Dealing with difficult students in the classroom

Despite the proliferation of literature on dealing with difficult people, little has been written on how to manage problematic students in the classroom. Every teacher encounters difficult students because the classroom is merely a microcosm of the outside world. Nursing educators strive to create an open and caring atmosphere in their classes, but it is still necessary to intervene when students disrupt the class by showing disrespect for others or by getting the discussion off track. The authors describe the most common difficult student roles seen in the classroom and suggest strategies for dealing with them.