Mean classmates? (long post)

[jaimealmostRN]

I just have to complain about this!!! My clinical group as 8 students. 5 of the 8 are pretty good friends, but no one is ever excluded from learning experiences, or lunchtime groups, etc. My problem is wtih one student who is just SOOOOO mean and rude. She is not really that close with anyone, b/c she choses not to be. I have always been friendly towards her, but now she has begun to critize other peoples "skills." For instance, while anther classmate was preforming a required skill with our (very capable) instructor, she decided to chime in at least three times with the, "but I thought you were suppose to use your right hand.....I though you were not suppose to put that in the sharps box..." Meanwhile, this other student was doing their best, not endangering the patient, etc. She is a BACK-SEAT DRIVER and it's driving me crazy! NO one is every present when she does her skills, so we cant just do it back to her. Usually I'd just try to include her with a lot of conversations, etc, but I am beginning to dislike her so much that I just want her away from me. :angryfire :angryfire :angryfire How should I professionally handle this? OUr professor is very easy going and slightly stressed from having to follow around 8 students, so I don't want to bother her with this. THanks for listening to all this!

[Mandylpn]

If she butts in when you are doing your skills, stop for a minute and ask her to hold her questions for later, that you are trying to concentrate. Geeze.

and why is she even there while you are testing out on your skills?

[nursesrocks]

of "nasty" students in my class....accused me of cheating because I scored well on tests. Just think of it like this and maybe this will help. This person is obviously so insecure at the core that she needs to make her feel better, so much so that she is uses her disproportionately huge ego to try and undermine other students confidence in themselves as well as the instructor. I always liked the idea of Karma. What you put out is what you get back... You know the school bully? Sometimes when they grow up they even want to be nurses. Save your energy, she's not worth it and you'll be needing all the extra you can muster.

great advice :)

[Headhurt, ADN]

Ofcourse, you could be mean back and say "Obviously your knowledge worked well for you the first time around!"

I'm just kidding...maybe. Maybe you can just say it in that small voice inside your head.

[jaimealmostRN]

Ofcourse, you could be mean back and say "Obviously your knowledge worked well for you the first time around!"

I'm just kidding...maybe. Maybe you can just say it in that small voice inside your head.

Heheheh....maybe if our professors not around. :rotfl:

[MJ-12]

If she butts in when you are doing your skills, stop for a minute and ask her to hold her questions for later, that you are trying to concentrate. Geeze.

I agree with luv2quilt,

either say please be quiet or please hold all questions and comments until after I am done

or

After you are done with your task, ask to talk to her for a second, then just say

"I am really nervous about doing these tasks, especially with so many people watching. So when you make comments when i am doing the task makes me even more nervous. Don't get me wrong, I love comments and feedback to make my skills better. But just let me know after I am done."

I would go with the second option. It is more personal and no negative feelings.

If she does it again, just give her the same speech.

But if she does it to others don't get involved, only if she does it to you

No flames please.

Just my opinion,

MJ :)

[ShelleyERgirl, LPN]

Hey Jaime, man, I could have wrote this thread! There is this one girl in my clinical group that NOONE likes, she literally irritates everyone including my instructor! At our recent rotation in a nursing home, she even ticked off one of the aides that worked there! In one situation, my instructor knew I was pretty good at passing meds through g-tubes so she had me show this annoying chick how to do it, well..... this woman irritated me so badly asking me stupid questions, making stupid comments RIGHT IN FRONT OF THE PATIENT that I swear I wanted to take the suction tubing and ***** slap her with it when I was done! :angryfire We have two people in my clinical group who are there for the second time, well, this stupid insensitive woman actually had the nerve to ask one of the girls how does it feel to fail!?!!!!! Hello?

[meownsmile, BSN, RN]

First, is this during procedures with actual patients on clinical? If so,, why on earth is the instructor letting it happen. There should be no comments, regarding skills at all especially in front of a patient the procedure is being done on!!! Any comments should be held until post-clinical meeting or reserved for the utility room after the procedure is completed, unless it is to ask a specific informational question regarding anatomy/phisiology or for understanding why a procedure is being done. Nothing more. Forget the anxiety of the student doing the procedure for a minute and think about the anxiety of the patient. Why would the instructor let a student critique a procedure in front of the patient? I think the instructor needs to get control of her clinical group and lay some ground rules.

[LeesieBug]

Why would the instructor let a student critique a procedure in front of the patient?

GOOD POINT! I agree that this is inappropriate.

[jaimealmostRN]

Thanks so much for the continuing support. I now know that I am not over reacting. Our teacher is very mellow (read: passive). In the most recent incident I was writing about the patient had a bit of encephalopathy but could follow commands such as blink, open your mouth. He could not move very well. So it appeared to some that he had decreased LOC, but I'm sure he could understand most of what was going on. I've convinced my professor to make a "broad, gereralized" statement about simply watching another's skill or leaving the room. Now I also feel comfortable with saying that I feel uncomfortable with so many people in the room and kicking them out. Though I really adore our professor, I know this wouldn't be happening if we had someone with more....um, authority? Thanks so much though guys, b/c I felt like I was just being too senstive, this girl is not only disruptive to the students but also to the patients confidance in the students.