I am an RN, have been for 15+ years. I have worked on good units like you are talking about. Sometimes I am hypercritical of my profession but I really do love it. The old, fat floor nurses are still in charge in many hospitals and on many units. In these places the bickering and backbiting is unbelieveable and I know you know what I am talking about. The OP problem sounds so much like the petty spats I seen on a daily basis working the floor or unit. Maybe I jumped to conclusions in this case but that is just my overwhelming experience

The face of nursing is changing and today it is truly a profession, yet there are still some things we need to work on.

Oh and two other things 1)what does FWIW mean and 2) "On my floor (a medicine floor in a larger teaching hospital), most of the nurses are under thirty, thin, and attractive. Most have completed their BSN's and are working on their masters." Where is this? I might be up for a career move.