old school vs. new school

rodgerssm, BSN, RN · Jul 24, 2009

I think from the onset you have to stand up for yourself. I work for the VA and when I started there in 02 I ran across several bullying type nurses! I found most of them to be "jealous" of me from the beginning and didn't want to "show" you the way to succeed and hoped for failure. I was always labeled the "Uncle Tom" or "Miss Goody 2 Shoes" because I cared about my job and pts. For me, it was always a matter of standing up for myself, learning to speak up when I felt wrong was occurring or the assignment given was not right! Of course they didn't appreciate it but in the end, I wasn't messed with! They were few in between, but believe me you know them once you meet them! My advice: Don't be afraid to speak up or report them!

rodgerssm, BSN, RN · Jul 25, 2009

Quick note!!!!!! To all you bullying type nurses, you know who you are and what you are doing!!! You need to stop, embrace us and teach us what we need to know to be successful as RN's!!!!!

camjones · Jul 25, 2009

Thanks! I hear stories like this all the time and I know how my mouth can get when I get disrespected. But I also hear that in some cases speaking up can make the situatation worse...grrrrr! But I agree with you 100% :bow:

loriangel14, RN · Jul 25, 2009

On the other side of the coin, I have seen new nurses act like know-it-alls and totally disrespect the older nurse. Respect goes both ways. Listen and learn from the experienced nurses and don't be so quick to label good old fashioned experience as " old school ways".

rodgerssm, BSN, RN · Jul 25, 2009

This is true too!!!! I agree with you!!!! I have seen many a med error occur because one knew it all. I guess for me its a matter of finding a balance and it goes back to teaching, sharing and like you say respecting one another.

ohmeowzer RN, RN · Jul 25, 2009

i'm an old nurse, well not old (lol) but i've been in this game for along time. lol .. i don't bully new or old nurses .. i think we are here to work as a team and welcome new young nurses... i love you and you teach me and i teach you !!

camjones · Jul 25, 2009

i'm an old nurse, well not old (lol) but i've been in this game for along time. lol .. i don't bully new or old nurses .. i think we are here to work as a team and welcome new young nurses... i love you and you teach me and i teach you !!

I agree that respect goes both ways and I apoligize for refering to the older nurses as "old school"; i'm really refering to basically the nurses who have been around longer and know how things run at whatever medical setting they work in.

thursmo · Jul 25, 2009

happens all the time in the cath lab. usually people wait it out until they establish that they are good at whet they do and then become more assertive as time goes on.

GM RN 2010 · Jul 25, 2009

Basicly, nurses eat they young this is a true statement!!!! And you are right so called experience nurses don't want to teach new nurses anything, they act as if we are a burden to them!!! Some of them bring home problems to work and want to take out on everyone else. They seem to forget that they once was new too, Its hard as a new nurse to be assertive without coming off as if you have an attitude or you know it all!!!

jpRN84, BSN, RN · Jul 25, 2009

I've been a RN for a little over 3 years, and have worked in health care for 11 years, and in my past experiences, more often than not I have seen the more experienced nurse bully the new nurse.

zuzi · Jul 25, 2009

I am here for couple of years and I am in nursing for another couple of years also...you know why nurses eat their youngs? Because neither the old fashioned ones and neither young ones are not balanced.

Old ones.. are tired, they know almost all nursing tricks in this world, lol, they know how to make your life a mess if they want, they will know a MI with bare hands and a CVA just looking at person and they can help you if they want (I fell it on my own skin lol). Much more they know you... YOU the new one on the floor... from the style on how you walk and talk and ask, they even know WHAT YOU WANT... they are experienced and tired. And yes they could do mistakes... but... they could repair ones also... because they know how...you don't!

The new ones...the puffy ones... came with dreams in force, with lot of debts behind, making a deal them self and with world that they will change nursing style in USA, they will catch all "damn it old mistakes" the will report each and every , they will show to all , even to the ones that they don't need to know how perfect nurses they are, and are agressive in language in attitude, or sneaky like foxies, trying to be ASAP THE BEST, THE ONE! Oh dear, lol. OF course that an old one... fell this attitude like an afront... much more an old one is old and a new one need to have time and RESPECT for an oldy one, because this id THE LIFE LAW, let her to open to you, open yourself to her, ask for help, change your attitude, and you will see nobody will eat you. You could learn a lot from an oldie one (Zuzi kiss all her oldies nurses meet till now... really miss them... even if I lost all my puffines with you, lol). ... be good, just ADAPT you before to expect to another to adapt to you, be you first that thanks, that ask without to be agressive, to say sorry 10001 time and thanks the same... be true be natural, don't fake and belive me NO ONE will eat you.

FRom where I come is somenthing like "if you plant seeds of hate you will have war, if you plant seeds of love you will have peace". LOVE like always!