Nursing is Not a Science

[UserG]

Is nursing a science? The second letter in the degree on my wall seems to think so.

However, I have been expanding my horizons and have found those that don't seem to believe the same. I am currently applying to higher degree programs, including a few osteopathy schools.

For those of you that don't know, both allopathic and osteopathic doctorate schools use their own centralized application process for almost all schools in the US. During the application, a potential student has to enter every course taken at an accredited college or university. This can take hours, depending on the number of degrees earned. Each class requires a school, year, term, credit hours, catalog code, course name, and grade.

This is where I found out something I didn't know about our profession. AACOMAS (the centralized application for osteopathic schools) also requires a classification of the class. They have a limited number of choices, but a handy guide to know which class goes into which general category. For example, psychology goes under "Behavioral Science", organic chemistry goes under "Organic Chemistry", oceanography goes under "Bio/Zoology", and physical education goes under "Other Non-Science".

I can't hyperlink the list because you have to login to their website and begin an application to view the entire boring instructions on placing each class in each general category.

Imagine my surprise when I was entering my classes from my BSN program to find "Nursing" under the listing for "Other Non-Science"!

Apparently, the American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine doesn't consider our classes to be as scientific as "Chiropractic", "Electronics", "Nutrition", and "Geology". I don't want to imply that those studies aren't scientific, but nursing is at least as scientific, if not more than, many on that list (c'mon... "Geology"?).

Since approximately 20% of physicians have a DO instead of a MD, this means that 1 in 5 of the people giving us orders are being taught that nursing is as scientific as "Theater", "Religion", "Public Speaking", and "Cultural Geography". In their eyes, I guess the nurse practitioners they are trusting haven't really taken any science classes either (although, physician assistant classes are counted as a science...).

Since the weighting system on the AACOMAS application applies different calculations for GPA based on whether or not it is a science class, it appears that I will be at a disadvantage when submitting my application. Is it as possible that practicing our "art" has led others to view us as lacking a practice in "science"? How do we assert ourselves better and is there anything I can really do to solve this immediate bias?

[morte, LPN, LVN]

Personally, I think if you are being granted a BS degree, you should have taken the "full on" variety of the sciences. One reason i prefer a PA to a NP...I looked into applying to a PA course and they were going to blow me off till I explained that my sciences WERE NOT pre nursing courses....

[Sumomo]

Remember hearing years ago about a girl desparate to enter a local NYC nursing program. She had finished most of her pre-reqs but was missing A&P, but never the less managed to gain a acceptance into a school provided she completed the missing classes by the fall. After not having any luck finding openings in any local colleges she did find A&P classes offered at some school out west somewhere. Turned out the A&P was pre-med (complete with cadavers) not the usual nursing orientated classes most of us are used to. Undaunted classes were taken, passed.

How is A&P taught differently for nursing and pre-professional majors? I didn't know there was a distinction.

[Susie2310]

I took a 5 unit Human Anatomy class that used cadavers. A friend of mine in the class was a pre-med student.

[DoGoodThenGo]

How is A&P taught differently for nursing and pre-professional majors? I didn't know there was a distinction.

Once in med school A&P are usually if not always IIRC taught as two separate classes, not combined as they are nursing programs.

Though many places do offer an A&P class for pre-med students there is considerable debate as to their worth. Some feel it will give them an edge when taking the MCAT, others feel it is a waste of time since as med students they will have to take the aforementioned (and highly detailed) A&P classes anyway.

As for the other sciences such as general and organic chem there are all sorts of ways not to make either too taxing on the little ladies (student nurses). *LOL*

You can teach the class so it covers just what is deemed necessary for a nurse to know. Or, help things along by giving formulas and so forth with the exams including *ahem* coaching on how to plug things in, and so it goes.

Mind you on paper the general and organic chemistry classes must resemble standard college level work or there can be a hard time transferring credits.

[Altra, BSN, RN]

I think the OP may be reading too much into the weighting of undergrad classes for the med school application. I just polled 8 residents I know (2 are DOs, 6 are MDs) ... their undergrad majors range from electrical engineering to French translation. Yes, really.

[DoGoodThenGo]

I think the OP may be reading too much into the weighting of undergrad classes for the med school application. I just polled 8 residents I know (2 are DOs, 6 are MDs) ... their undergrad majors range from electrical engineering to French translation. Yes, really.

It is a common misconception that all premed students have undergradute degrees in the sciences or math. This simply isn't true. Indeed some med schools are now actively looking for potential students from a wide range of life experiences/undergrad degrees to better cope with how medicine will be practiced in the new very multi-cultural world that is USA is fast becoming.

MIT has very good "pre-med" programs that boasts a decent enough acceptance rate for it's grads into Ivy or other top medical schools.

What probably does matter is that one have certain sciences covered, but that isn't the be and end all.

[llg, PhD, RN]

People could also argue that nurses, physicians, and PA's should all have a strong background in the social sciences and humanities -- because we deal with PEOPLE within the context of their lives. To work with people, we need to understand them ... their cultures, their communities, their psychology, etc. We also need a strong, deep foundation in the humanities such as philosophy to deal with the many ethical issues we will face.

We could just as easily criticize medical and PA education for being in the social sciences and humanities -- and in fact, many people criticize them for that weakness and are encouraging a more balance education for these professions.

I believe that balance is what is best -- for all of us -- though there will always be some people with a strong preference for one domain or another. Unfortunately, some of those people like to "feel superior" and put down those who tend to lean in the other direction.

[Prof. L-B]

Actually, "Disturbed Energy Field" is very important to human healing, in addition to holistic nurses, traditional healers, and energy workers worldwide. Martha Rogers would ask why you disagree with the concept of a human energy field? It all boils down to science - yes science. We are made of atoms with energy fields. Everything containing atoms has energy fields. Keep an open mind... :)

Light reading for enlightenment:

[h=1]Nothing Is Solid & Everything Is Energy – Scientists Explain The World of Quantum Physics[/h] September 27, 2014 by Arjun Walia.

Nothing Is Solid & Everything Is Energy – Scientists Explain The World of Quantum Physics | Collective-Evolution