the profession for over twenty years and ...

We will never be recognized as professinals unless this behavior stops.

Hello Suziesunshine,

If you do a search on the site you will see this topic has been around on the threads many times. This is also a topic which can deteriorate on the threads too and may indeed end up closed.

Possibly, trying a different approach, if it gets closed again, may be helpful.

I would like for Nursing to be recognized as a profession more readily as well, among both Nurses and non Nurses.

Gen-not eating anyone today or ever...nor am I a snack to be had...

[nurse4theplanet, RN]

I agree completely with steph.

I hate the saying, "Nurses eat their young" just as much as the assumption that it does not happen in other professions.

The grass is not greener on the other side.

I have seen med students, interns, and residents eaten alive at a local teaching hospital by thier senior medical staff. I see how a few of the new RT are treated by the more experienced RTs on our unit. I was in the military for four years, and I was treated like crap by higher ranking personnel.

The new kid on the block in any profession will get flack from those select few who feel the urge to establish their territory. Its the individual, not the profession.

To anyone who is feeling that an experienced nurse is 'eating them', either speak to them face to face in a professional manner, report excessive abuse to your NM, or don't sweat the small stuff.

Peace out!

[oldiebutgoodie, RN]

Unfortunately, I have to agree with the OP about "nurses eating their young". The fact that this topic seems to come up so frequently indicates a real problem to me. I think the issue is the treatment of new nurses, because I am certainly not young, but was also treated poorly in 2 other units before finding my current floor.

I have worked in other fields, and never experienced the gossip and tattling that I found in nursing, which has greatly disappointed me. It seems to be a part of the culture of nursing, and in order for nursing as a profession to progress, it needs to stop.

Oldiebutgoodie

[blueheaven]

I agree completely with steph.

I hate the saying, "Nurses eat their young" just as much as the assumption that it does not happen in other professions.

The grass is not greener on the other side.

I have seen med students, interns, and residents eaten alive at a local teaching hospital by thier senior medical staff. I see how a few of the new RT are treated by the more experienced RTs on our unit. I was in the military for four years, and I was treated like crap by higher ranking personnel.

The new kid on the block in any profession will get flack from those select few who feel the urge to establish their territory. Its the individual, not the profession.

To anyone who is feeling that an experienced nurse is 'eating them', either speak to them face to face in a professional manner, report excessive abuse to your NM, or don't sweat the small stuff.

Peace out!

AMEN to the above quote!!! When I was a YOUNG nurse, I used to be a pain in the side to new staff who came in fresh outa school, knowing everything and then again not knowing squat and not listening when you attempted to teach them anything. This does not mean that I was a pain in the butt to everyone....just the know-it alls. In my "old age" I have mellowed out 100%.