Why do We eat our young?

Nurses Relations

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Why do you think we eat our young or even our own? Why do you think there is bullying in nursing? Why do you think we almost act like we are out to get other nurses?

Specializes in ER.

I've seen young nurse cliques form and I've seen older nurses form cliques. As far is new nurses feeling bullied, these days I sometimes see young new nurses who aren't willing to wait their turn schedule wise, or want to be seen as quite competent when they aren't. some of them sorely need to be put in their place.

Society generally has more victim mentality than in previous generations. Add to that all this talk about bullying in nursing, some of it from nursing instructors, and bright shiny new nurses will see it under every rock.

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(SIGH ...)

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Specializes in ER.
(SIGH ...)

Was that a bullying sigh, accompanied by a NETY eye roll?

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Specializes in school nurse.
Was that a bullying sigh, accompanied by a NETY eye roll?

Wait, could what you wrote be considered bullying a bully??? NENETY (Nursing eating nurses eating their young...)

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Specializes in Clinical Research, Outpt Women's Health.

You need to define what the "bullying" is if you wish to have your post taken seriously.

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Specializes in Critical Care.

Sometimes when I'm trying to eat healthy and I forget my lunch, nothing is as satisfying at the fresh taste of a brand new grad.

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Was that a bullying sigh, accompanied by a NETY eye roll?

No, but I'm sure plenty of folks here would assume that it was. :rolleyes:

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Specializes in Peds/outpatient FP,derm,allergy/private duty.
Why do you think we eat our young or even our own? Why do you think there is bullying in nursing? Why do you think we almost act like we are out to get other nurses?

At first I thought this may have been a research topic, except you included "we" and "our" in the questions. So, something happened to you at work, therefore all nurses are collectively out to get you from afar?

Whichever it is, we can't proceed without a few more details.

I do think this perception is due to the loss of a certain type of nurse who we crusties encountered when we were young. Far from a handmaiden, they were the type you expected to bark at you. But this was not verbal abuse. They cared about training good nurses, a frequently heard theme. They didn't worry if your feelings were hurt.

I suppose it's a cliché, but most of them were tough, they had high standards, but nobody was prouder when at long last the light bulb went on in our heads. That nurse wouldn't survive today, because she would find serving beverages to the family awkward and her manager would be deluged with bully complaints.

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Specializes in Vascular Access.
Sometimes when I'm trying to eat healthy and I forget my lunch, nothing is as satisfying at the fresh taste of a brand new grad.

Also works as a filling and low carb meal.

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Specializes in OR.

I don't think the "bullying" or "eating the young" is any different in nursing than in any other profession. Nursing as a profession is very demanding (no matter what area you work in.) I've worked in several different areas of nursing, some good, some not so much, some sheer hell. Were there instances of "mean girls" type of activity? Sure. Just like everywhere else.

As a rule, i don't think other nurses wake up every morning thinking of ways to torture their colleagues. i believe it has more to do with the changing notion in society as to what nurses are there for. Patients see us as providers of ginger ale and narcotics on demand, Society has created a generation of participation trophies. Nurses are being expected to do more with less.

Surviving a preceptor barking at you used to be a badge of honor. Now, it's bullying.

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Wait, could what you wrote be considered bullying a bully??? NENETY (Nursing eating nurses eating their young...)

OMG! It's the nursing version of Inception...nurse-ception....it's like an eye-roll within an eye-roll.

:sarcastic: :sarcastic: :sarcastic: :sarcastic: :sarcastic:

I think I'm having an existential crisis.

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Specializes in school nurse.
OMG! It's the nursing version of Inception...nurse-ception....it's like an eye-roll within an eye-roll.

:sarcastic: :sarcastic: :sarcastic: :sarcastic: :sarcastic:

I think I'm having an existential crisis.

Rock on!

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