The Eyeroll-inducing Special Friend

Nursing Students General Students

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I have just entered my third semester of nursing school (ADN). I am officially half-way through this program and had some time to reflect since (whoop!) we have a snow day tomorrow and the entire city has pretty much shut down.

I've been thinking a lot about where my head was before this program, and how the world (in just this short blip of time) looks so entirely different now. My original circle of friends has halved; the only familiar faces in my clinical group are those who, until now, were only acquaintances ( a couple of them I still wouldn't keep company with outside of school). I am friends with them on FB; God help me, because one of them is a pedantic windbag who loves to showcase his/her successes via announcements, & photos of letters/invitations/academic accolades. It's nauseating, really....

.... But it's taught me a valuable lesson in PR. These people are the only familiar thing to me, and I need to hold onto them tight. They pull my head out of my ass when I'm stuck, make me laugh (just sometimes), make me roll my eyes inwardly (most times), and ultimately, they draw me out of my comfort zone and remind me to do what I need to do to get the job done. It's a hard core lesson in "suck it up" -edness.

We will always, always, always have to work with people we don't like/can't stand. I want to tell you to hang in there. It will make you a better student, a better nurse, a better colleague, a better person.

.... and thank you, pedant. Thank you. ;)

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FYI, a pedant is someone who displays arrogant academic learning. Bragging on facebook does not make one a pedant.

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Yes, I know. I am referring to the pedantic nature of carpool conversation and general social interaction. The FB interaction is an entirely different headache, my friend! Thank you so much for illustrating my point, though!!!

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As long as you realize some people probably think/feel the same way about you, then all is well.

I have met some people who really think everyone loves them and are charmed by their wit.

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I am not the class favorite, of this I can be sure. I'm a wall flower with strong opinions but a very tight lip.

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Specializes in Pharmaceutical Research, Operating Room.

The thing that I've experienced, and that is really obnoxious to me, is the people in my accelerated BSN program that think because they have some years of experience in the healthcare field - EMTs, LPNs, etc. - that they are God's gift to the nursing profession and that nothing our instructors do or say is correct. Example - we had a cardiac lecture this week that dove into ACLS, all dysrhythmias, blocks, etc., and the one girl, who was an EMT, kept whispering about how this was the most condescending lecture by an old out of touch nurse she'd ever heard, the information we were getting wasn't correct, etc. etc. Understand that the lecture was given by a 30 year nursing veteran who had working in the CCU/CTICU and is currently working in the ED in a major teaching hospital near our school. I have 5 years experience myself as a medical assistant, but do I know everything? H*LL no!!!!! If anything, nursing school has made me realize just how little I do know, how wrong I was when I thought I knew what I was talking about, and how fortunate I am to be in a program and have access to RNs that have so much experience and knowledge. Sorry for the rant, it's just already been a long/frustrating week and I'm really tired of hearing these people talk so much about how great they are. Fortunately, this is my last semester! :woot:

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Flying_ace, so true!

This is exactly the type of person I am referring to. My cohort in question is just this sort of person: years of healthcare experience, married to another public servant, and is constantly going on about things that elevate his caliber and therefore his credibility.

I really thought, still think, it completely inappropriate to self-aggrandize in a forum with your less successful colleagues/classmates/peers, as a sometimes-successful student and a sometimes-unsuccessful student.

Needless to say, I wish tact was a learning concept in our curriculum....

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Specializes in Pediatrics, Emergency, Trauma.
Flying_ace so true! This is exactly the type of person I am referring to. My cohort in question is just this sort of person: years of healthcare experience, married to another public servant, and is constantly going on about things that elevate his caliber and therefore his credibility. I really thought, still think, it completely inappropriate to self-aggrandize in a forum with your less successful colleagues/classmates/peers, as a sometimes-successful student and a sometimes-unsuccessful student. Needless to say, I wish tact was a learning concept in our curriculum....[/quote']

Eh...the REAL trenches will get to this person.

Sending positive vibes for peace and tolerance for your bubble-licious cohort! :up:

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Specializes in Pharmaceutical Research, Operating Room.
Eh...the REAL trenches will get to this person.

Sending positive vibes for peace and tolerance for your bubble-licious cohort! :up:

Exactly my thoughts!!! Wait until they get out into the real world of nursing, then we'll see who's so brilliant! I sometimes wish I could be a fly on the wall to be around and see it.....

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Specializes in Pharmaceutical Research, Operating Room.

Needless to say, I wish tact was a learning concept in our curriculum....

I agree completely, because some people have none!

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I am a nursing student currently in my fourth and last semester of nursing school. I also used to be an EMT-II. One thing that I have found in nursing school is a refresher is always good and things change. Things change very fast. I love cardiac and currently my clinical advisor is a nurse that has her PhD in cardiac nursing. Even though some of the things she is teaching me are repeats, I value the time I have with her to pick her mind and more deeply understand the topic. I guess what I am trying to say is, no one is God's Gift to nursing and not everyone who has previous medical experience feels that way. Sometimes my friends that never did anything medical before nursing school are the ones that remind me the most that each learning experience is new and a treasure can come from something that we have gone over before. Remind you friends that old topics change and new depths can be explored now that they have a general grasp on the subject.

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Specializes in Pediatrics, Emergency, Trauma.
I am a nursing student currently in my fourth and last semester of nursing school. I also used to be an EMT-II. One thing that I have found in nursing school is a refresher is always good and things change. Things change very fast. I love cardiac and currently my clinical advisor is a nurse that has her PhD in cardiac nursing. Even though some of the things she is teaching me are repeats I value the time I have with her to pick her mind and more deeply understand the topic. I guess what I am trying to say is, no one is God's Gift to nursing and not everyone who has previous medical experience feels that way. Sometimes my friends that never did anything medical before nursing school are the ones that remind me the most that each learning experience is new and a treasure can come from something that we have gone over before. Remind you friends that old topics change and new depths can be explored now that they have a general grasp on the subject.[/quote']

Agreed.

I was a LPN when I was in my BSN program, there were paramedics, and respiratory therapists, etc in my program; even though I was very familiar with the material, it still was an update and role expansion for me; I was very careful and candid to state that I was a student too; although a lot of my instructors gave me challenges to expand my practice because of my clinical knowledge in practicum areas...It made me a better student-and nurse too!

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