Vanessa B. Smith, BA, RN

Nurses Don't Eat Their Young - Unless You Believe It

Tags: stereotype early nurse conditioning leadership in nursing management working relationship

This article discusses that through early nurse conditioning, new nurses are set up to believe that experienced nurses “eat their young.” This conditioning perpetuates the stereotype and thus becomes part of the problem and culture. One new nurse’s journey to deny this teaching and be open to experienced nurses’ help and criticism may prove that an adjustment in perspective and how we begin to teach new nurses to relate to experienced nurses might help change this culture and the new nurse’s first year on the floor.