Being Honest With Nursing School: Dealing with Drama

It's the old rule: drama is bound to happen in a large group of people. Have those people be stressed beyond belief on a constant basis over school, and the drama seems to escalate rather quickly. I have certainly had my fair share of experiencing first hand, or hearing about drama within nursing programs and I am here to give you tips on how to handle drama. 



1. Do not spread gossip. 

I know it can be difficult, and in the heat of the moment gossip can be fun to participate in. However, spreading gossip only adds fuel to the fire, can hurt others, and does not shed a respectful light on you. If you are caught gossiping about your classmates you can end up putting yourself in a position where you do not want to be. Remember, friends are your life vests in nursing school!



2. Do not participate in the gossip

"If you don't have anything nice to say, do not say it at all". 

Nursing programs are small - word certainly gets around if you do not keep your opinion to yourself. Sometimes, in my experience, some nursing students can get so frustrated and heated in the moment of disappointment or despair that they almost forget that they are standing in the middle of the hallway when they unleash their frustration about a certain professor or a certain program rule.

Keep your venting to a phone call to your best friend when you get into your car, or your group message with your study group. I certainly share my opinions of certain events to anyone who will listen, but I make sure that it is done in private and I am not at risk of embarrassing myself or others in the process. 



3. Respectfully stand up for what you believe is right 

Picture yourself with your classmates in the middle of a busy hallway with a classmate of yours loudly complaining about a professor or a situation that cannot possibly be changed. Personally, these situations make me very heated because I just want to tell the person to stop making a scene, to discuss their program problems in private, and to be respectful of those that are in charge. 

However, I have honestly yet to do that and have just kept my own opinions to myself. 


4. Chose your friends wisely 

To me, nursing school would be absolutely impossible without my best friends. The classmates that have spent hours studying with me, grab food with me while we anxiously await our test scores, and text me motivation when I have moments of self-doubt. Make sure that you surround yourself with people who are dedicated, motivated, and positive. 


I hope that your nursing school journey is relatively drama-free! I know that we are all human and there are definitely moments in which we all love to gossip, share information and relish in having our voices heard. However, always remember to take the high road and that nursing school is only two years of your life. Make sure to enjoy it to the fullest! You learn so much in nursing school, and it is so important to surround yourself in a positive atmosphere so the normal and natural frustrations of nursing school do not completely overwhelm you. 

I hope that these few tips help you if you are struggling with drama in your nursing program. It is certainlly going to happen, especially in a high stress situation, but there are always good and bad ways to handle it!

Thank you so much for reading!
 
- Michelle
#BSNbabe