Missing a week of Classes

Originally posted by Roland: wouldn't the world be a better place if professors/schools would lighten up an realize that it's learning the information that is important not HOW you learn the info.

I can almost hear the birds singing and see the clouds in the bright blue sky while walking placidly along a serene beach.....

Whoa! WAKE UP! It's not so much missing the actual lectures during the class, getting others to record lectures or some other method of obtaining the information. It's the full 7 days of not studying then having to catch up to the speeding train. You'd have to run really, really fast to even have a chance at recouping the downtime.

PG

Your probably correct. However, at least in my experience being in class doesn't always correlate with better grades. When I was "pre-pharmacy" I had to take two semesters of general chem, two semesters of O-chem, and two semesters of calculus. Seldom did I ever attend lecture in ANY of these courses unless there was a quiz or exam scheduled (lab is a different story since you MUST be there almost every week). Frankly, I truly believe that I would learn MORE as a BSN student if I wasn't required to attend lectures (labs and clinicals are an entirely different matter) However, I tended to score in the high 90's in all classes (including all my nursing prerequisite courses where attendance was not required). Not because I was particularly smart. I just studied different. I would read the text (often several different textbooks so that I could have difficult concepts explained in different ways) at least TWICE, and work many problems from the solutions manuals and study guides (I would also usually pay someone to take notes for me).

People learn differently, with lab and skills there are very few options. However, with "lecture" type material there can be depending upon how the professor chooses to run the class. I bet the poster could study for three to four hours per day on his honey moon and still do a good job keeping up if the concessions above were given. Besides, my wife can't stand being around me for more than a few hours per day anyway! Why not let him sip Mai Tai's in Fiji or Bora Bora at pool side with a stack of anesthesia books at his side? However, it will never happen for the same reason that "afternoon naps" will never be permitted in America despite evidence that shows they can improve productivity and reduce accidents (they are however a STAPLE in Mexico, much of Europe and the US Navy, at least during lunch hour). They offend the "fanatical", Donald Trump like prostestant work ethos that has characterized this nation since the Puritans set foot at Plymouth Rock. In addition, I have found nursing to be particularly obsessed with controlling how you learn (being a male pig I attribute this to there being so many women in nursing and women are often not satisfied in my experience with telling you WHAT to do, they also want you to do it THEIR way so as to ensure they drain your last drop of ablility to think independently). On the other hand we are the most productive nation on Earth so who knows maybe they are right.

Okay, how about this instead. Take ONE day off and go on a weekend vacation to someplace relatively close. THEN, you can take the REAL vacation during your Christmas break. Just to seal the deal promise her, her dream vacation once you have your first CRNA job after graduation (The Turtle Island resort in Fiji would be hard to beat and Venice or Paris works well with many women or so I hear).

Roland: Your experience does not encompass enduring any nurse anesthesia courses from any accredited nurse anesthesia school. The courses you have mentioned pale in comparison to any accredited nurse anesthesia program in the US.

It's a whole different ball game.

PG

You may be correct. However, the basic premise stands, not everyone benefits from lecture as much as other methods such as reading textbooks, and working problems. Now if the lecturer is going to offer something "unique" not present in the texts that is a different matter. However, in most cases the lecturer simply focuses and elaborates on what he/she considers to be the most important points. It is also why I wish to homeschool my son. Rather than have him listen to someone lecture on the writings of John Locke or Thomas Aquinas, I want him to read their collected works (as well as relevent major criticisms). Rather than read a modern day Geometry text I want him to learn geometry from the original works of Pythagorus and others. Let me put it a different way would you learn more by listening to lectures by an M.D. on internal medicine or by reading and really learning Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine (and then reading the articles CITED within that text and working through the clinical problems in the Harrison's study guide). Of course some lecturers deliberately present material NOT present in the texts either because they consider it to be important or because they want to ensure people attend (and pay attention) in lecture. However, even in these cases this information can be obtained from other peoples notes (which can be generally be purchased or even obtained for free.)

You are however absolutely correct in that anyone who would try this approach in most programs would be asking for trouble. However, a big part of that is because this kind of independent thinking is very frowned upon in a society which increasingly values conformity. If New Mexico is really as tolerant of "non conformist" perspectives as NileProc says, then maybe that's the place for me!

As stated before: It's a whole different ball game.

You can read all you want in the texts, play in the labs, the true test comes when you have the patient with hypertension, CHF, IDDM (this am's fasting glucose is 342 at 0600, what to do with that?), PVD, early onset liver cirrhosis from hepatitis B, of course, smokes 2 ppd, and takes an arm's length list of over the counter 'organic compounds' , which they may or may not share with you the fact they are taking those drugs. How do you assimilate this information?? What's important? What's fluff? What am I missing that I absolutely need to know to provide for SAFE care of this patient?

Again, anesthesia cannot be learned solely by texts. The original issue was missing a large section of classes early on in an anesthesia program. Granted, by Superman, it could be done. By most nurse anesthesia students, missing a week's worth of classes, even IF he/she would 'study' on a honeymoon would be detrimental to their BASELINE knowledge base. Many groundwork concepts are covered in the early classes. Missing this will leave lots of holes that will come back again and again as deficits.

PG

Yes, but how do you explain that to your average woman? This is especially the case if she is your average, young, attractive, urban woman who KNOWS you are lucky to have her around. One of my favorite forms of self torture is to try and engage in logical debates with these sorts of women. It's comparible to those old Rubix cubes from the 80's (which I never could solve worth a darn). Everytime, I thought I was getting somewhere you make a "twist" and the colors are completely scrambled again.

I just graduated from nursing school and started graduate school to become an FNP. You figure that for each hour in the classroom you should spend 2 to 3 hours outside the classroom studying. I have looked into CRNA programs and am astounded by the # of hours a week you are in class and then clinicals. It's overwhelming. It's just my opinion, but I think you'd be putting yourself at such a disadvantage by being gone that first week that you might never recover from it - and what a shame to do all that work to get CRNA school and blow it right off the bat.

Good luck to you whatever you decide.

Emily

I would agree, wait to take the honeymoon. I am in my second semester in a front loaded program and let me tell you that you don't want to miss the first week. It is all new and very hard. Probably would be almost impossible to catch up. I am able to squeeze my marriage and honeymoon between this spring semester and the beginning of summer I. Look for alternative times for your honeymoon!

This is to the current SRNA's out there. I will be starting a CRNA program in June and getting married in July. My program in front loaded. How bad do you think it will be on me to miss 5 days for my honeymoon, and how soon should I let the program know

I too just recently got married, but we postpone everything- celebration,etc my husband understands that we are in extreme financial limitation while I will be going to school. He makes the money though, I told him we can get married infront of a priest and do the celebration later. Just being pragmatic.

This is to the current SRNA's out there. I will be starting a CRNA program in June and getting married in July. My program in front loaded. How bad do you think it will be on me to miss 5 days for my honeymoon, and how soon should I let the program know

I have to agree that missing 5 days of lecture would be anesthesia school suicide. I was so blown away after my first week of school I wondered why in the world I left a perfectly good job. Even now, almost 9 months later, I would not consider missing one day of class. Even though my professors supply us with reading assignments and lecture notes to prepare for class, I still rely on the lecture for clarification and understanding.

Another thing to consider is does your program have a specific number of days you can be absent during the program. I think my handbook specifies that we can only miss 5 days total during our program (not that they keep count).

And, lastly, do you REALLY expect to study new anesthesia material during your honeymoon?!

SproutRN

I am starting my program this August, and I would not even consider taking time off in the beginning. You applied to school & should know what it takes mentally, physically, financially, & time wise. To ask for time off to go on a honeymoon does not show you have your priorities in line. A honeymoon does not make or break a marriage-it is simply a fun get-a-way that americans have deamed a neccessity when getting married. Plus, adding the stress of missing classes to starting a new marriage is not a good way to go. Just focus on the fact that you are in love-getting married-AND were selected to start a competitive program that will afford you an awesome, but late honeymoon. I am sure you can find a nice, luxury hotel close to home & spend a few nights there together--Get some nice couple spa treatments & relax!!!! Congrats on the marriage!!!! :balloons: