The wire is in view

As we come to the halfway point of this semester, I have realized that I usually outperform my own expectations.  This hasn't changed from grade school but what HAS changed is the stress caused by constant guilt trips from my parents about my not studying for four hour chunks as they would like me to do.  Now, I just get nagging thoughts about what would happen if I would "fall below the line" in any one of my exams.  So far, one unit test in Human Growth and Development: 77%, Midterm in Nutrition:  76.7%.  I have another HGD test on Monday and then the big kahuna, Physiology is on Friday.  Apparently, the majority of the test covers neurophysiology and, as much as I hate the insane detail we're expected to memorize, I would take this course over six credit hours of "Health Promotion of Child Bearing and Child Rearing Families" any day. 

I just read this paragraph after being distracted by the men's bobsleigh coverage....it blows.  My apologies, but this blog will consist of at least 45% suck until two things happen: 1) I get back into a hospital/healthcare setting and, 2) I get into one or more classes in my next year that involve debate and/or general feeling discussion, I can't tell you how excited I am to bring you the tales of humanity!

Oh yes, there will be tears...

What I want from you

In case you know me or have been able to deduce with the content of my blog (even the fact that I have one will suffice as a reason), I have some opinions. These opinions are my own and you are here reading them but I don't want it all to stop there. In fact, I think that would be a most unfortunately premature end to what could be a most engaging, stimulating, and possibly offensive relationship. If you, the visitor to this page, would be so kind as to leave your thoughts on this page then I could rest well knowing that I'm not banging rhetoric off like-minded individuals' nodding heads. Maybe you have no idea what I'm talking about, maybe you have opinions of your own as to what I should be talking about; whatever your thoughts, do me and those that will visit this blog (all three of them) after you the favour of letting those thoughts be known.

Thanks, may the thinly-masked ridicule flow...

Let's Break it Down

I have in front of me the four year course schedule for the Nursing program at the University of Manitoba.

129 Credit hours to be taken

29 Credit hours of Clinical Nursing Practice
15 Credit hours of Biological Sciences
12 Credit hours of Social Sciences
6 Credit hours of Electives
4 Credit hours of Nursing Skills Laboratory
3 Credit hours of Mathematics (Statistics)
3 Credit hours of Pharmacology

and...

57 Credit hours of Theory-Based Nursing Courses

By my calculations the graduate nurses turned out by this institution will have spent 44.2% of their time learning theoretical and lecture-based concepts, 30.2% of their time on courses that build a basic medical knowledge-base, and 25.6% of their time with any sort of actual patient contact or physical skills application.

This means the U of M graduate nurse taking care of the severely physically abused woman in ER bed 2 will be able to empathize with the patient's family issues and accurately identify the patient's current stage in life but will only be able to slide the IV in 25% of the way after she/he has missed three times and will then be able to think of 25% of the appropriate medications to administer.

That is, if the nurse is perfect...