Dear future nursing students,

Published

i am half way done with nursing school and i am to the point where i cannot stand half of my class. i am a pretty average student, not the best and not the worst. i’ve never worked in the healthcare field and the first time i stepped into a hospital was my first day of clinical. i just wanted to share my annoyances…as the student who didn’t have a heads up of what to expect. i wish i was forewarned about the social aspect of nursing school because in reality you would be spending about 2 years with the same people and you are going to have to learn to tolerate them.

i have categorized my “annoyances” from most annoying to least annoying, although some people fall in several categories. (i really do feel like the stressors of nursing school are taken a toll on me causing me to be annoyed about everyone and everything but hey, here it goes)

1. the very competitive nursing students.

you may have been the smartest student in your anatomy class but now there are about 50 of you sitting in that classroom. each and everyone striving to be at the top of their class. a few of them are going to shine brighter than you. it is a very annoying feeling. you will develop some negative feelings towards them and try to find a few aspects of life that you are better at than them. well don't. befriend them, if anything they are a great resource :lol2:

2. the students who study less but get better test scores.

i sat down to take my very first test in nursing school and i was stressed. i studied every single day since the lecture, i felt like i knew everything. the girl who sat next to me was also stressing but only because she crammed the night before. i got a 70% and she got a 95%. how is this fair? several people have told me that not everyone is a good test taker, i’d rather have a nurse that studies a lot then crams, etc, etc. umm no. she clearly knows what she is doing and her test scores prove it till this day.

3. the complainers. your instructors are people too, with their own personal lives, kids, hobbies, friends and some are still completing some sort of upper division courses for higher education.

teachers don’t get paid well; they don’t do this for money. they obviously love nursing and teaching. they are the most compassionate bunch of nurses you will ever meet. and guess what? at some point they have all been nursing students. it has recently become a pet peeve of mine, when i noticed a trend of several students constantly complaining about how much they dislike their teacher. if you don’t like something, tell the teacher! it's as simple as that. 99% of the time there is a fair rationale as to why they put that question on the test or why they gave you projects back to back or why your clinical schedule is so crappy. and the other 1% of the time? well, human error, don’t hold a grudge. and please don’t complain about teachers to other teachers, so incredibly unprofessional. they are collegues.

4. know-it-all's.

there will be at least one. the know-it-alls are in a completely different category as the competitive people or the people that get better test scores than you. if you state that you are unclear about something they will pull you aside and explain it to you in their own individual way. i know it sounds like they are trying to be helpful...but it won’t feel like that. it will feel like they have officially taken on the role of a teacher without anyone asking them to do so. when coming to class you almost expect them to jump up there and start lecturing. they correct the teacher, they interrupt lectures but most of all they think they are better than everyone. there were a handful of them in my class and it got to the point that when they would start talking i would deliberately ignore every single word they were saying, important or not. and the whole entire time, the only thing i wanted to remind them is that we are in the same classroom, learning the same subject; at the same level of nursing school so please do not act like you are above all. so if i could go back and do it again knowing this what would i do differently? i would ignore their behavior because two semesters later, they have been put in place several times by instructors and one of them failed a semester. (disclaimer: i am by no means happy that they failed out i am just trying to stress the point that even if people act like they know it all, they clearly don’t know it all)

5. those who don’t have to work while in nursing school.

you may come across a few people who constantly talk about how they are so grateful that their significant other is able to support them while they go to school. they can’t bare the thought of having to work while completing their education. and they will verbalize this every single day, after every single test. and here you are working full time because that is the only way you can support yourself. some call them fortunate, i call them annoying.

6. the ones who already work in the health care field.

it’s a tough economy out there. in case you haven’t heard….not many places are hiring new grads. the only worry in my mind at this point is passing nursing school. sooooo with that said….why is it so important to tell everyone, everyday that you have a job lined up for you because the clinical manager loves you oh so very much. if you say it once, that’s great j if you say it again after you are asked, that is awesome. but if you announce this to the whole class during the discussion of what they will do after they graduate… then that’s just boastful. not a single person would say, “hey good for you, look at how fortunate you are” and if they do they are lying.

anyway…well this is my little rant. whether you are in nursing school or waiting to enroll in a nursing program…this is what you should expect. i promise…there will be at least one person in your class that falls in each category…can’t wait to graduate so that i never have to see these people again!

how about everyone else? what is your annoyance with the social aspect of nursing school? i’d love to hear that i am not the only “annoyed beyond belief” one out there.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I am not in nursing school yet so I don't have a story to tell....I am already dreading the know-it-alls!

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Im still doing pre-reqs and havent met anyone I didnt like yet. The students are really supportive of each other at this level. I hope it stays that way.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Whoops, although I did have a student seem annoyed with that has my old Micro teacher and I told her I got an A. Instead of asking me for tips or help she seemed annoyed with me! LOL, I would have helped her had she asked.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in ED/TELE.

Hmmm....I fall into about 3 of those categories, and it's not because I'm trying - I just do. Don't begrudge me for the fact that I'm able to maintain A's without having to put in hours of studying, I currently work in health care and have a job lined up after graduation, and even though I do work, I don't have to. I do it because I love it.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Beefree,

Just to let you know there are at least one person from each category that happen to be my patients at one time or another. I worked as a CNA all through nursing school and WAS more knowledgable than the nursing students that thought they were too good to do CNA work...more power to ME! The experience was immeasurable. I'm not going to tackle each of your gripes but you have to understand that most physicians you'll come up against will have the same attitude in each of your "annoying" categories as well...and so will co-workers...and so will other team members. My only advice would be is to get over it...humans are individuals with a variety of personalities, we aren't perfect. Learn to study (work) with your classmates because those personalities really don't change much in the working world. Good luck to you!

Up Vote Up Vote ×

ha, your points crack me up, because having just been nursing school, i completely understand them all!

to lvn-rnhopeful, if you actually read that section about not having to study all the time and still maintain an a, she actually says that you shouldn't be annoyed with those people because they obviously know what they are doing and the one she is in particular talking about still has the grades to prove it to this day.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Emergency Dept. Trauma. Pediatrics.

To the OP, you might enjoy this thread, it's a thread dedicated to venting about annoying classmates ;)

https://allnurses.com/general-nursing-student/things-you-would-298866.html

Up Vote Up Vote ×
How about everyone else? What is your annoyance with the social aspect of nursing school? I'd love to hear that I am not the only "annoyed beyond belief" one out there.

1. The competitive students. - Screw em. Ignore the hell out of them. Seek out the cooperative students and enjoy the experience of working together for the benefit of all of you. It rocks. We also make fun of the competitive ones. All they can do is get an A. So can we.

2. The students who study less and get better scores. - I suspect some confirmation bias here. Do they really score that much better or study that much less on a consistent basis? Part of this is luck - they guessed well on key questions and scored high on this or that test. I notice they tend to stray back toward the mean in general. If they really don't study, they suffer in lab and clinical. If they are just bragging about not studying, they do very well in all areas.

3. The complainers. - Amen. At least it means I never, ever have to complain about anything. They covered it for me and in the rare case an instructor caves to a whiner - I benefit!

4. Know it alls. - Agreed, they suck. But you know something - the people who are really smart NEVER waste time trying to prove it and they never talk about how great or smart they are. Ones who aren't so bright? Always trying to compensate.

5. Those who don't have to work. - Good for them. I wish I was one of them and would not want resentment if I was.

6. Those who already work in the health care field. - Good for them. They have compentency and they are allowed to say why. When people are speaking from direct experience, I LISTEN. I have a fellow student who was a Navy Corpsman and is a current EMT. When she talks, I am all ears.

I think the green-eyed monster has a bit too tight a hold on you. Let some stuff go.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Well I fall into one category which is the non-working one. I'm sorry if you have to work through nursing school but I'm fortunate enough to not. Sounds like a typical case of jealousy to me and please don't take it personal, but what person wouldn't like to not work while doing nursing school? I don't rub it anyone's face, but if someone asks me what I'm doing after class, I'll say going home or going out, I'm sorry if you have to work but that's not my faut.

I'm not really competitive. I do like to maintain A's, but I'm willing to help anyone who needs it. Again this works the other way around. Whenever we got tests back peope would look at me and say "I know you got like a 100", I never bragged about it, half the time I never wanted to give a grade, I'd just say that I did good or well. I'm not interested in being at the top of the class, I just want to do very well for me.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in ED/TELE.
I'm not really competitive. I do like to maintain A's, but I'm willing to help anyone who needs it. Again this works the other way around. Whenever we got tests back peope would look at me and say "I know you got like a 100", I never bragged about it, half the time I never wanted to give a grade, I'd just say that I did good or well. I'm not interested in being at the top of the class, I just want to do very well for me.

Amen!

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Well I fall into one category which is the non-working one. I'm sorry if you have to work through nursing school but I'm fortunate enough to not. Sounds like a typical case of jealousy to me and please don't take it personal, but what person wouldn't like to not work while doing nursing school? I don't rub it anyone's face, but if someone asks me what I'm doing after class, I'll say going home or going out, I'm sorry if you have to work but that's not my faut.

I'm not really competitive. I do like to maintain A's, but I'm willing to help anyone who needs it. Again this works the other way around. Whenever we got tests back peope would look at me and say "I know you got like a 100", I never bragged about it, half the time I never wanted to give a grade, I'd just say that I did good or well. I'm not interested in being at the top of the class, I just want to do very well for me.

i totally agree with you...I'm not annoyed with ALL people that dont work during nursing school..I am annoyed with the people that brag about it in front of the people that are clearly stuggling with school and have an obligation to work. And there is nothing wrong with telling people your grade when they ask you about it. They key is when they ASK.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Join the Discussion