The most annoying student

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There's this guy in my class who I need to rant about. He's just the worst. He always has to be the center of attention, is loud, and constantly interrupts others. He is a know-it-all and has to be right all the time. Today he disagreed with another student about a test question, and as the debate went on he melted down and yelled "I hate people like you! I hate your ********!" The other student was being surprisingly professional about it.

The thing I hate most that he does, is he dances around me air boxing at my head. Pretending he is an MMA fighter or something. He insults the people of color in the group by trying to suck up to them by "talking like them." It makes me cringe. He calls our professor "yo, teacher!" He comes in and pretends that he is teaching the class and says stupid things to everyone when the professor isn't watching, like "you're fired!" One day I was preparing medications and he whispered in my ear "I can't stand you." I said "what are you doing??" and he laughed and danced away.

He calls all the women "honey" and "sweetie" and is really condescending. He "corrects" people with wrong information and then says "don't worry, you'll get it sweetie." He's currently a CNA and he loves to tell everyone about his "years of experience" and how he is "on a different level than the other students."

He constantly screws up in clinical and blames it on others. He got ripped a new one by the CI for messing up a simple IV drip calculation, and meanwhile he turned around and yelled at one of the other students, saying she was talking and messed him up.

The worst part is this guy is in his forties. I just honestly can't stand him. My program is over in 4 more weeks and I can't wait until I never see this guy's face again. This guy is so bad that I think the world would be a better place if he dropped dead. I don't know if he has ADD or mania or something he needs to be medicated for, or if he is just a terrible person.

Nah, I totally lost it when you said he was in his forties...what the heck?? You need to stay away from him. Also, I am honestly surprised no higher ups have noticed his behavior. Have you told anyone? If not, I would suggest you do so. But be careful not to complain about him to others in your program, go straight to a higher up so things don't get messy. I would suggest you report him ASAP but if you want/can wait until your program is over, definitely say something. Please don't stay quiet about it. By reporting him you increase the chance that someone else doesn't need to work with him in the future.

Specializes in ER.

He sounds very annoying, I agree. Take this as an opportunity to hone your skills in dealing with inappropriate people. You'll encounter irritating people in your career as well.

JBudd gives sound advise. Document these inappropriate instances. Your fellow students should as well. Some of what you describe is just social ineptitude, but others sound like harassment. Learn to handle this type of stuff professionally, without wishing for this poor fellow to drop dead.

Specializes in LTC.

I agree, all of the previous posters have very good advice. I understand exactly how you feel, we have a girl in one of my classes that is loud and obnoxious as well. She constantly is talking over the teacher and throughout the entire class period. Just reading your post made me feel very irritated in your honor! Its crazy how some people act :facepalm: But, like was previously stated, this guy sounds dangerous so you should get away from him as quickly as possible!

Specializes in None yet..
Try addressing the behavior: if he whispers to you, say loudly enough for others to hear, "please don't ever whisper insults to me again". If he calls you anything unprofessional, again say loudly, "please do not ever call me that again". If it continues, then write a letter to your program detailing the behavior continuing despite your asking it to stop. Be professional, own your own statements ("I am uncomfortable and feel harassed when he does this". Be specific and use quotes.

If things are as out of control as you describe, you may be sure the faculty is aware of it. What they are doing about it behind closed doors is private, you should not as a student be aware of it, but that doesn't mean they aren't doing anything about it.

I agree, you absolutely must address the behavior. It's hard, I know. Just know that it will be so useful to you in your professional life. My experience as a CNA and the stories I read on allnurses and hear from my instructors where make me believe that it's just not reasonable to think we won't encounter all kinds of obnoxious, jerky behavior. You could just be passive and try to wait him out, but what will you do when the next human tromples you? If you aren't sure about how to be assertive with this guy, talk to one of your instructors for advice.

I'm so grateful that my program has a communications course with a lab where we address topics like this. It's got to be the toughest thing to learn about being a nurse. Wishing you the best. It's a tough situation but nurses are made for tough, right?

Thanks for the advice, guys. Update: today we were in clinical, and for the third week the clinical instructor got irritated with him for making a stupid mistake with a patient (because he was busy like always talking too much and being nosy about everyone else). Well, apparently today was the last straw for her, because she lectured him on his behavior in front of the class and he almost cried (seriously, you're going to cry in front of everyone?) She told him that it's up to her whether he passes or not and she doesn't like what she sees. He tried to blame everyone else, but she wasn't having it.

This guy already failed a class previously for plagiarism ( I couldn't believe he didn't get kicked out), so if he fails another class, he's out of the program. I can't say I'll be sorry.

I just can't get over that this guy is middle aged and this is the best he can do.

Specializes in burn ICU, SICU, ER, Trauma Rapid Response.

Sounds like upper nursing managment potential there. Seriously in some of the hospitals I have worked in he would be headed strait to the top. Can also see him eventualy getting high up in the ANA.

Specializes in ICU.

We had someone like this, although not quite as obnoxious, in my cohort. She basically passed classes and clinical by the skin of her teeth, until the very last class. She was frequently late or cutting it very close with assignments, blaming everyone else for her short-sightedness. She blamed one of our classmates for "ratting her out" to a clinical instructor when she chose to have the classmate drive her car so she could do her paperwork on the drive to clinical one day (we had about a 90-mile drive), even though she'd had an entire week to get it done. There's a long backstory here that I won't go into, but she ended up getting chewed out for it because she was STILL working on it when the instructor walked in. She tried really hard to blame it on the other girl. Nobody bought it.

Long story short, this girl ended up failing out of our last class in the program ON THE LAST DAY OF CLINICAL. And since it was her second time failing out, she cannot be admitted to this particular program again. I have run into her on occasion because we work for the same facility, and right after graduation she had all kinds of excuses of how it wasn't her fault, the instructors were out to get her, WE were all out to get her, and so on.

I really have no patience for people like this! So my point, OP, is that even though you're only 4 weeks away from being finished, there's still a decent chance that your annoying classmate could end up not graduating with you!

Specializes in ICU/ER, Maternal, Psych.
I agree, don't wish death on someone...regardless of how annoying and unprofessional they are. Also, why does his age matter?

Initially, I thought he was a young guy by his immature action (by reading the text oh course) to hear that he is in his 40s, he should be one of the students who is an leader by example because of his "years of experience"... in the medical field and otherwise. His maturity is clearly lacking.

Specializes in Peds/Neo CCT,Flight, ER, Hem/Onc.
This guy is so bad that I think the world would be a better place if he dropped dead.

Am I the only one who thinks that maybe this guy has some sort of out of control mental illness? You have every reason to be annoyed, even outraged by his antics regardless of the reason. His behavior is atrocious and the administration of the school has not done you, your fellow students or this guy a favor by letting it slide. However, these two comments do not reflect well on you. Perhaps he started to cry because, in a moment of lucidity, he was ashamed of his behavior. How would you feel if you were dressed down in front of the entire class. I bet you'd cry too. I know I would. And I'm not nuts. So you got a brief glimpse of his human-ness and you denigrate him for it. Previously you judged his worth by saying the world would be better off if he was dead. Maybe secretly inside he feels that way too. We just don't know the internal battles people we see EVERY day are going through. He has been terrible to you and probably a lot of other people. What he's doing is completely and entirely unjustifiable but please don't go down that "mean girl" road. Hate his behavior, hate how it makes you feel but try not to be hateful to the human being that he is. Especially knowing that his is going to fail epically at nursing school and most likely life.

I agree with others that this guy probably has psychological issues. His behavior is so inappropriate and just plain odd that nothing else really fits. If it were me, I would try to be professional and yet avoid the guy as much as possible. However, I agree with the poster that if he says or does something inappropriate then you ought to be professional and vocal about it.

Man... I hope I do not run into anyone like that when I start nursing school in January!

Regards,

LW

Specializes in Emergency.

Idiots as you described usually weed themselves out...the only thing worse would be the "college know it all hippie. .." avoid and save your life energy

wow, well not knowing him or you personally, I really should not comment, however lets just say it I was to comment about a different but similar issue, to me the he sounds immature, as well maybe a bit of an inferiority issue going on. The one thing, which it sounds like you have done your best here, I am sure you have heard this, but we can not pick our patients, so we run into all kinds, and we have to learn to tolerate it...good job just venting and keeping above it all, (it honestly also sounds boarderline harrassment, on his part)

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