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.   

[heron, ASN, RN]

I am curious, how does a discussion of white power make you feel bad about conservative views? Is white supremacy a conservative value?

[mrsjonesRN]

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.

I had the same experiences and I am from the Bible belt as well.

I am shocked our education was so unbiased though.

[Get2theChoppa]

"Additionally, these two groups state that abortion is an important aspect of women's health care."

Health care involves healing, not murder. When a doctor dismembers an innocent baby, they didn't "heal" the baby; they murdered the baby and took a human life. The United Nations is not a humanitarian organization; they are corrupt. JAMA has written articles about abortion; and the parties in the article are paid by Planned Parenthood and associated with Planned Parenthood... conflict of interest...

So basically you don't support scientific research when it doesn't agree with your religious values. I recommend you don't present your opinions as facts.

[Get2theChoppa]

"Statements" from "groups" and UN "declarations" don't constitute evidence.

Woah there, you just said that you will only respect pieces by JAMA (Journal of the AMA), etc.

Are you really going to tell me that the AMA's (American Medical Assoc.) stance on abortion is not supported by their own body of research and evidenced based practice? LOL!

I'm sorry, but opinions are not the same as facts. If you want to say that you don't support abortion because of personal or religious beliefs, that's fine. However, do not present those opinions as facts.

AND may I remind all of you nurses out there: if you are incapable of putting aside your own religious beliefs when providing care for others, find a different job. When you put on that uniform, you are a nurse first and foremost. You're religion, your culture, and your beliefs should not come up when providing care/education to patients even on the topic of abortion. Again, facts not, opinions.

Not that this thread matters in the long run. I don't see the point of engaging with people who decry alleged corruption within the scientific community while at the same time complaining that "real" science elsewhere (?) is the real deal. That's anti-vaxxer territory there.

For my part, I will continue to work in forensic nursing and sexual/reproductive health. Then when I graduate from NP school, I will take a position within Planned Parenthood since I support women's health, men's health, reproductive health, and educational services regarding those areas.

Goodbye, thread.

[dec2007]

I am curious, how does a discussion of white power make you feel bad about conservative views? Is white supremacy a conservative value?

No, it ABSOLUTELY is NOT a conservative value. It is a bigotted value.

[heron, ASN, RN]

No, it ABSOLUTELY is NOT a conservative value. It is a bigotted value.

Glad to hear it - the poster I quoted implied that it was the discussion of white power (presumably a critical one) that made her feel like a horrible person for holding conservative views.

I can certainly accept the idea that institutions and individual teachers have a bias. It's part of being human and institutions are built by humans. I'm a radical lesbian feminist Pagan (aka a witch), so I wouldn't expect any support for my views in a political science class at Bob Jones University, for instance.

But ... the only concrete examples of anti-conservative bias offered were the white power subject, pmabraham's issues with discussion of reproductive rights and someone got a C on a paper because the professor didn't like conservatives. The last might well be a true example of true prejudice, depending on the quality of the research and reasoning that went into the paper. Without reading it, we'll never know.

It's very hard to think about this question without knowing which "conservative views" we're talking about and how the prejudice against them is manifested. So, thank you for clarifying the point about white power.

[pmabraham, BSN, RN]

So basically you don't support scientific research when it doesn't agree with your religious values. I recommend you don't present your opinions as facts.

I'm glad science shows human life begins at conception (I have no religion what soever). In terms of evidence based practice, one needs to look at sources. So if you have a bunch of doctors who are paid by Planned Parenthood writing an article favoring Planned Parenthood's MAIN business model of murdering babies (the 3% lie has already been proven, and they don't provide mammograms), you question it just as much as you would question a major cranberry provider funding a report on the benefits of cranberry juice.

[pmabraham, BSN, RN]

"When you put on that uniform, you are a nurse first and foremost."

This is a myth. "Abortion and nursing: A legal update" is just one article speaking on the subject matter a nurse is able to keep their faith (which is extremely different than religion), their belief system, and their conscience in place. They do not have to leave any of those at home or in their car or other private place. Futhermore, if a nurse is to have ETHICS, then the nurse should be able to critical think in such areas rather than leaving their brain somewhere else as well.