"The nurses eat their young" Nursing students experiences of workplace interpersonal relations

Poor workplace relations are an issue of concern in many workplaces, and are not restricted to the nursing profession. Whilst Florence Nightingale was instrumental in the reformation of the status of women through the establishment of paid training and employment for nurses in the late 1800s; Nightingale's legacy survives in the 21st century. The poor workplace relations which are apparent in contemporary nursing are founded in the rules, regulations and expectations which Nightingale enforced in the late 1800s. These rules, regulations and expectations translate into poor workplace relations associated with the maintenance of nursing traditions, staff expectations of nursing students, and the nursing students' expectations of clinical placement. Understanding these expectations is critical to addressing poor workplace relations in nursing.