Workplaces are becoming more diverse as older workers find work alongside younger employees. Millenials are hitting the job market, but many members of the baby boomer generation are remaining in the workplace. This melding of cultures and perspectives can sometimes lead to office clashes, which is why a travel nurse should be aware of the phrases that will most likely cause issues with older and younger workers.
Here are three phrases to avoid with younger workers:
1. Are you the new intern? Nothing will get a nurse's goat more than a comparison to an intern. As a newly registered nurse, he or she is proud of their accomplishment and wants to prove themselves, not get regulated to the status of a student.
2. As this is your first job… This is a dangerous way to start a sentence. Assuming that any position is someone's first implies that he or she is somehow acting inappropriately or ineptly. Additionally, many young workers now enter the job market with considerable experience from internships or previous jobs.
3. When I was your age… While older generations of workers have plenty of experience that new nurses can benefit from, starting out a conversation with this phrase instantly puts someone on the defensive. Instead, focus on providing anecdotal evidence to prove a point.
Here are three phrases to avoid with older workers.
1. How old are you? Regardless of whether the individual is a woman or a man, a nurse should never ask his or her coworker their age. If the person wishes to tell you their age, they will when they are comfortable. Until then, a nurse must remain blissfully unaware of the ages of his or her coworkers, because in the workplace, it's more important to focus on who can do the job, not what their age is.
2. It's new. You won't understand. Millennials may have the corner on the new technology market because they have been brought up to adapt to and understand the development of electronic devices. However, assuming an older worker does not comprehend how to use a new piece of technology is insulting and could be wrong.
3. My grandparents gave me the same advice. A millennial that uses this particular phrase is being insensitive to an older worker. Comparing a coworker to an aging grandparent can insult the individual by diminishing the quality of their advice.