Do nurses really hate new graduates?

[hammerz]

I will be graduating in May from an ADN program and during my preceptorship I had a nurse tell me to be careful that nurses like to "eat their young". I have a job offer already on a med-surg floor that I am very excited about. I am ready to start my nursing career but what that nurse said to me makes me a little nervous. Is what she said true or is it nothing to worry about?

[smbrn]

I don't think nurses hate new grads. I don't. Still, one of the most annoying traits in any new grad is a know-it-all attitude which is completely unjustified and just plain silly. No new graduate knows everything, or any experienced nurse either, for that matter. I have the impression that today's new grads get a fair amount of propaganda in their courses about who qualifies as a "professional" and who doesn't. I see this in their posts online, not necessarily on this site but on others. Heading into your first job with an attitude of superiority is probably not a great idea, not that I believe you would do that. Sometimes I think it is just that nurses, particularly those of us who have been at it a long time, are just jaded and unnecessarily take it out on others. Nurses have no real power or authority over their practice, staffing levels, and all the like, and so, in that sense, and out of frustration, try and exert "power" over anyone who is in a somewhat inferior position to them, or who they perceive to be in a position like that. I just finished a 13 week assignment as a traveler, my first, and was pretty disgusted at the way I was treated by some nurses at this facility. I just blew it off to their own misery, though it did get to me sometimes. Harder to do when you're new and less confident in your skills, etc. Still, hopefully you will find some kindly nurse who will take you under his/her wing a bit and help you with your transition when you are learning the ropes. Don't know if that helps.

[JennieLee]

I haven't really had any experience like that. I have recently graduated here in FL, and I don't think that the other nurses look at me differently. We are all there for the same reason, and we need to all remember that. There is a superiority issue in some hospitals, but in mine we are all good :-D There is no difference in how we are perceived (except, of course the experience) and the other nurses are very willing to help out us "newbies" but it isn't like we are not confident in our abilities, we just don't want anyone to get hurt.

[medi]

hammerz I found a very good article about that very subject and I think you'll feel much better after reading it. You may run across a nurse now and then that doesn't really want to be a preceptor, and I hope you don't get one like that, but usually people who dislike being patient and spending time as a preceptor don't get to be preceptors in the first place so I think you will be ok. No, Nurses really don't eat their young (all the time at least). *lol*

Here's that article:
http://www.dcardillo.com/articles/eatyoung.html

Read it & let us know what you think ok?

Sara

[ihip]

Do veteran cops hate young cops? How about veteran firefighters? Or how about veteran athletes? I think this happens in almost every other profession. What is different is that nurses are expected to behave in a more upstanding manner minus any slightest hint of rude behavior.

[timetrialsc]

In the world of construction (all I know about right now) I can tell you some of the older guys feel threatened by a new, young ,anxious to please guy on the job and will make his life difficult. IF he goes over their heads,quotes the new building code to them, tries to hard to show them up. you get the idea, but if this same kid looked to the older guys for advice, let them feel like their 20+ years on the job was worth something. they will usually take this person under their wing and help them along, so I think it has a lot to do with how you approach the more experienced nurses my 2 cents
Pat

[trier]

To to all of you who have been in nursing a few months. I want to know as a new grad, what were the hardest things for you to get used to in those first few weeks during orientation? Was there anything that really stood out as more difficult than other things. What did you find you achieved more quickly than other things? I guess I am just wondering what to expect. I've been told there's a lot of information overload in the first two weeks and people feeling they're drowning in facts. Everything you can throw my way will be appreciated. Thanks.

[maggiedanurse]

nurses that do that, and there are, need help on a professional level. those are the ones that we avoid cuz they have got issues and we don't need their issues. you will find out quickly which ones need help and which ones don't. i even had a bizaar nursing instructor that was told right out in front of me by the program leader, that she needed help, and i was doing nothing wrong.
good luck with your career. i know i need you cuz i want to retire.

[faviola]

As a former new grad I can't say that I ever had a problem with nurses. For the most part they were eager to teach and share their knowledge. I dont think that you should worry to much about experienced nurses. You will encounter different types of personalities when you start working, so you have to learn to get along and learn to work with all these people.