Dissecting a sheep's brain?

slou! · Dec 9, 2006

Thank you. I am so glad to read someone say this. I took anatomy online with no lab dissections. Guess what - I passed it with an A, passed nursing school with a high GPA, passed NCLEX the first time in 75, and now I am on my way to being a great nurse.
Even if I didn't have a problem with the pointless cruelty and the nefarious methods used to obtain these animals, studies show people who do computer simulations actually learn better. Many prestigious medical schools have dropped animal dissection from their programs.
Comparative Studies of Dissection and Other Animal Uses
TEACHKIND.ORG > Policy > Dissection
http://www.janewrdh.com/students/college.htm
There are alternatives and they are effective.
We all have the right to educate ourselves about all aspects of our lives and act accordingly - conscious living.
Nursing involves a lot of compassionate care, I just don't feel dissection has a place in shaping the foundation of our nursing practice.

Thank you so much for posting these! During junior high my school was awesome about giving everyone a choice about dissections from the start. If we didn't want to, there was a computer version to do.

High school was kind of a hassle but they let me use computer versions too. I don't see why it was a hassle when they were the ones who had the computer versions but they let me and a couple other students do them electronically.

I am actually taking anatomy online too, but not really by choice. I didn't pass the math placement exam for my school, which puts me a semester behind in sciences so I will be doing it over the summer and taking it online!

So does the veg in your username stand for vegetarian/vegan? I was vegan for a couple years, but now I am vegetarian again..

stpauligirl · Dec 9, 2006

I loved dissection theatre - surprised myself there though. I was sure I wouldn't be able to do it.
I have to say though that I was a vegetarian for about a year after . . . . chicken broth looks alot like the adipose tissue juices . . .
steph;)

You know I am having the same problem with this year's upcoming X-Mas ham.....will stick to mashed potaoes and beans

stpauligirl · Dec 9, 2006

Ugh, I am NOT looking forward to doing this. Not because I don't think I can handle seeing an animals insides or will be grossed out, but I am really against dissection of animals and animal cruelty.. This really sucks!

I think we all struggled with that issue...even the teacher admitted not liking the idea and he is a hunter and even raised his own goats. But unfortunately you won't learn it any better way, guaranteed! We found comfort in treating the animals with respect and dignity and remindint ourselves that this is for us to become better medical personel....prayer helps, too. You will get used to it....especially if your grade depends on it, I never thought I could do such thing but I did it!!!!!

stpauligirl · Dec 9, 2006

The perons was really good I am glad we had that oppurtunity I had no problem with him at all, the very first time I saw him I was sad though and thought someone lost their grand pa. Other then that he was a huge help to learning the actual muscles, organs and structures.

Wow, a pig is one thing....a human....you are brave

catzy5 · Dec 9, 2006

I am taking A&P next semester. We too have a male and a female cadaver. I am scared about it. I heard that the room has a horrible stench too. :uhoh21: Maybe I will put some of the special orange scent under my nose. That's what we did when I was a dental assistant. (Many people come in with horrible breath or infected teeth.)

our lab room didn't smell at all not even a little our cadavers did not have any smell at all, however our Cats smelled pretty bad and I would often get dizzy working on them

TemperStripe · Dec 10, 2006

We did this but I found it to be incredibly boring. We had a clueless teacher who basically just said "ok, go" and didn't point anything out. So there we were w/ a giant grey blob of brains. Also, the biology class before us was "sharing" the sheep brains so half of them were already dissected. I left before class was over, went home and studied instead of continuing to waste time. This could probably be a cool lab if you had a decent teacher who was able to talk you through it. That was not the case for us. :)

fleur-de-lis, BSN, RN · Dec 10, 2006

I loved dissecting, although I am an animal person too. I just tried not to think about it and made sure to at least learn something for the sacrifice the animal made. I am a visual learner so it did help.

The smell always gave me a migraine until I started using Vicks Vaporub or aromatherapy oils under my nose. Works now that I am in nursing school when cleaning up BMs and infected wounds!

stpauligirl · Dec 10, 2006

I loved dissecting, although I am an animal person too. I just tried not to think about it and made sure to at least learn something for the sacrifice the animal made. I am a visual learner so it did help.
The smell always gave me a migraine until I started using Vicks Vaporub or aromatherapy oils under my nose. Works now that I am in nursing school when cleaning up BMs and infected wounds!

I'll keep the Vicks in mind

shippoRN · Dec 11, 2006

fetal pig

cow's eye ( i HATE eyes, soooo skeeves me out)

sheep's brain I think

The pig was cool and messy i did it twice, for bio lab and A+P lab

I am so grateful to not having to do a cat.

spb1 · Dec 11, 2006

We did cow eye, sheep brain and pig fetus for abdominals. It was very interesting and I like it. Working with the tools they give you is a bit frustrating and tying the pig fetus down on the lab tray was a challenge. Usually, it's just the smell that gets you. I wished I had remembered the Vicks Vapor Rub trick for this lab class.

Susan

:Ball: