Kadivars and Cats in A&P

[Princess74]

Who all had to work on human cadaver's and 20lb cats in their A&P classes.

Exactly what was it you had to do with them? Did if freak you out?

I'm a little nervous about this whole concept, any tips on how not to let it bother you?

I know its something I will have to do and I WILL DO IT, but I think its going to take a little getting used to.

I have two 20lb cats at home:uhoh21: (and a 7 pounder, just an FYI)

[AdobeRN]

In A&P I we had to dissect sheep brain, cows eyeball and we had a cat to split between 2 people. They were all disgusting but the cat was the worse for me. Warning this is going to be gross....the cats did not come to us already dissected. We had to do it ourself - basically "skin" the cat and then cut down thru the muscles. We used the same cat most of the semester.

In A&PII, we had a cat between 2 people again. We had to dissect it ourself again, but this time it wasnt as bad. A&PII was all about the different body systems, basically we just made a midline incision down the cat to study the body orgrans.

As far as cadavers, in the community colleges here in Texas they do not use them. When I went to college the first time (many years ago) in California, we had a few for our class. They were already dissected, I think they were donated from the medical schools after the med students had used them.

[gwt]

Wow!!! All we got was sheep brains, hearts and eyeballs!!!

[hikernurse]

My CC had male and female cadavers (with several extra limbs and body parts, like brains) and then we dissected fetal pigs. I did it with a partner, but you could do that by yourself if you were so inclined. Other than having to lift the pig out of the 5 gallon container filled with formaldehyde (ugh), I thought the experience was pretty neat. However, it did take me a long time to be able to eat a chicken drumstick ; and I will never forget the look on my friends face when she realized the beef jerky she was eating bore some resemblance to what we were learning in lab, lol.

[CRIMSON]

We had cats, cows hearts, pigs and frogs. Finals included walking around tables w/dissected cats that had certain parts tagged. Had to ID these to pass. It has been over the 5 years and I have to retake both AP's again since I am just starting back. I think every class should have some type of cadavers as finding the muscles, arteries, veins ect.. are so much different/difficult on a cadaver than in a book.

[KrisRNwannabe]

I did cats, fetal pig, frogs, and some hearts in high school. in college we did a brain, heart and eye. I don't see why nursing students would need to disect a cadaver. med students yes.