Bringing your *new* baby to school....

Nursing Students General Students

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Problem here all....recent member of class had a baby. Now, so far our school has been VERY strict about pretty much everything. Now, I understand that this student is a single mother, on assistance and struggling (well, who isn't nowadays). But anyways she was recently told by our instructor that she can bring her baby to class with her so she doesn't have to miss time. We have class one night a week and we ALWAYS have a test that night because the rest of the week we are in clinical. A lot of the students are complaining that it is distracting, granted she is pretty quiet for the most part but she gets passed around from person to person to be held for the 5 hours we are there and it IS distracting! Plus there are people in class that have had to miss class time because of "children" problems, babysitter couldn't come or whatever....these students feel it is unfair that she was given the choice to BRING her baby to class but others missed time! Something just isn't right about this situation. I don't want to sound like a mean person because I DO want to see her succeed and finish school but at the same time COME ON!!!!!! :angryfire Am I wrong for feeling this way????

Specializes in ER, NICU, NSY and some other stuff.

Many daycare facilities will not even accept infants under 12 weeks. Many people have no extended family. Personally I would have been far less distracted by a sleeping newborn than the know-it-all blowhard who was sure she knew more than the instructor.

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I should be surprised at the heartlessness, lack of compassion, lack of caring for a fellow student..but I'm not. Good for you if you have a perfect life, never have something go wrong, etc. I came back to work 3 weeks after I had my second son and the assistant administrator suggested I bring in a playpen and other items so I could have my baby with me when she found out. THAT kind of compassion gave me the strength to keep going at work when I felt like a horrible mother for having to leave him so soon. Instead the company let me work shorter days, have my son brought to work to breast feed and then when no one was here on the weekend I could come in and bring him with me. I realize nursing school is very cut throat and many people are out only for themselves. I for one am going into nursing to HELP people, and that includes my fellow students with children who need to be cut some slack! I wish her the best of luck and I hope she's able to make it through school. :twocents:

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Specializes in Neuro/Med-Surg/Oncology.

Yes, but in your situation, you were one person. Many of my lectures had 40-60 students in them. What if everyone brought their kids to class every day? It would have been a disaster. I can understand if someone has to bring them in if there's an emergency, but school cannot be a daily alternative to childcare. If it's distracting to the other students, it's not fair. What if some of her classmates are on the cusp of passing or failing? Being distracted unnecessarily during an exam could make or break them. She's not the only student with a lot on the line to graduate. There are many government programs available for inexpensive childcare. Many of them allow the care to be done by private individuals (including family members) as well as day care centers. A lot of people don't want to leave their child with a sitter, but as a single parent, you usually don't have that option.

Bottom line, if it's a one time emergency, fine. Otherwise, it's not fair to other people whose livelihood is also on the line.

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I should be surprised at the heartlessness, lack of compassion, lack of caring for a fellow student..but I'm not. Good for you if you have a perfect life, never have something go wrong, etc. I came back to work 3 weeks after I had my second son and the assistant administrator suggested I bring in a playpen and other items so I could have my baby with me when she found out. THAT kind of compassion gave me the strength to keep going at work when I felt like a horrible mother for having to leave him so soon. Instead the company let me work shorter days, have my son brought to work to breast feed and then when no one was here on the weekend I could come in and bring him with me. I realize nursing school is very cut throat and many people are out only for themselves. I for one am going into nursing to HELP people, and that includes my fellow students with children who need to be cut some slack! I wish her the best of luck and I hope she's able to make it through school. :twocents:

Would you still feel this way if that baby was fussy or loud during a test and caused you to get a bad grade because you could not concentrate?

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Specializes in Operating Room.

Although it may be a distraction, nurses are suppose to care. Reach down into your heart and realize that finishing school may be her only hope to not get on welfare or out on the streets where your tax dollars will go to feed and clothe this child for the next 17 (?) years...and if a repeat probably even more...her children, her children....etc.

I do believe that children shouldn't be brought to class, but things come up that some of us just can't get around. I know my mother had to take me to work with her a couple of times if I was ill. There was no way around it. She was a divorced mom of three. So, somethings just can't be helped if you are going to make something of yourself. (Yes, it does change a life if some rules are bent for situations like this.....just to end the story my mom now has a GREAT job and lives in a 4000 sq ft house.) :rolleyes:

Maybe you could express your feelings to your instructor about asking that the baby not be passed around. I know that is probably the most distracting thing.

Is the baby young enough that he/she sleeps most of the time?

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Specializes in OB-Gyn/Primary Care/Ambulatory Leadership.
Would you still feel this way if that baby was fussy or loud during a test and caused you to get a bad grade because you could not concentrate?

Of course not, but that's not the situation. Nor are 20 people all clamoring to bring their children to class. It's ONE person with ONE newborn who, as the OP admitted, was quite quiet (although I agree the passing around is not appropriate and should be addressed).

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Although it may be a distraction, nurses are suppose to care. Reach down into your heart and realize that finishing school may be her only hope to not get on welfare or out on the streets where your tax dollars will go to feed and clothe this child for the next 17 (?) years...and if a repeat probably even more...her children, her children....etc.

I don't know I am defending this issue since I did not even bring it up but I am.

I disagree that nursing school may be her only hope of staying off of welfare since she is a single mother. There are PLEANTY of women out there that were single mothers with out any college degree that have never taken ONE DIME in taxpayers money, one of them being myself for awhile. There is nothing wrong with getting government assistance if you need it, that's what it is there for. But do not say that if she is not able to bring her child to class she will be a burden to the taxpayers until her child is 17.

Again, I do not see why her classmates have to be distracted because she chose to become a mother. I for one would be very mad if it were my high cost college class this mother and baby were in. Please do not say the people who feel this way have no compassion because we do. If it were acceptable to bring your children to class they would advertise it in the brocure.

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I feel the same regardless. If you aren't happy with the situation, find out the details and help come up with alternatives. That's the last I'm going to comment on this. :angryfire

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Specializes in Operating Room.
There is nothing wrong with getting government assistance if you need it, that's what it is there for.

I understand that you disagree, and that is your right.

As for the above quote, I totally agree with you. I never said there was anything wrong with it. However I do believe that many people on welfare, NOT ALL, grow up to have children in the same rut.

I definitely think if you qualify, and you need it, get it.

...and this is just a rant thread, someone is trying to relieve stress. It doesn't need to become a heated debate. People will have different opinions. Not one of the opinions is wrong. They are just that, opinions, and each person has a right to say his or her own opinion without someone else saying what or what not to say.

So, on that note, if this is going to be a gripe session, I'm unsubscribing. (Been there, done that already....ugggh...lol)

Have a good one, and good luck in your classes. :)

:flowersfo

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Specializes in 5 yrs OR, ASU Pre-Op 2 yr. ER.

Op, no i don't feel you're wrong for feeling this way.

It's not fair for a whole class to accomodate one person.

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Specializes in 5 yrs OR, ASU Pre-Op 2 yr. ER.
But why should the rest of the class suffer for her lack of planning or what have you. They are paying decent money to get their degree with a bunch of other ADULTS, not distracting children.

I agree.

And i definately wouldn't do this to my classmates, either.

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Specializes in Critical Care, ER.

Personally I wouldn't mind at all. In fact making the minor sacrifice of being distracted by an adorable baby occasionally is well worth the satisfaction of knowing that I helped a struggling young mother achieve her goals. Being a married mother with means myself, I don't consider it at all unfair for her to have this right and not I.

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