How do you deal with the conflict in nursing school?

C0SM0 · Sep 6, 2017

Your story reminds me of a classmate I had. She was rude, unpleasant, and went out of her way to be a complete B. Luckily, the administration at my school didn't put up with it and she got kicked out less than halfway through first semester. It's unfortunate your school allows this type of behavior. Nursing school is hard enough without additional stressors such as this.

As hard as it may be, you'll have to find a way to not let her behavior get the best of you since your school refuses to take action.

brownbook · Sep 6, 2017

Everyday mentally "thank" her for giving you a thicker skin and or the ability to deal with verbally abusive behavior because you will hear the same and worse from your patients.

SouthpawRN · Sep 7, 2017

Sound like a great situation to practice your psych nursing, motivational interviewing etc. Maybe she just needs a group hug every day of class.

brownbook · Sep 7, 2017

Sound like a great situation to practice your psych nursing, motivational interviewing etc. Maybe she just needs a group hug every day of class.

Nailed it! :yes:

SmilingBluEyes · Sep 7, 2017

I give people like that the 10 second stare/blank look. I just stare at them like "really, now?". That usually quashes it for me.

HermioneG, BSN, RN · Sep 7, 2017

OP, take my opinion with a grain of salt.

For me, unless I had to interact with her about a patient, I would simply ignore her completely. And not in a petty way, just completely 100% ignore her. She is, quite literally, not worth it. Don't even let your eyes register her presence. Just let it, and her, go. Time and your attention are some of your most precious currencies, and she doesn't deserve for you to spend either on her. From now on, she does not exist. If she asks you a question address her like you would any random person. Be kind, stick to the point, and maintain your professionalism.

I've found that the best way to typically deal with bullies like this is respond to their complete lack of professionalism with perfect textbook professionalism. If she says something inflammatory, you don't react and don't respond at all. If she asks a question, she gets a perfect textbook response from you that is also impersonal. In my experience, when the reaction from you is gone and you put that professional wall up, the toxic person usually disengages.

If this was a coworker, I would deal with it differently. But this is not a coworker. This is another student and you're almost done with your program. From this day forward, this girl does not exist in your books. Let her toxicity be like a fart in the wind.

Good luck.

vanessaem, BSN, RN · Sep 7, 2017

Conflict at nursing school? A classmate with an attitude? You should be so busy with studying to even care about what the next person is thinking or doing. Let it go and get back to the books. Nursing school is tough. :-/

Ruby Vee, BSN · Sep 7, 2017

I graduate in 3 1/2 months and for the past year +. Its this one student that is like a bully. She walks around all day in class and clinical, saying and these are her exact words. " I don't like anybody in this (f'ing word) class? I only like so and so and just rude this girl had to have said this over 500 times since I've been in this program plus she's rude and evil. I asked her why do she say that she said " I don't give a f, because I don't" mind you it was two teachers that went to the DON about her and she did nothing. A few classmates and nothing gets done. I swear its taking all of me not to literally go off. She does this all day every day and the teachers doesn't do anything about it. Its so hard to have a positive atmosphere in the class because of her. Its like high school all over again. I'm so stressed out as is and just to put up with it is really annoying me. How should I handle this? Have you ever dealt with something similar before? Thanks in advance!

Oh good Lord. You're out of high school, aren't you? Why is this one student so important to you? Let it go.

RNperdiem, RN · Sep 7, 2017

I once worked with a nurse with a really negative attitude. One day someone commented that the ultimate punishment for this nurse would be to have to work as a Walmart greeter and have to act cheerful all day. Whenever I would see her after that, I would picture her in a blue smock having to fake all kinds of cheeriness, and I would get a good laugh out of that image. After that, the negativity became a source of entertainment.

FolksBtrippin, BSN, RN · Sep 7, 2017

I don't mind people like the OP is describing. I'll usually say something like, "So tell me how you really feel..." A person who is straight up about what they think is an easy person for me to deal with. I prefer grumpiness to fakeness.

I often find myself around people who gossip, set others up, are jealous and sneaky; back in nursing school and everywhere else. The quiet haters. Those are the ones that I find difficult. Plus, they seem to multiply. They get other people on their side and sit and seethe.

Yikes.

I didn't have any real friends in nursing school. It never mattered. I still got my license, the job I wanted, and it helped me keep my integrity intact as no one could ever get me to cheat. They tried.

guest52816 · Sep 7, 2017

We had a nasty student in our nursing school class. The last I heard of her, she had FAILED NCLEX twice, while the rest of us passed and moved on the careers as RNs.

Sometimes Karma is a B$$$h. And it is truly a beautiful thing to watch.

Seriously, nursing school is tough enough. It is too bad that some people can't be supportive of others. But there are truly nasty people in this world. Fortunately, what goes around, comes around.

mzsuccess · Sep 21, 2017

Ok, so a quick update you guys.

We are in a new term with a new teacher. Today in class this same student was making fun and laughing at everyone in class and saying mean things. Two other students and I decided to discuss this with the instructor and let her know it's really bothersome and affecting us so much. She said she didn't know things were to extent and asked us to write a statement against said student and then she'll give her a warning. Thing is after 1 warning you're dismissed from the program. Thing is she was kicked out of a program before because of the same thing. Now once we write the letters she'll know its us and probably will be more vindictive. I know so many of you said ignore her but do you think writing a statement against her will be the right thing to do?