Vent about resentment from older RNs toward NP students

Specialties NP

Published

Specializes in Neonatal ICU (Cardiothoracic).

So, sorry for the vent that is about to follow, but I have to let it out or I'm going to go crazy.

I am a NNP student, finishing up my degree in December, after working and going to school full-time for nearly 2 1/2 years. I work at a huge Level IIIc NICU with about 8-10 other nurses with similar 3-4 years of experience who are all pursuing their NP degrees, either as PNPs or NNPs. Luckily our hospital system reimburses up to $12,000 a year for school!

Anyway,

The older nurses in our unit are continuing to become more and more vocal about their displeasure of us "younger nurses" sucking the good patients and experiences, and knowledge of the older nurses out of the unit. They see us as using the unit as a stepping stone to being an NP. They constantly complain right in front of us in the lounge about how we all shouldn't be allowed to take the sick patients, or get our schedules adjusted for classes (we all work almost every weekend, the senior RNs rarely work WEs) since we are just "abandoning the unit" after we're done with school.

Many of us work FT, work most weekends, and must constantly adjust our schedules to fit classes in. The senior nurses ask why "nursing isn't good enough for us."

I'm so sick of it. I expect to be able to care for the same patients they do, and maybe even a little more often, since they have had decades with which to perfect their skills, whereas I've only had 4 years. I chose to become an APN to understand the physiology of neonatal disease processes, perform advanced skills, and have increased autonomy. I have no problems with bedside nursing. I am just sick to death of being made to feel like I am a leech, sucking knowledge off the unit, only to run away when I graduate. I feel like we should be invested in MORE, since we will be the ones writing the orders. How am I supposed to become a competent NNP when I can't have the support and mentoring of my senior colleagues?

Ugh. How do I deal with this?

Steve

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Specializes in Nephrology, Cardiology, ER, ICU.

Ya know what Steve? It's THEIR problem, not YOURS! They are the ones who wish they had gone back to school like you and your other co-workers have done! In order to get thru this, I think you need to just keep on plugging away.

I want to let you know too that I've been a nurse for 17 years, the last 3 as an APN. Nursing was a second career for me so I went into nursing in my early 30's. By the time I'd been a nurse for 8 years or so, I realized that I needed more education and so back to school I went. However, I've been that nurse that resented the younger nurses because they were more focused than me and knew what they wanted at a younger age.

So...while I understand their angst about nurses that want to further their career - they should keep their mouths shut.

Keep trucking along Steve - you are doing wonderfully!

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Specializes in General.

Steve, I got the same thing from a co-worker, every time she saw me she would comment that she would have finished her MSN but she had to take care of her grandchild so that her daughter could finish her masters, she sounded very bitter and I think she was very bitter about not finisihing with less than 15 hours to go. She would try to make me feel that I was wasting my time, her usual comment was " all that work and for what" I finally just learned to smile and say I am sorry you feel that way but for me it is an investment. So what I will be 52 when I get myh PNP point is I stuck it out. You are doing a great job hang in there. The pot o' gold awaits you my lad....;)

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Specializes in women's health, NICU.

trust me, i understand how you feel!!! i remember a co-worker and i were talking about going back to school for our master's degrees in front of some older nurses, and they seemed to be very discouraging. they said stuff like "np's dont make too much more than us nurses" and "why would you want to do that, all that responsibility for little money?''. when my friend and i explained to them that this was something we've always wanted to do, they just laughed at us and said, "they will change their minds, they dont know what they're talking about". I just felt that they were probably mad that they didnt take the opportunity to go back and further their education and we younger nurses are.

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Specializes in Nephrology, Cardiology, ER, ICU.

Exactly - the naysayers are sorry they didn't go back to school too. Good luck.

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Specializes in Pediatric Neurosugery and Neurology.

I've definetly been there, but in a different manner. The older nurses were just kinda hateful because I even had the thought of going back to school. Just think of it this way "haters will hate," that's what they do. I talked to so many older nurses who said they wish they would have gone back to school but got married or had kids. I knew from the start that I didn't want to be put in that situation. Hence, at 25 I had my FNP degree. Think of it this way, soon you will have your advanced degree and moving on to bigger and better things, those nurses will still be back there griping and complaining because others are living out their dreams. Just brush your shoulders off and keep it moving.

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Specializes in Intensivist.

As my wife always says "you can better results with sugar than vinegar". I work as an NP on the unit I worked on for 10 years as an RN. I have to write orders for nurses who used to be my mentors. This can cause some tension.

What works best for me is to say "I thank you so much for all the great knowledge you veteran nurses have given me, you made me a better nurse. After all, it's all about providing excellent care to the pt.s."

Hope this helps, Damon

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Few different takes to this:

When I gained privileges at one of the hospitals where I used to work some of the older nurses in two of the units as well as a couple of supervisors didn't much appreciate my new position things got so bad my lead doctor skipped all the lower channels and went straight to the board. Must admit afterwards things changed.

Nursing school: One instructor I had worked with for years didn't take my choosing to become a nurse practitioner in a very friendly way. She flat chewed me out stating all the new nurses wanted to do more than work as nurses. In short she has not talked with me since.

In my time in the EMS (Years) I was working with multiple nurses who had 15+ years of nursing expertise (boy did they make it look easy). I went to nursing school graduated and the most part never worked on the floor with a nurse with that much experience again.

I have seen and still see nurses tearing each other apart. It really is a shame.

No real answer I know.....

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Specializes in Nephrology, Cardiology, ER, ICU.

And the answer is probably, "well why don't YOU return to school"? I get sick of hearing my contemporaries (I'm 50) tell me they could never return to school now because they are too old.

Not an excuse. I'm not super-nurse but I'm heading back to school in August for a peds/family CNS so I can see the spectrum.

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Specializes in Child/Adolescent Mental Health.
As my wife always says "you can better results with sugar than vinegar". I work as an NP on the unit I worked on for 10 years as an RN. I have to write orders for nurses who used to be my mentors. This can cause some tension.

What works best for me is to say "I thank you so much for all the great knowledge you veteran nurses have given me, you made me a better nurse. After all, it's all about providing excellent care to the pt.s."

Hope this helps, Damon

Well said! Kill em with kindness...it works everytime!

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It is threatening to people to hear the profession they are in is not "good enough" for someone else. It isn't unique to nursing either. I am sure it isn't personal. I got a lot of grief from co workers of all ages when I went back to school. Just do your thing and ignore it.

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And the answer is probably, "well why don't YOU return to school"? I get sick of hearing my contemporaries (I'm 50) tell me they could never return to school now because they are too old.

Not an excuse. I'm not super-nurse but I'm heading back to school in August for a peds/family CNS so I can see the spectrum.

Heck, yes. I'm 58 and in NP school and two of my peers are 62! :yeah:

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