A question for all Nurses.

jmgrn65, RN · Oct 4, 2006

Yes we did some things with a cadevar (dead body) in A&P class.

indynurse#2 · Oct 4, 2006

We did frogs, pigs and cats...but never people bodies.

Jennerizer, ASN, RN · Oct 4, 2006

Nope, never had to disect a human body - wouldn't want to either.

Jules A, MSN · Oct 4, 2006

I didn't have to either, good thing. :wink2:

Genista, BSN, RN · Oct 4, 2006

I worked on cadavers in Anatomy lab, which was a prerequisite for nursing school. You know, the teacher prefaced our work by discussing how this was a person who very graciously donated their body to science, and to keep that in mind with respect when we worked on the cadaver. It was kind of scary at first, but actually also very neat, since as nurses you do work on humans, not cats or pigs. If you feel nervous, that is normal. Let your teacher know ahead of time if you feel nervous.

The 1st day of anatomy class the teacher took a saggital section of a human head out of a bucket...now that made me nervous! I was honestly afraid I might faint (wimpy I know), but I never did. Most of all, I tried to think kind thoughts about the people who kindly donated their bodies so we could learn. Two cadavers in our lab had previous surgeries too, so we got to see stents and pacemakers, etc. Try not to worry about it too much, and focus on how much you will learn.

cardiacRN2006, ADN, RN · Oct 4, 2006

No cadavers of any kind here.

teeituptom, BSN, RN · Oct 4, 2006

I know this might be a stupid question but I'm just curiouse.
I'm planning on going to school to become a nurse but not sure what to expect. I've heard some people said a few things about what they did in Nursing school.
My question is:
While you were in nursing school, did anyone of you had to work on dead bodies or see it? I heard about disecting baby pigs but not a human dead body. Please share a little of what to expect so I can be prepare for what's coming. Thanks.

My A and P we had a cadaver no biggie, maybe kinda neat though

twinmommy+2, ADN, BSN, MSN · Oct 4, 2006

We worked on pig fetuses and cats but not human cadavers. Dealing with death and dead humans is something you will be exposed to if not in nursing school then as an actual nurse. Just one of the things that comes along with the job.

Antikigirl, ASN, RN · Oct 4, 2006

In A/P we discected cats only. And not much of that either!

When I was a blooming Biology Teacher Wannabe, I discected many more things in high school (via certain college courses available to me for advanced science training in my school).

In my time I have discected: worm, starfish, frog, bird, cat, pig, Shark, dolphin, seal, cow, and a still born whale found off the coast and given to the college (that was cool!!!!! Smelly but cool!).

Funny story about the whale/dolphin/seal. The animals all died of natural causes btw, and were found on the coast. But in the corner of the room were tables covered in cloth so you didn't see what was under them. Now I am in a class of 17 year olds, and curiosity got the better of us..which as I found was the college students plans all along!

I was one of the bravest..so I volunteered to uncover one (okay I bent to the peer pressure..LOL!). We all gathered and I threw off the blanket...there was another one....we all thought it was another sea animal really...so I tore off the other...BINGO...CADAVER!!!!!!!!!!!!

I fainted! LOL!!!!!!!!!!!! And I will never get over the grey tone that I saw! I cried my eyes out once they got me outside and revived. I thought I would never be able to work in science again!

Needless to say...now I can handle about anything! LOL! I don't faint at all, look with interest at a new learning experience..and would not have a probelm doing work on a cadaver if the opporunity came. Just don't shock me with one during a discection of something else..LOL!!!!!!!! I am such a goon! LOL!!!!!!!!

And just for sake of arguement...it is far better to see organs on something that is already dead than it is to see it when they are still alive (unless you work in surgery)...those ones I have to take a deep breath with! (I had a pt one time that wasn't healing from a GI surgery and the stomach was fully visable through the wound...that was stomach cringing at first..now I have no probelm).

TheCommuter, BSN, RN · Oct 4, 2006

While you were in nursing school, did anyone of you had to work on dead bodies or see it?

You will need to become fully comfortable with issues related to death and dying.

As a nurse you might be involved with the postmortem care of corpses, but this depends on the healthcare facility.

I work at a nursing home and frequently see family members crying over the lifeless corpse that was once their loved one. It doesn't bother me because I am comfortable with the fact that human life is temporal. I'm going to die. You're going to die. We are all going to die. Death is a natural fact of life.