UserG

Me too! Come to think of it, I did have a tough internal struggle justifying my nursing leadership course being in any category. I had a professor who taught the merits of non-contact therapeutic touch therapy. Ugh! But, have you ever looked at a chiropractor's education? "Disturbed Energy Field" is something I could hear coming out of one of their mouths as well.

Is nursing a science? The second letter in the degree on my wall seems to think so. However, I have been expanding my horizons and have found those that don't seem to believe the same. I am currently applying to higher degree programs, including a few osteopathy schools. For those of you that don't know, both allopathic and osteopathic doctorate schools use their own centralized application process for almost all schools in the US. During the application, a potential student has to enter every course taken at an accredited college or university. This can take hours, depending on the number of degrees earned. Each class requires a school, year, term, credit hours, catalog code, course name, and grade. This is where I found out something I didn't know about our profession. AACOMAS (the centralized application for osteopathic schools) also requires a classification of the class. They have a limited number of choices, but a handy guide to know which class goes into which general category. For example, psychology goes under "Behavioral Science", organic chemistry goes under "Organic Chemistry", oceanography goes under "Bio/Zoology", and physical education goes under "Other Non-Science". I can't hyperlink the list because you have to login to their website and begin an application to view the entire boring instructions on placing each class in each general category. Imagine my surprise when I was entering my classes from my BSN program to find "Nursing" under the listing for "Other Non-Science"! Apparently, the American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine doesn't consider our classes to be as scientific as "Chiropractic", "Electronics", "Nutrition", and "Geology". I don't want to imply that those studies aren't scientific, but nursing is at least as scientific, if not more than, many on that list (c'mon... "Geology"?). Since approximately 20% of physicians have a DO instead of a MD, this means that 1 in 5 of the people giving us orders are being taught that nursing is as scientific as "Theater", "Religion", "Public Speaking", and "Cultural Geography". In their eyes, I guess the nurse practitioners they are trusting haven't really taken any science classes either (although, physician assistant classes are counted as a science...). Since the weighting system on the AACOMAS application applies different calculations for GPA based on whether or not it is a science class, it appears that I will be at a disadvantage when submitting my application. Is it as possible that practicing our "art" has led others to view us as lacking a practice in "science"? How do we assert ourselves better and is there anything I can really do to solve this immediate bias?

He doesn't really get across his point, which I think was that dispensing BC is somehow wrong. The problem 99.9% of people have is not what he is saying but HOW he is saying it. Read the article. It is eye widening.

I've been seeing on some blogs covering this story a disturbing trend. While the misogyny is rampant, there seem to be some that are taking things too far. The proper response isn't going after men in nursing or even men. Nobody here is doing that and I think it is because we know better. I read one comment where someone said this proves that men don't belong in nursing because they get off seeing naked women and have been known to drug and rape their patients. I'm also seeing people mocking Ben with sexist comments such as saying he came down with a bad "manflu." I don't see how misandry combats misogyny. This guy is slime, but it doesn't help the feminist image in society when some blogs are being just as bigoted.

An article passed my way last night written by an East Carolina University student arguing about the availability of birth control in the student health center. http://theeastcarolinian.com/?p=1138 What was really disturbing wasn't thebile spewed towards women taking responsibility for themselves (advocate for birth control or not, I'm not here to argue that one). It was that this young man is a senior in the nursing program. The article was slightly sanitized on the site, but it was captured for all eternity on the internet. I suggest reading it (if you can stomach it!). http://rebekahtodd.tumblr.com/post/10814214583/east-carolinian-releases-outrageous-column-on-birth That's right! This young man is going to be entering our ranks in a few short months! Someone who believes that a woman who engages in sex is actually a prostitute. Someone who wants to be in an industry around a large majority of coworkers that will be offended when he insults them for having a ******** (but he uses the real word). Someone who wants to be a nurse, but doesn't know that his case of the sniffles is going to be treated with fluids and rest. If you were a preceptor and one of your students acted like this, what would you think about their ability to provide adequate and equal care? Would a nursing instructor think he was sleeping in his nursing ethics class and not paying attention to the section on triage in his textbook? More importantly, if young Ben Cochran passes his NCLEX and is licensed, what is a nursing manager going to think when she googles his name before the interview and this is the number one hit? If he becomes a nurse someday, I'm going to be ashamed on behalf of my gender. I apologize in advance to all of you ladies. ETA: I forgot to mention that I don't believe the apology in the editorial. His Facebook page shows him gloating about receiving all of the attention and hate mail.

In southern Florida, the HCA's have a great program for new grads and nurses wanting to go into a new critical care area they aren't trained for. Two months in the classroom and two with a preceptor in your new area (ER, ICU, Peds, OB, etc.) Try JFK, Kendall, Lawnwood, Port St Lucie, Palms West, Columbia, etc. They will have something, if you are serious and committed (2 year contract).

I was first licensed as an RN in OR. My first job in 2008 downsized me after just a few months and I was unemployed for 6 months. I took stopgap jobs here and there, but ended up full time staff in a dream job in South Florida. (Oh, and we're hiring new grads still, too!)

HCA facilities here in South Florida hire new grads into 14 week specialty programs (ER, Peds, ICU, etc). As for "internship" positions, I'm not sure I've seen any in awhile.

Yes, and the difficulty I had in trying to become an OB nurse had nothing to do with my gender... I was raised in a delivery room (mom is FNP/CNM) and have assisted on hundreds of deliveries and in various cases had to deliver a few of them by myself. I have more experience than many OB nurses with 2-3 years on the job with very few patients having a problem with my gender, yet my OB rotation in nursing school coupled with the interviews after graduation taught me that whether or not it was discrimination, certain staffs work better with certain demographics. I was generally treated like dirt by OB nurses because I have a Y-chromosome. There certainly are men sporificely represented in obstetrics in nursing. But gender certainly is a liability getting in the door. The point is having an edge in a field gets you the interview and maybe an advantage in securing the position. True for OB. Probably true for ER. I admit it and it is unfortunate. What IS truly aaannnooooyyyiiiinnnggg is when someone complains about discrimination, but only when it is against a group they belong to.

Your gender, in my experience, gives you the edge to get the job over another female candidate. Getting the interview, is what your resume and CV is for. After that, I've seen gender work wonders. However, we are a science based field, so our individual experiences are not statistically significant. It could just be that I'm awesome in an interview and my chromosomes have nothing to do with it. Or it is just a confirmation bias since I have had a few interviews where I didn't get the job. Either way, use whatever advantages you have to get the job.

Whoops, I think I misread your bio, then. What was the "S" in "BSN" for again? I would never deny anyone their opinion. However, without evidence, it is going to be a pretty weak opinion in the minds of what is supposed to be evidenced based practice. Illogical argument you are making is called the "false balance". It means that each viewpoint is of equal merit. I could say that I refuse to wash my hands between patients because the water supply is loaded with mind controlling government drugs. Is it healthy for my patients to give my viewpoint as much weight as yours that 15 seconds of washing (or alcohol based sanitizer) will prevent the spread of most diseases? Personally, I would look to studies and evidence before going with an opinion that ignores "a magazine" like JAMA, Epidemiolgy, Nature, and Science. Opinions are always welcome. But we are nurses. We use words like "science", "trust", "evidence", and "reason". It isn't always about us. It is about those that are in our care.

There are advantages once you get the job, but I haven't seen anything in the hiring. It depends on the manager you are talking with. Considering most managers come from the specialty they are managing, it seems to follow that you will get a fair shake in ER/ICU/CCU since (in my experience at least) there is more prevalent bias in others.

Is there a source citation of the harm from flu vaccines? Nursing is also a science, so I would like to see a reputable science journal tell me: 1) the vaccine is very harmful (with exceptions to those with very specific allergies) 2) the harm from the vaccine is greater than the harm from influenza

I actually dread taking my pets into the vet because I've now heard vet techs on both coasts starting to introduce themselves as "a nurse". Vet tech is a hard job, but it isn't a nurse. I don't treat animals and I don't know how; vet techs don't know nursing and shouldn't call themselves that.

My hospital system runs a course for several of their facilities in the area. New grads going into certain areas (ICU, ER, CCU, etc) take the course before going into their assigned area. And it is all paid time! The course includes certification in: TNCC ACLS PALS Chest Pain Stroke Crisis Management Triage The down side is that they require a 2-year contract signed the first day. To get out of the contract before two years costs five figures, although that is prorated over the 2-years. I'm just wondering how worth it this kind of package will be? I already have all of those certifications (except triage, and my TNCC is up for renewal in around 6 months) and I have just completed my second year of nursing. Plus, I've already worked in my area of the facility for almost a year! I'm just getting pressured and wanted some perspectives.