Please don't eat your young.

Nurses General Nursing

Published

as a nursing student i am having a hard time understanding why a good number of nurses are so nasty to nursing students. don't they realize that we are the people who will help fill the shortages in their facilities making their jobs easier? don't get me wrong, i have worked with some great nurses who have been very helpful to me during my clinical rotations. however, the nurses who "eat their young" should know that nursing students compare notes. we warn each other about facilities or units where the nurses have treated us poorly and do not apply for jobs in those places. if your facility has a staffing shortage, being nice to student nurses may help fill the gap later on.

Specializes in Med-Surg.

Point well taken.

Experiences nurses have an obligation to students.

Managers should encourage staff to play well with nurses as it's a great recruitment tool.

I'm glad to hear it's not everyone you've worked with.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in cardiac.

We just had two nursing students finish up their last day this past sunday. I hated to see them go. But, was happy that they are at the end of their journey in nursing school. They were two of the sweetest girls I have ever met. I beleive that they will make wonderful nurses once they pass boards. Even though I didn't precept them, I made it a point to walk up to their instructor and tell her how we were going to miss them. And that they were just wonderful, etc, etc. No eating of our young here....I think that each facility is different and it does make a difference where you spend your clinical rotation time at.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Med-Surg.
...remember, in so many cases, half of any equation like this is YOU....you can change a few things, mainly, your attitude and how you react to such people who give you a hard time. I wish you good luck. Hang in there.

BINGO!!! Walking in with the attitude "I'm the almighty student here to make your life easier, do your work and fill in your shortages when I graduate, I'll pick and choose my own patients and what I will and will not do (which won't be your dirty work) and don't you forget you were a student once so be nice and roll out the red carpet" attitude doesn't fly with me.

No offense to the op, as I don't know you and am speaking in general terms, not about you.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Posts like this really scare me. I'm a pre-nursing student with plans on starting nursing school next fall. I'm really nervous about how I will be treated and how much of a pain in the butt I'm going to be perceived as by the other nurses. I have a backbone, but I don't like a lot of confrontation.

I just hope that these posts just stand out more than the ones about how wonderful nursing school and clinicals are....

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Assisted Living, Med-Surg/CVA specialty.

I'm a LPN/nursing student-going-for-RN and I've seen really WONDERFULLY nice nurses who are very helpful and want to ask us questions (I find if I'm asked a question and don't know the answer, after I learn the answer I will NEVER forget it)... "so-so" nurses who kind of go about their business but are generally nice... and then the b***** who I just want to smack.

But, like other people, I think it's just part of life and people like that will be in whatever field you pick.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Med-Surg.
Posts like this really scare me. I'm a pre-nursing student with plans on starting nursing school next fall. I'm really nervous about how I will be treated and how much of a pain in the butt I'm going to be perceived as by the other nurses. I have a backbone, but I don't like a lot of confrontation.

I just hope that these posts just stand out more than the ones about how wonderful nursing school and clinicals are....

I wish you well. Most of the nurses you meet are going to be neutral. They are friendly and helpful, but busy, often too busy to stop and help you. Often this is perceived negatively by students, but it's just nurses doing their job. They aren't unfriendly, but they aren't rolling out the red carpet either.

Then you will meet the one's like myself. Not to toot my horn, but I'm a natural teacher. Students come to me often, I help them, teach them, go out of my way for them, put myself behind and stay late catching up because I spent so much time with them. Three students asked me to be their preceptor this semester, but alas now that I'm charge, they can only shadow one day, as they are required. I really miss the students and interacting.

Then you will the the ones who are down right unfriendly, snotty and unhelpful. Avoid them. You can have a unit full of neutral and friendly nurses and maybe one bad one and students come hear whining "why do nurses eat their young?" and this is maddening to me, because I'm being judged by one or two bad nurses, and the student can't keep things in perspective that out of 20 nurses on that unit only one or two is rude.

There will be the occasional unit, as was described above where everyone is nasty and rude. I'm not naive enough to know they aren't out there. But usually it's a mix, with the majority of nurses neutral going about their own business not paying you any attention.

Seek out the positive ones, be helpful and complete your work. The group we have that just finished up their clinical picked and choose what they wanted to do and we had to pick up their mess when they left. It's not always a joy having students, but it's an obligation we all have to deal with, without eating them up. :)

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Med-Surg.
I'm a LPN/nursing student-going-for-RN and I've seen really WONDERFULLY nice nurses who are very helpful and want to ask us questions (I find if I'm asked a question and don't know the answer, after I learn the answer I will NEVER forget it)... "so-so" nurses who kind of go about their business but are generally nice... and then the b***** who I just want to smack.

But, like other people, I think it's just part of life and people like that will be in whatever field you pick.

Gee you just said in a few words what I babbled on and on about below you. I should have read your post before responding. :lol2:

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in LDRP.

I'm having more probs with rude doctors than nurses.

The only grumpy nurses I have met thus far are overworked and underpaid, IMHO. I may be fallout from that, but I try not to take it personally.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Great posts by Deb and Tweety and megananne . . and others.

I'll just say that the stereotype "nurses eat their young" needs to stop being perpetuated.

"Nurses" don't eat their young . . . some nurses are rude but so are people from all walks of life.

Even those complaining about "nurses" say that most nurses have been nice . . . .that in itself ought to say something about stereotyping.

steph

Up Vote Up Vote ×

This topic scare me as I just about to start my nursing school next semester. Are there things that I should do or dont do the alleviate the situation if I come across a nurse who is not as nice. I mean just want to learn and pass the class without feeling crappy experience.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
This topic scare me as I just about to start my nursing school next semester. Are there things that I should do or dont do the alleviate the situation if I come across a nurse who is not as nice. I mean just want to learn and pass the class without feeling crappy experience.

The same thing that you do if you are getting an MBA and run into a rude accountant.

Stand up for yourself in a professional manner.

steph

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.

I can't over-recommend reading some good books on self-assertion or getting to classes in assertiveness. Doing this would serve you well, as Steph points out---whether you are to be a nurse, accountant, district court judge or engineer....

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Add a Comment