ACR FLC ON DEP CLBOUT REQUESTED HDG CHANGE AND ALT CLB DUE TO WX. FO INVOLVED WITH MANEUVERING AND WX; ONLY GETTING TANGENTIALLY INVOLVED WITH PIC AND CTLR CONVERSATIONS. FO DIRECTED BY CAPT TO TURN IN A DIRECTION OTHER THAN ASSIGNED BY ATC. THIS OCCURS TWICE; FURTHER COMPOUNDING CTLR AGGRAVATION WITH FLC. FLC INVOLVED WITH POTENTIAL CONFLICT WITH OTHER ACFT.

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WE WERE DEVIATING AROUND TSTMS ON CLB OUT OF MCI. WE WANTED HIGHER ALT ASAP. TFC ABOVE US RESTR OUR CLB TO FL250. CAPT (PNF) TOLD CTLR EITHER WE GET HIGHER OR WE NEED TO TURN TO 240 DEGS (PRESENT HDG 360 DEGS). WE WERE CLRED FOR L TURN. DURING TURN WE WERE CLRED TO FL280 AND TURNED TO 090 DEGS. AS WE ROLLED OUT ON 090 DEGS; WE WERE CLRED R TO 270 DEGS. CAPT SAID 'JUST KEEP THE L TURN GOING.' I SAID 'I THINK HE SAID TURN R.' I WAS THEN DISTR BY MODERATE TURB AND SINCE IT WAS 180 DEG TURN EITHER WAY; I DIDN'T THINK ABOUT IT. AT 060 DEGS IN THE L TURN; CTLR AND CAPT EXCHANGED HEATED REMARKS ABOUT WHAT OUR CLRNC WAS AND WHETHER WE SHOULD BE TURNING L OR R. CTLR THEN GAVE US AN EXPEDITE CLB TO FL290; WHICH I DID IN ABOUT 30-60 SECONDS. CTLR THEN CLRED US DIRECT TO MCW FROM ABOUT A 270 DEG HDG. RATHER THAN TURN R TO A NORTHERLY HDG (TOWARD WX); CAPT INSTRUCTED ME TO TURN L TO 360 DEGS. BASICALLY COMPLETING 2 360 DEG TURNS. CTLR AND CAPT AGAIN GOT INTO IT ON OUR CHOICE OF HDGS WHILE DEVIATING. CTLR SAID 'THE ONLY THING THAT SAVED US WAS OTHER TFC RPTED LEVEL AT FL260.' WE CONTINUED NBOUND UNEVENTFULLY AND WERE CLRED TO FL330. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: TERRIBLE WX WITH MODERATE TURB. APPARENTLY HIGH CTLR WORKLOAD WITH MULTIPLE DEVS. LOW TIME (IN ACFT) FOR PF -- MAYBE TOO MUCH CONCENTRATION ON FLYING THE ACFT AND NOT ENOUGH ON BACKING UP COM WITH ATC. CAPT SEEMED IMPATIENT WITH ATC AND DEALING WITH THE REQUESTED HDGS AND ALTS.