Despite what recent news, scandals, and other incidents would have us believe, America is better than ever in terms of health. The average life expectancy, as of 2015, is approximately 79 years, which is just a few years behind Canada (82 years) and the United Kingdom (81 years). In this sense, we have more time than ever to dedicate ourselves to improving as human beings, rather than worrying too much about fatal diseases and conditions that could bring our lives to a premature end.

Although, young Americans are still struggling with other serious issues, mainly social. These issues can be attributed to the state of the work environments from years past, which treated the employee as a means to an end, rather than actual human being. These conditions have persisted through time, up to where we are now. The only difference from the American of yesteryear and the American of today is that we are more in touch than ever with our emotional and psychological health; the average employee doesn’t want to work for a person or company that doesn’t value them past what they can provide to the job.

Regardless of the reason, the next generation of employees is much more thin-skinned than our fathers and grandfathers, which can cause problems when adapting to stressful workplaces. Unfortunately, hospitals and healthcare centers are usually very hectic environments. However, this doesn’t have to be as bad as it sounds, especially for millennial nurses.

In this article, we’re going to briefly mention a few tips for millennial nurses who are trying to adapt to the workplace, without dying in the process.

There will be conflicts

It’s best to get this out of the way. It’s not uncommon for people to work in multi-generational workplaces. However, with the advent of freelancing, and the rising demand for digital services and all sorts of tech solutions, some offices and companies are comprised of young go-getters, with only a handful of older and experienced employees.

This isn’t the case in hospitals and health centers.

These facilities are packed with multi-generational employees from all walks of life, who get together and work together to provide quality care to all who need it. However, the generational gap means that there will be conflicts among the employees at some point or another. Maybe the calm and collected veteran won’t agree with how the easygoing millennial is handling matters and calls them out on it, despite the latter being good at their job. The ensuing clash of personalities can destabilize the workplace and make things uncomfortable for everyone.

However, these things will inevitably happen, so don’t worry about it too much. If it happens to you, make sure to handle it in a professional manner; it’s always better to resolve your differences in private than to make a scene in front of everyone, especially when the problems are about personal differences instead of poor performance or negligence.

Some millennial nurses might quit outright

While most nurses, millennial or otherwise, usually hold similar values and morals in their profession, the things that most of these professionals look for in the workplace can still vary from generation to generation. For instance, while past generations would usually be happy working in one place while trying to climb to the top, millennials seek a job that offers flexibility, recognition, innovation, and the opportunity to make a difference in the world.

Some nurses might hop from place to place, and job to job to find it. This apparent instability can come off as negligence and as a lack of commitment. However, it’s important to truly understand what the person is looking for in a workplace before judging them based on their past work experience. For the millennial, this just means that they should always be forthcoming during interviews; they should always try to elaborate on their personal motivations that make them go from job to job in search for the right one.

Professional and personal comments: Learn to tell the difference

The generational gap goes far beyond the personal beliefs and morals of each individual. The older generations are used to doing things in a certain way, including speaking to younger professionals in the workplace. So, you might encounter some tutors or nurses in positions of authority who might appear to berate or bring down their subordinates.

Keep in mind that some of the comments they make are not personal. Try to take the good from the bad and improve on what your superior is suggesting while ignoring the comments that might come off as hurtful on a personal level. Also, remember that, just because you’re there working towards a common goal, it doesn’t mean that everyone has to like you. Don’t expect everyone to have the same values as you, and try to consider each “hurtful” comment as poor communication between generations.

The rules are there for a reason

Everywhere has ground rules that you can’t go against. They are there to safeguard the patients, employees, and workplace itself. Instead of trying to change the status quo, try to embrace the rules and aim to improve while always keeping them in mind. This way, you can grow as a professional and properly represent the values of your institution.