Did you receive a politically biased education?

[Guest910128]

Hello everyone,

I'm a nursing student currently completing a Bachelor of Nursing in New Zealand, and I'd like to gain a persepctive on what nursing school in other parts of the world (particularly the US) are like. Currently, the education I am receiving is highly politically biased - everything is taught in a "liberal" political perspective. Is this the same deal in the US? I feel the education I'm receiving just shouldn't be this politically biased. I'm not writing this to challenge anyone's political views, but I feel that every student undergoing a degree programme should have academic freedom to express their thoughts. All of the written assignments I have written have had to be written in a pro-liberal perspective. If I were to write an assignment in a "conservative" perspective I'd get heavily penalised, and I have not met "course criteria". Additionally, I have not heard a single pro-conservative argument discussed in any of my classes. I'm politically conservative (minority in NZ), and I'm not claiming liberal ideas are wrong. However they are not my beliefs. To give you an idea, here are some points I've had to "accept" in class and/or in my written assignments, without question.

- Healthcare is a right, and socialied medicine should unquestionably remain;

- Every time a conservative government is elected, healthcare outcomes worsen;

- Government should make more laws and regulations to keep us safer and increase health outcomes (I.e. mandatory vaccinations, mandatory adding of fluoride to our water supply);

- Capitalism, and the resulting social stratification, leads to poverty, which leads to disparities in health. Hence, large corporations and the weathy should be taxed more than the poor, to reduce inequality and lead to more desirable and equal health outcomes for all (effectively anti-capitalist ideas, Marxist ideas were supported in my sociology classes);

- We must have extensive social services (social welfare) as the poor cannot afford health care (culture of dependency ignored entirely);

- Minority cultures have the right to receive more fiancial support from government in order to increase their health outcomes;

- Unhealthy foods should be taxed more than healthy foods (same deal with cigarettes);

- New Zealand cannot support a private healthcare sector due to our population size;

- Most the most part, pro-life and anti-euthanasia opinions are drowned out by the majority view (pro-choice, pro legalised euthanasia).

- Making the individual responsible for their own health care is "victim blaming".

Opinions regarding the benefits of a free market society, benefits of our capitalist system, that social welfare can create a 'culture of dependency', individual responsibility for health outcomes, lowering goods and services tax in general are examples of conservative ideas NEVER discussed.

Thoughts? Any discussion and input would be greatly appreciated.   

[Lulu Belle, RN, EMT-B]

I am not yet a nursing student, but I've noticed the same bias in many of the classes I'm taking for a BS in biology. Not to the extent you describe, but it's there. Just today in my animal behavior class I was thinking "I'm not sure how she [the professor] is managing to turn this topic into something political, but she is."

It really irks me. While the administration of my college is known for being fairly conservative, the academic and residential environment is overwhelmingly the opposite. So much so that I don't feel comfortable sharing the fact that I have some conservative views because there are often negative consequences for students who do (even respectfully). I wish I were exaggerating.

[anh06005, MSN, APRN, NP]

I'm in the Bible Belt (conservative area) and I feel my school was pretty unbiased. We were taught to respect others views and wishes to provide then care they desire when possible.

In fact we had debates regarding euthanasia and fluoridated water supply and we had a pro and con group for each so we could hear both sides. I think vaccines were a topic as well.

Just my experience.

[Guest910128]

Thank you both immensely for your input. I feel that this is something all educators should be very aware of, for the sake of preserving the free exchange of views and academic freedom. If I heard the other side of the political spectrum - the right - or if the education provided was almost entirely apolitical, I'd have no problem with it. But I feel that I'm constantly being coersed to think in a certain way, and not express freedom of thought. I didn't sign up to learn how to become a 'liberal nurse'. I just want to be a nurse.

Will be interesting to hear what others have to say about this.

[dec2007]

This leftist bias is (unfortunately) prevalent in nearly all US universities. There is not much tolerance for discussion of opposing views.

[AceOfHearts<3]

I think they did a pretty good job of keeping things unbiased. We hit on disparities in health in community nursing and how the poor are impacted. We talked a little about health care reform and euthanasia as it came up in the news, nothing shoved down our throats- just discussions in class on our thoughts.

Vaccines and vaccination was a big topic that were pushed, but it was stressed to us that as a nurse our job is to present the facts and NOT tell the patient or family what to do. If asked, we were taught to say we can't tell them what to do, but that we can give them information to help them decide.

I feel like politics were left out of my schooling as much as possible. I attended a large private Univeristy in a major city in the northeast US.

[AspiringNurseMW]

Huh. We rarely discuss politics in my program. We talk about how/why race and class can affect health outcomes but that's about it. Maybe it's because it's an associates program. Our discussions are leaned more towards the individual patient, their rights, and how to reach desired health outcomes.

[TheCommuter, BSN, RN]

I attended nursing school in America's Bible Belt (Oklahoma City) and most of the nursing instructors had conservative political views. Oklahoma is one of the reddest of the red states politically.

[BeachsideRN, ASN]

Depends on the school and the state. My public health program majorly liberal. My nursing program (across the street) more conservative in nature.

[LadyFree28, BSN, LPN, RN]

At least in my studies, I have challenged thought processes in my education and have been successful in my schooling because I used factual information and used examples to support my arguments in an articulate way.

Most of my schooling has been more of a "free-thinking" process; there have been teachers that chose assigned reading and enjoyed pieces and had their own personal biases, however, when presented with the information, I was able to present my viewpoint by being articulate and satisfying the requirements.

I've learned, especially in higher education, one must PROVE factually their stance, especially with works cited...unfortunately, some of things you have to "accept" OP, have been backed up with years of research and causation-health disparities continue due to lack of access of healthcare, through epidemiology and public health recordings, at least in the U.S.; these are actual recordings, not "opinions". If you have studies that show otherwise, then back it up, factually; I think a lot of conservatives feel uncomfortable with certain aspects, because of being educated of years of only one aspect; when confronted with another side that has never been discussed, it can be uncomfortable; there are many places that only teach one side and then it is a culture shock to learn the suppositions of a supposed "liberal" agenda; instead of learning reason and rationale as to why these ideas were started, especially when there is very real disparities that have been systematically put in place, people struggle and get frustrated, instead of avidly understanding the WHY of the position is for educational purposes, not necessarily an "agenda".

My nursing classes were taught at a private Christian-Brother school; however, how we were taught to be free-thinkers, logical and philosophical, one may think it would be "liberalism"; but I couldn't imagine education that supported shutting out others, and accepting people doing without, ethically or logically, or not seeking to understand others, especially when there are so many in need across cultures and class.

[Get2theChoppa]

Some of the complaints you have are nursing fundamentals. Having a pro-life opinion has no place in nursing. If a patient says to you that they want an abortion, you are obligated to present them with factual information about their choices. A nurse's personal feelings should never make an appearance during that discussion.

Plus, I question whether your school is really making those statements above verbatim: "Every time a conservative government is elected, health carw outcomes worsen." That's a lot of black and white blanket statements.

Are you really being penalized for writing from a conservative viewpoint? I find that hard to believe if you've got the research and evidence to support your arguments for papers.

I'm not a fan of research, but nursing spends a lot of time on it. Are your complaints about these "ideas" liberal pandering or simply facts supported by current research? I mean, is there research anywhere that can effectively refute the claim that poor people have less access to resources and therefore poorer health outcomes? There are often other forces at work, but poverty is a dimension of health inequality. I don't know where you're at, but these are most certainly concepts taught at the MSN level. So much of the theory of adv practice nursing is understanding vulnerable populations and how vulnerability affects health outcomes. Nursing theorizes that members of all populations can be at risk for vulnerability.

If you're in nursing school, why not do the research to refute these "liberal" ideals in nursing if you find them so distasteful? Prove established nursing wrong. Come up with your own theory like Orem.

[KatieMI, BSN, MSN, RN]

BSN and currently getting MSN in Michigan, and in most liberal universities. No political views enforced, but I sure will be penalized if state something like "every time conservatives won, health outcomes worsen" without presenting some pretty compelling evidence.

OP, if you find yourself in constant discordance with political views in your own country, emigration may sound as a good idea. I did it, no regrets:up: