I don't know what schools required when most of you got your degrees, but it seems like most BSN programs (I think 2 yr as well) require you to take certain core classes. They reflect the information needed to pass the NCLEX. Almost every program requires: foundations, med-surg/adult health, peds, mental health, health promotion and maternity/childbearing. My question is, why are we required to take maternity when it seems like a very specific specialty? Maybe I'm biased, but why is it even on the NCLEX? Do you think it's political? It really doesn't make any sense when you look at the other classes. You will always need a basic foundation, most of the patients are adults/med surg, no matter where you work you will have patients with dual mental health problems (depression, anxiety, bi-polar ect). Peds is a little more specialized, but kids still make up a great deal of the population of patients and can be seen in every area of care.
Why maternity?
All the basic information a non-maternity nurse has to know about emergency care for a pregant woman/newborn, contraceptives and lady partsl infections/sti's can be easily included in other classes. For the most part, if a pregant woman comes into the hospital with a problem she will be put on the maternity/special care unit. Is it really necessary that every nurse knows that the left fingernail of the fetus developes after X amount of days or that the uterus should be 2 cm below the umbilicus 24 hrs after birth?
Wouldn't it be better to replace maternity with emergency nursing? No matter what unit you work in, who you work for, where you go in your personal life or what population of people you work with you will need to know how to handle emergencies. I used to be an EMT and find it disturbing that some nurses don't even understand the concept of in-line stabilization after a fall/accident (#1 cause of death in younger population) because they're too busy trying to decide which side is the dirty side of the placenta or how much bleeding is normal after a c-section. What do you all think about this?