As current times have shown, we're short staffed. Administration wants to make money. So cuts are made to equipment and man power. Who has your back? Who can you rely on? Your fellow nurses? I'm not so sure anymore. Why do we as nurses eat our own when we should be teaching them and guarding them as our own. The fact is as we age our young nurses are going to be taking care of us, but there are those all too eager beavers who will in fact burn you. This is my experience.
This is my own personal experience as to why nurses eat their own? I have been in nursing for 20+ years. I've watched a lot of nurses come and go and some trying to move up that corporate food chain leaving a path of destruction a mile wide in their path. It's a very sad thing to have witnessed nursing go from a caring environment to a volatile, stressful, "me" environment.
I personally have never thrown anyone under the bus but I have been thrown under the bus by a nurse trying to move up. I was shocked, not to be naive but how callus and calculating this nurse had become in such a short period of time. She was a new grad. I took her under my wing, taught her in a specialty area just to be told shortly thereafter that there were going to be cuts in this area, and I was one of the people being cut along with approximately 20 more nurses. I then found out that my underling I had taught was at the helm of helping administration make these cuts based on who had been there longest, made the most per hour and new grads or new hires would be cheaper. So it was done and my underling moved up to an office of ease while the rest of us were dispersed throughout the facility or some even let go destroying lives and careers.
Once moved to another area of the facility I witnessed a male nurse dating several other female nurses turning them against each other and ending up dating a charge nurse that was best friends with the manager of that department, so they were allowed to cuddle up at the nurses' station and pretty much did nothing else other than sneak outside. Yes all of this was reported by others than myself, however administration didn't care, bottom line was man hours not pt care.
I've since left that facility after many years. I am now at a new facility and have already picked up on the "eager" young nurses more than willing to talk behind other nurses' backs. This is disappointing. The nursing school and instructors of old that I had the privilege of going to and being taught by would be appalled and would not have tolerated for one moment. Is loyalty, character and earning your title without harming something taught in nursing schools? Should certain psychiatric characters be red flags for school administrators be implemented to prevent cannibalism within nursing?
I feel as if those great women who pioneered nursing to care for the sick, indigent and wounded would be so saddened by the "General Hospital", "Grays Anatomy"; "high school acting" nurses of today. On that note I don't want to diminish the fact that nurses have to be go-getters, usually type A, hungry for knowledge; however there's a professional line where we should have each other's back.
Nurses go to college to achieve a degree of higher learning along with all the nursing classes. You're professionals, intellectuals. Would you compromise your name, integrity and reputation for a easier schedule, a desk job, an office? All you have to do is help relocate or terminate 20 to 25 fellow nurses?
I am curious to the opinions of others, so please post. BTW this underling was moved back down the food chain and eventually out the door and with no friends or references to rely on now.
Before going down this road ask yourself. Why did I become a nurse? To help others who need it or to eat my young? If you answer or turn into the later, I fear you may be in the wrong profession...
Okay, I have a few examples of my experiences too- all at the hands of different boomer, gen-y, gen-x, and millennial nurses. I wasn't going to post all this but I'd like a little balance. And I have had lateral violence directed at me, it just hasn't been the majority of my experience, quite the opposite. I'm really sorry for those nurses who have experienced it frequently, I'd hate that too.
1)A mentor patiently offering to show me for the 5th time how to prep an iv line as a clumsy student.
2)A co-worker offering to swap a difficult assignment that I had 3 times in a row despite her being unwell.
3)After handover, receiving full understanding for all the jobs not done after busy shift- and a hug too.
4)A senior (older!) colleague who went out of her way to recommend I pursue a promotion.
5)A charge nurse who stayed back after her shift on multiple occasions hen she had her family waiting to help me complete paperwork for extra study. She would also ferociously defend any of "her nurses' from unjust criticism by relatives, Dr's etc.
6)A colleague who listened and didn't blame me for my part in a conflict and that way helped me learn.
7)All the many, many nurses who helped me learn new skills without expecting anything in response.
8)A new colleague (younger!) who started the job at the same time as me but had more experience of the specialty, helping me with all the new paperwork and processes without letting anyone know she was doing this.
9)Every good piece of advice I've had. All the role-models for treating other colleagues with respect and dignity at all times.
10)The manager who went over and above to try to put in place a system that would enable me to stay in my last workplace and also help my health issue.
11)All the nurses who have understood instinctively that I can be shy but I'm not without some ability and encouraged me.
12)ALWAYS being supported and comforted after deaths/codes, no matter how busy we were.
Specializes in Ambulatory Care, LTC, OB, CCU, Occ Hth.
Farawyn said:
So, you can say what you want and make all kinds of judgements because you were bullied but if someone disagrees with you they are called out for snark? Are you reading? You don't seem to be able to see the forest for the trees.
I saw no disagreement; that poster had issue with my points and dismissed evidence I provided on the grounds of refusing to read "jargon." Further implying that the ANA was out to cook up whatever points it wanted as if it was some domineering organization seeking to manipulate people with "jargon"
I merely pointed out the truth of the matter that nurses are invited and encouraged to participate in their profession and try to change what they don't like.
Stop closing off to issues and information because of "jargon." It's easier to sit back, complain, and play the manipulated victim when you won't research the issues you comment on or participate in projects to correct the problems
I saw no disagreement; that poster had issue with my points and dismissed evidence I provided on the grounds of refusing to read "jargon." Further implying that the ANA was out to cook up whatever points it wanted as if it was some domineering organization seeking to manipulate people with "jargon"
I merely pointed out the truth of the matter that nurses are invited and encouraged to participate in their profession and try to change what they don't like.
Stop closing off to issues and information because of "jargon." It's easier to sit back, complain, and play the manipulated victim when you won't research the issues you comment on or participate in projects to correct the problems
I don't complain, and I'm certainly not a victim.
You have no idea what I've done at work and the depth of my career. You don't know me. You don't even know me here.
Specializes in Ambulatory Care, LTC, OB, CCU, Occ Hth.
Farawyn said:
You don't think my sparkling personality had anything to do with it?
I don't have great co-workers and friends because I got lucky. I have them because I AM one.
If you hate your job, leave. Your chip on your shoulder is loud and clear.
Go to the next job. You may find someone like me who puts in an effort to work WITH people.
I did leave those jobs. Not everyone is fortunate enough to just pack up and go like that though. I have no chip. I just despise nasty people who make it their mission to torment other people.
I don't believe everyone in nursing is like that. My experience would leave me to believe otherwise, but that's not fair to nurses like you who are good and hard working.
Not everything is black and white. And no one would should have to put up with abuse in their workplace simply because people say "suck it up" "don't like it, leave" when they should say "hey it's not okay to treat humans like that."
Further implying that the ANA was out to cook up whatever points it wanted as if it was some domineering organization seeking to manipulate people with "jargon"
This is actually how a lot of nurses see the ANA (how they have experienced it over time).
There was, once upon a time, the notion that NPs had years of actual nursing experience. Those in the military were top-shelf. Nowadays, not so much. Sad. I always had such respect for all NPs at one time. Still some good ones around. But they are getting fewer. The schools, now, are laughing all the way to the bank. No one wins, especially the patients.
^^^This. In spades. I thought it was just me, but the NPs I've been running into lately just aren't that good. Some of them seem to think that "Do it because I ordered it" is the best response to another nurse asking them questions.
I had one try to rip me a new one because I asked her opinion, based on her observations of a patient I was evaluating for Hospice. "Why Hospice? Why now?" are questions every Hospice nurse is expected to be able to answer when they attend the every two week Interdisciplinary Team Meetings.
Apparently, this NP took it to mean that I was "questioning" her, when I was merely gathering information to pull the whole case together. When I tried to explain this, she cut me off, and yelled (yes, yelled. At the nurses' station. So professional) "I ordered Hospice! The family authorized Hospice! You START Hospice!"
Yeah. Turned out the spouse wasn't ready for Hospice, and declined the admit. My personal thought? He only agreed in the first place so she would stop harassing him.
I'll never regret my years as a nurse. But I am really starting to look forward to retiring in 6 years, because the older I get, the less BS I feel the need to put up with.
Specializes in Family Medicine, Tele/Cardiac, Camp.
JimmyDurham9 said:
And no one would should have to put up with abuse in their workplace simply because people say "suck it up" "don't like it, leave" when they should say "hey it's not okay to treat humans like that."
This is quite true. Despite what people may believe about the validity and overuse of NETY, I think few would disagree that pure abuse - bullying in the real, truest sense of the word - is something that should continue to exist in any profession. I wish you well with your ANA panel and do hope you find yourself in kinder work environments in the future. Best of luck.
I'm forced to agree with the above comments about nursing education and its tendency to produce less than well-rounded people.
It is amazing how many ignorant nurses are out there. Tons of them lack writing and critical thinking skills and fail to keep themselves abreast of anything in the world outside nursing. Many nurses don't even know how to play chess or have watched the original Star Wars trilogy. Essentially, nursing is the world to them. Many know nothing of history, literature, politics, or really any other discipline. I majored in both English and Nursing so I know what most nurses are missing as far as a liberal arts background goes, and the amount that many are missing is pretty dreadful. I have a suspicion that many are the same people who, as students, will talk about planning to "brain dump" what they learn in college after they are tested on it. They don't actually care about knowledge for its own sake, just about achieving some financial security.
I wholeheartedly agree with your statement that the type of people attracted to nursing are not knowledge seeking or what I could consider "bright" or "enlightened" individuals. And that is what makes nursing a "trashy" profession in the eyes of many and reinforces its low class underpinnings further. Nurses just don't have the same curiosity about life and well-rounded education that you'd see from doctors, lawyers, and so forth.
Now I know people are going to come at me with statements about how hard nursing school is. Some of nursing school is hard, but much of it is not. Memorizing a whole bunch of anatomy and physiology isn't exactly a sign of brilliance. The so-called "medication math" classes that nurses are required to take are the equivalent of what is taught in middle school algebra: converting fractions to decimals, etc. -- and tons of people STILL fail at it. That's sad. Give most of these "wise, smart, experienced nurses" a seat in a basic calculus class or in organic chemistry and their brains would probably implode. But what else would you expect -- these are the same people who think writing is a useless skill and that it's okay if your spelling and grammar are as bad as a five year old's as long as you are a "wise, smart, experienced nurse."
Perhaps you should stop looking down your nose at your peers and see them as individuals? I am 53 years old and will graduate with my BSN in 2 weeks. I'm old enough to have birthed most of my classmates, and while I feel the generation gap quite often, I take offense at your description of younger nursing students. We are required to take organic chemistry, and an upper division writing course. These are indeed tough classes, and our brains did not implode. I have mentored a few of my classmates through the writing class and felt privileged to be able to help. Most of my classmates are bright and inquisitive and have done very well in clinical experiences. I fail to see how majoring in English or playing chess makes one a more compassionate caregiver. I would rather work with these "trashy" young people than with a nurse with your superior attitude any day of the week.
I had a patient grab my crotch in a room where I was with her alone. I reported it to my boss and HR. My boss laughed at me and told me to grow up; it happens. If I didn't like it, then I needed to hire more "man nurses" so that patient would be distracted.
Another job, my boss told me I got my job because she liked to have "man candy" around the office.
That's the nursing world I've experienced.
This sounds a lot like the experiences of women in business (and other male-dominated professions.)
JimmyDurham9
67 Posts
I don't doubt you. I'm just asking you to not dismiss this issue simply because you've gotten lucky.