Un-necessary classes

Lisa CCU RN, RN · Dec 1, 2005

I don't know, but I'd think a bachelor degree would suggest you had a more well rounded education and an associate's would say you had just received the basics of a particular field or subject, hence the more numerous credit hours received.

NaomieRN · Dec 1, 2005

I have had to take some of the most unecessary classes for my degree...we have to take classes in "clusters", such as a Humanistic Appreciation, Cultural Diversity, and so on....
For instance, what does a pottery class have to do with nursing? Nothing, but I had to take it to fullfill a cluster...
or, an Anthropology class? Nothing, but I had to take that too.
What is the reason for this nonsense? Do any of you have to do the same?
I realize that it is supposed to make us more "well rounded", but does it really? or does it simply help the school get more money?:chuckle
But I guess I will do what it takes to get to my degree... How 'bout ya'll?
What do you think about it?

I think Cutural Diversity is important because you can know a little bit about your patients. If you can understand your patients' culture, it will be easier to communicate to them effectively. I think that is a fun class!

Daytonite, BSN, RN · Dec 2, 2005

i have had to take some of the most unecessary classes for my degree...but i guess i will do what it takes to get to my degree... how 'bout ya'll? what do you think about it?

you hit the nail on the head. it has to do with getting a degree. you are already a licensed nurse. with a few exceptions you already know a great deal about nursing. now, you are going to expand on what you know. you are going to be engaging in that old collegiate activity of thinking. now, to older people like you and i it seems a little redundant. however, to the younger set, it is the first time they have been exposed to really giving thought to the consequences of all one's actions. in return for the college providing you with a degree, you have to fulfill their requirements for it. so. . .pottery, art appreciation, philosophy. by the way, anthropology was a required class in my bsn program and the nursing program was structured around the theories of an anthropologist. go figure. don't know if you're working toward an aa or a bsn, however, you will feel immense pride to say you have the degree. it puts you in another category as well as that of being a nurse. carry on.

Juststartingout · Dec 2, 2005

it's the difference between being a "well-educated person" who can adapt to a changing reality and being a technician who has been trained to perform specific skills but can't go beyond what they have been directly taught.
a truly well-educated person has a broad understand of the world and how it works -- and has experienced and studied that world from a wide variety of perspectives. if you choose to have a positive attitude about those classes and learn everything that you can from them, they can help broaden your understanding of the world in which you and your future patients live.
for example, that pottery class could have taught you about design, the art of crafting something, and the creative process in general, the ability of art to bring relaxation and pleasure into life, etc. if you had let it. understanding the role of art in a healthy lifestyle and the benefits of participating in an artistic form of self expression could be of use to your patients. that understanding might also help you become more artful in your practice in many different ways.
that's just one example.
we need more nurses with a broad understanding of the world, its people, and the many complex processes that comprise human existence. properly practiced, nursing can be much more than the mere performance of a few technical skills. the developers of your curriculum know that and are trying to expand your mind by exposing you to a wide variety of perspectives in an attempt to expand your perceptions of the world and thought processes. whether you choose to take full advantage of those opportunities, learn all that you can, and use that new knowledge to become a better person and a better nurse is up to you.
i've been a nurse for over 25 years now. some of my best ideas for nursing come through the exploration of material outside the nursing domain -- within areas totally outside the health care sphere.
good luck.
llg

thanks so much llg! that a great perspective i will definitely take with me when i begin my pre-reqs and future needed classes.

you never know when one of those 'extra' classes you had take will be the source of a great conversation with a patient too!

i've thought not so greatly of the classes..but i think you've changed my outlook now. :)

future rn-to-be..

sonja

llg, PhD, RN · Dec 2, 2005

For the record ... I doubt I would have any natural talent for pottery making either! But I think I can learn something from the experience, however. I find that I learn many valuable life lessons in odd places.

For example, my current passion is playing online poker. I play almost every day. I've had to confront and work through a lot of things -- how to take risks, how to handle losses, how to control my emotions as I experience wins and losses, etc. I've also had to do a lot of thinking about lifestyles, goodness and evil, questions about gambling and young people, taking resposibility for our own decisions and actions, etc.

Playing poker has stimulated me to do a lot of deep thinking about serious life questions. The same can be true of any class that you take. You can choose to let it stimulate your mind to think about things you would not think about otherwise -- or you can choose to blow it off and not get anything out of it. That's up to you.

Good luck, everybody.

llg

danu3 · Dec 3, 2005

you never know when one of those 'extra' classes you had take will be the source of a great conversation with a patient too!
future rn-to-be..
sonja

as for basket weaving, who knows, one may struck up a conversation about this subject and how both of you hates it and thus establish some theraputic relationships.

one patient i talked to a while back... our topics went from budhistism, to christianity, to the relationship between art and theology (how you can figure out the theology of a time period by looking at their art), to ice cream. i happened to know about these topics enough to engage with this patient in a meaninggul way. so your general education can be very important. remember a nurse is not all technical; a nurse is good at the technical, and the psychological/social, and even the spiritual.

danu3 · Dec 3, 2005

For instance, what does a pottery class have to do with nursing? Nothing, but I had to take it to fullfill a cluster...
or, an Anthropology class? Nothing, but I had to take that too.
What is the reason for this nonsense? ?

Is there something else beside pottery class that you can take in which you are interested which also fulfill whatever requirement you needed to fulfull?

As for anthropology, what kind of anthropology class? I took Cross-Cultural Anthropology class and that definitely have quite a bit to deal with patients especially if you are working in a ethically diverse environment. And from this class, I was introduced in another area that could affect nursing - Medical Anthropology and Nursing Anthropology.

suebird3 · Dec 3, 2005

regarding the un-necessary classes....i often thought the same way. still do at times. did you ever consider how health care was rendered in the past? that is something i thought about in my history class.

suebird

RN34TX · Dec 3, 2005

What is up with everyone talking about pottery classes here??

My school just made core cirriculum changes and we all now have to take a fine arts course before we graduate.

I have no artistic talent whatsoever and I just watched my friend struggle through a boring art appreciation class so I sure don't want to take that.

My school actually has ceramics listed as one of their suggestions for fulfilling the fine arts requirement.

I thought that my partner and I could take it together next semester and it might be fun.

But all of this talk about pots collapsing on the wheels and everything becoming plates rather than pots has made me hesitant to take ceramics.

Would I fail if I can't produce anything that resembles a pot on that wheel?

Maybe I should rethink taking art or music appreciation instead.

Turd.Ferguson · Dec 4, 2005

I had to take a computer basics class, that taught people how to use Microsoft Office. I have over 4 years experience with MO, yet still had to take it. No way to test out of it.

I actually started using Microsoft Office before it was Microsoft Office. I had the original version of Microsoft Word.

Anyway, it was an easy "A". Keeps the GPA up.

allnurses Guide · Dec 4, 2005

All Bachelor's degrees have these requirements. My oldest son is majoring in poly sci but takes many classes not specifically related to his major.

I majored in Social Work the first time around in college. I enjoyed all the other classes too. One especially was a film class.

It is normal to take these kinds of classes.

Enjoy it.

And re-read llg's first post!

steph

nysa · Dec 29, 2005

I took some classes and thought what the heck ???/

But MY THOUGHTS ON IT ! what we really are suppose to take away is the ability to understand some people work with there hands and at some point you are going to encounter a person who lost the ability to use there hands REGARDLESS OF THERE AGE YOUNG AND OLD .

Or how about the person who enjoyed reading literature (not me) and lost there vision .

Suebird 3 I agree with you .