An Examination of Nurses’ Intergenerational Communicative Experiences in the Workplace: Do Nurses Eat Their Young?

The modern workforce is becoming increasingly older, and because of this demographic shift, intergenerational interactions are more common. However, these interactions are often described negatively and could be exaggerated when housed in a workplace setting. This study explores intergenerational communication in the increasingly diverse nursing profession through the lens of communication accommodation theory. Specifically, 32 nurses were interviewed in order to understand how they experience and describe intergenerational communication in the healthcare context. Through an abductive approach to data analysis, we found three interrelated findings: (a) intergenerational hostility is commonplace, (b) intergenerational hostility is socialized, and (c) nurses are viewed as a dispensable resource. These findings were communicated and justified through the colloquialism “nurses eat their young.” Theoretical implications related to communication accommodation theory and the Communication Predicament Model of Aging were developed along with practical suggestions that focus on ways to disrupt the acceptance of intergenerational hostility, enhance intergenerational communication in the workplace, and create a space for structural change.