Know -it-all .....

healingtouchRN · Jul 8, 2003

ya'll crack me up!!!!! I just hate eye rolling!! I could just get crazy when it happens!:roll

geekgolightly, BSN, RN · Jul 8, 2003

I'm one of those know-it-all's and I won't ever realise my opinion isn't wanted unless someone tells me. I try to not interfere with someones dealings, but if a problem is presented, I always put in my two cents. I also seek information if I don't have it. I never pretend I know something if I don't. So I;m a circumstantial know-it-all, I guess.

Maybe the person is really just trying to be helpful.

When people people offer up their opinion/advice, I generally listen and then discard it as warrented or I incorporate it into my path. Why not just do that?

happystudent, RN · Jul 8, 2003

Originally posted by geekgolightly
I'm one of those know-it-all's and I won't ever realise my opinion isn't wanted unless someone tells me. I try to not interfere with someones dealings, but if a problem is presented, I always put in my two cents.

Thanks go lightly....its nice to see some input from the other side........ My question to you is... why do you feel that you know everything? Who told YOU that you know everything? Please dont take this as a flame......I just want to understand what makes someone like yourself tick?

For example: MY PARTICULAR know it all was drawing blood on a Trauma with a 10cc syringe and 18g needle....now if I am not mistaken It is illegal in Ma for anyone other than a phlebo to draw up using a syringe/ needle technique..... It was brought to her attention that she is not to do it that way and she went ballistic....telling everyone that they were wrong and she has always done it that way.....blah blah... you get the point, now if the tables were turned she would of had a field day telling someone how much of a screw up they are:stone

Good_Queen_Bess · Jul 8, 2003

I work with someone who has the exact opposite problem. He's not qualified, but knows NOTHING. One of those people if you say something, he's always done it as well.......and then some. Always goes/has one better. Been there, done that, bought the t-shirt, you know the type. He's worked with us for about 3 months now, no previous experience, so I give him a chance as I know he's probably shy and trying to fit in. But no matter how many times you show him something, he doesn't get it. Like.......making a bed! Doesn't show ANY initiative. Answers the phone and get's things WRONG, like telling a relative the patient is OK, when they have a GCS of 8/15 or giving someone a drink who is NBM due to having no gag. etc etc etc........Aaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrgghhhh! I have to watch everything he does! Drives me up the wall!

KidsLuvMe · Jul 8, 2003

How do you deal with someone who has no interest in anything or anyone but theirself? I mean this guy I work with will only talk about something HE does or has or whatever... The first day I met him he told me that he was "in the top 5 percent of the human intelligence bell curve" to that I said "..." and still continue to not talk to him about ANYTHING that does not relate to the job. and it's been about 3 months.

I made the mistake of making the friendly gesture and say that we could listen to music in our office (before the bell curve comment)(I share an office with 2 other guys) and it so happens that his music is the most irritating that they make. I have since asked him to keep it turned down to a 1 foot hearing distance but I can still hear it... Should I tell him not to play music anymore even though I was the one who told him it was ok?

Why don't people get it???

imenid37 · Jul 8, 2003

i worked from 11-3 and had to report off to the biggest know it all on earth. (although she seems to have a lot of soul-mates out there). anyway i told the nurses i was reporting to i would give them report on my two pt's: Mrs. Smith and Mrs. Jones.

i finished Mrs. smith's report and paused a second or two to yawn. "WHAT ABOUT MRS. JONES? who has her? this woman bellowed. i just told you Sally (not her real name) i do. NO YOU DIDN'T. before i could answer her the other two nurses getting report said yes she told us she had them both. under her breath, she muttered no she didn't.

what the heck do you do with such an impossible nurse? worst of all this woman can do nothing worthwhile for herself in an emergency or under stress. she once told me she could not help me prep a stat c/section pt. because she had to give po terbutaline to a pt in 15 minutes and write up her pt's assessments in the computer. if her pt. needs something stat she is all over the rest of us to come and help her. she's been a nurse for almost twenty years!!! like i said above these people never change... if you are a know-it-all and have some knowledge, i'll tolerate you, but the likes of this one are just a hemmorhoid the size of a birthing ball.

the posting about the eye-rolling 14 year old. hahaha. now we are both in pennsylvania. does my oldest daughter live at your house too? i will have to show her that post!

geekgolightly, BSN, RN · Jul 9, 2003

Originally posted by happystudent
Originally posted by geekgolightly
I'm one of those know-it-all's and I won't ever realise my opinion isn't wanted unless someone tells me. I try to not interfere with someones dealings, but if a problem is presented, I always put in my two cents.

Thanks go lightly....its nice to see some input from the other side........ My question to you is... why do you feel that you know everything? Who told YOU that you know everything? Please dont take this as a flame......I just want to understand what makes someone like yourself tick?

For example: MY PARTICULAR know it all was drawing blood on a Trauma with a 10cc syringe and 18g needle....now if I am not mistaken It is illegal in Ma for anyone other than a phlebo to draw up using a syringe/ needle technique..... It was brought to her attention that she is not to do it that way and she went ballistic....telling everyone that they were wrong and she has always done it that way.....blah blah... you get the point, now if the tables were turned she would of had a field day telling someone how much of a screw up they are:stone

That doesn't sound like me, so I can;t offer up any insight into someone like that. But I will say as I said in my previous post, that I like to learn a great deal. It's important to me, and if i am presented an opportunity wherin I can learn, I am happy to learn, and if there is a situation whrein I can proffer up my 0.02, I do so. I generally assume that people are like me, and want to learn. I have found that many people take offense when learning opportunities are presented.

Not to flame you or anything, but you sound really angry.

Tiki_Torch · Jul 9, 2003

Oh these Know-It-All types are absolutely the worst, aren't they? Not only are they frustrating to deal with, they are also often quite dangerous too!

I personally think they all are seriously lacking self-esteem.

I read a book by Dale Carnagie titled, How to Win Friends and Influence People and highly recommend it to everyone. In one chapter he mentions that nearly all people want to feel important in one way or another. He also says some folks can be terribly pig-headed about winning an argument, even when they know they are wrong. Sounds like our Know-It-All, doesn't it?

Dale makes two suggestions I've found helpful in dealing with such people:

(1) The best way to win an argument is to avoid it in the first place.

and a good way to avoid it is to politely "confront" the person in such a way that they can save face (not get embarrassed).

This is because when a person is confronted either verbally or with physical gestures, they will automatically try to defend themselves... it's an ego thing. If we both come in with the same "I'm right" attitude, the situation is only bound to worsen.

(2) So, Dale suggests to say to the person, "I may be wrong, as I often am, but let's examine the facts."

This is a psychological ploy which works rather well. Whenever a person begins to berate themselves, the person listening to them will nearly always tell them to not put themsself down like that... that you are not always wrong, etc. Simply saying "I may be wrong, as I often am" sets this into motion. It shocks the other person into a kinder frame of mind and gives them an "out" at the same time. If one person in a conversation is able to say they could be wrong, the other person in the same conversation is much more likely to admit, however sheepishly, that they could be wrong this time too.

It doesn't work in every case, but I've found it helps alot.

I don't do Dale Carnagie justice with my interpretation of his ideas... But please let me encourage you to borrow this book from your local library. It's an easy read which is incredibly enlightening. It helped me tremendously in my home and work life.

Some folks are impossible to deal with, but if we continue to apply some of Dale's principles over and over, it really takes the air out of the Know-It-All's balloon!

Sending Good Luck Vibes to everyone who must deal with Know-It-Alls!! :rolleyes: