Starting out with difficulties

[BuzzNZ]

Hi have just started a Bachelor of Nursing and now in 5th week of this first semester. We have just started our first placement in a old peoples home, the place is half hospital and half rest home. I've been placed in the hospital half for this semester and switch to rest home half next. Our placement is 3 times a week from 7-3. Its been very intense so far, having a gastric bug through the place and first time being exposed to seeing elderly in this state, although its been great. We are paired up and are assigned patients, with another student and I was automatically put with the other guy in my placement group, much to my dismay. When we go to care for the patients he leads and acts as my superior, and tells me what to do and comes across as if he knows everything. He outright said that we are all competing for the same job in the end, and I am kind of scared that he is trying to 'out do' me.

Any suggestions on how to deal with this problem or any advice on geriatrics in general?

[NICU Guy, BSN, RN]

"He outright said that we are all competing for the same job in the end, and I am kind of scared that he is trying to 'out do' me. Any suggestions on how to deal with this problem or any advice on geriatrics in general?"

Easy- ignore him. You are not competing for the same job, unless you both want to work at the nursing home you are doing your clinicals at. You are not going to be stuck with him (hopefully) during every med/surg and critical care clinical in your program. Ask your instructor for a re-assignment of a partner. You shouldn't put up with arrogance. People like him are liable to cause harm to a patient because they think they know everything.

[NJ2013]

I agree with the above post. you'll find people like that all the time, just ignore his arrogance and do your own thing. Do not let anybody think they are better than you

[BuzzNZ]

thanks, I've got 9 more clinicals with him until we switch to residential where we are on our own. I've chatted with others who have come across him and they think similarly. I kinda feel bad for him though, but I guess some people are just that way :/

[leonard_huh, BSN, MSN, RN, APN]

yeah just ignore it man, you will deal with more people like that later on in clinical and in the real world. its there personality, but if you network and get the experience and prove you are capable of performing well then you will be the winner. in my opinion its not even worth telling him how his attitude is but just let him do what he does and maybe tell him to do something here and there give him a taste of his own medicine. nursing school is like a survival match everyone competes and trys to bring everyone else down so they make it to the top then work together as a team and make something useful from there knowledge. just stand your ground though man it is what it is

[PG2018]

I'm dumbfounded - not by your idiot classmate, but by your number of clinical days. In a semester, we did like seven days TOTAL.