ali_gator

I find it very interesting that somebody who is not a nurse, or even nursing student, has so many strong opinions about the profession. Just something to chew on.

I'm not at all bothered by the doll; it think it's rather cute! I am, however, distressed that these so-called "professionals" would delight in degrading the nursing profession. I'm suprised that MDs would be so childish. People in healthcare are not supposed to work antagonistically. Wetting their pants in laughter? More like wetting their pants in fear. If NPs were really quacks, they wouldn't be so fired up about this, reaching for any crumb they can. This childish behavior is pathetic. Having been to many NPs myself, I can vouche for how excellent they are. :)

Hi Leslie, I think I did not effectively communicate what I meant to say. American society is, indeed very focused on beauty. I meant to point out that the western world does see the mind as a seperate intity from the body. Ultimately, under liberalism, one's humatiy is based on their rationality, not phsical characteristics. This does not mean that beauty is not valued. These are two seperate issues. What I meant to say was WHAT I DO TO MY BODY DOES NOT IMPACT MY MIND. I did not intend to state that beauty is not valued in our society, only that our bodies have no bearing on our minds. This man claims that he would have reservations about dating a woman who has had cosmetic surgery. Having cosmetic surgery only changes one's body, not who she is as a person.

I must ask-- why is it such a big deal to you? Since Western society is so heavily influenced by liberalism, we are viewed as "mental" as opposed to "physical" beings anyway. Our bodies are seen as insignificant; it is our minds that matter. My having plastic surgery did not in any way dramatically change my physical appearance, muchless have any bearing on who I am as a person. And no, I did not do it because I was "insecure" or "hated myself." I just wanted larger breasts, plain and simple. Plastic Surgeons generally screen out people who have unrealistic expectations. Quite frankly, I think that's a petty thing for you to get nit-picky over. What I decide to do to my body does not change who I am. [/ If I were to reveal this to a man and he was petty enough to get picky about it, I wouldn't want to waste my time with him! Sorry to sound so harsh, but if get hung up on such petty things, you're going to miss out on knowing a lot of great people.

I read the book and found it very informative, but also rather depressing. I often wonder what I'm getting myself into, and if I can handle working in the volitile enviornment described in the book. This book just reinforced my worries. I really want to be a nurse, but quite frankly, I'm worried that I'm ill equiped to handle many of the problems that are deemed "just part of nursing."

I have breast implants. I love them! I went from a 34B to about a 34-36D. Even on my 5' 7", size 6 frame, they look fairly natural. My surgeon did an outstanding job. (Lovely man, by the way.) I would definately do it over again. The surgery itself was not painful, and they look beautiful. I don't get the social stigma that surrounds breast implants and the "oh, they're fake" talk. My philosophy? If they can be squeezed, they're real.:)

Nurses have more career options now than ever before. Today, many nurses work in areas such as health policy, academics, etc. I think it would be fun to discuss our long term goals; I plan to go to begin as a BSN, and then get my PhD and work in health policy. What are your goals? Do you plan to stay in bedside nursing? Do you plan to become an academic? Or do you want to become a NP? Please share your ideas with me. Thank you!

Also, Parasmom, I don't think a CNM is any more likely to stretch the truth than other providers. Every CNM I have met has been extremely professional. Most deliver in hospitals, so I their patients are quite safe.

When I have a child, barring any complications, I plan to use a CNM. I'm not a "nature nazi," I just don't want any unnecessary medical procedures. I think that every woman should fully explore her options when having a baby, and make an informed decision about what best suits her. Every woman is different. I don't think most CNMs are "nature nazis." They just offer another choice for low-risk women. I'm sure if I use a CNM I'll have to "deal with" people pushing their opinions on me, too!

Believe it or not, this subject was brought up in my Philosophy class. Because we live in a Capitalist society (and Capitalism is strongly rooted in Liberalism) work that is physical is not as valued as work that is purely intellectual. In Liberalism, it is believed that the mind exists seperate from the body, and that the mind is more important than the body. This is known as Normative Dualism. Naturally, because nursing is more physical than medicine, medicine is valued more. Just my 2 cents. Now, if a tree were to fall in the forest and there was nobody there to hear it...

I'm studying hard to become a nurse because I want to be a NURSE. No slight to you... I just wanted to clarify that.:) I'm at a top Women's college, getting my BSN; I've worked hard to get where I am and am proud of my accomplishments. I plan to pursue my graduate education in nursing BECAUSE I WANT TO WORK IN THE FIELD OF NURSING. I think you'll find that the nurses in the US are bright, educated, and rightfully proud of what they've achieved; had they wanted to practice medicine, they would have gone to medical school. I don't envy MDs, nor do most RNs. I'm sure the nurses you work with will be both glad and lucky to have you. As long as you are respectful towards them, I'm sure they'll be glad to have you.

Listen up: I don't belittle the education or efforts of anyone! I both respect and appreciate how hard MDs have to work. That having been said, I expect to graduate from my BSN program about $100,000 in debt, after 5 years of very hard work! While I may not graduate with an MD behind my name, I still will have invested a great deal of time and money in my education. I think that most nurses have grown weary of their hardwork being belittled. Everyone in healthcare works hard for their education, not just doctors.

It's good to know that there are smart people in this world.

I would also like to add that three Ivy League schools and many other prestigious universities, such as Georgetown, NYU, UCSF, UCLA, and Duke ALL have nursing programs. Nursing a career for underacheivers? I think not. :wink2:

I can't count how many times I've heard the "you're too smart to be a nurse" speech, especially from my mother. For a long time, she tried to get me to go into anything but nursing...dietician, therapist...you name it. Then things changed. When my aunt, who had colon cancer, spent the last few months of her life in the hospital, my mother finally got a taste of what nurses do and how important they are. She could not get over how educated, intelligent, compassionate, and skilled they were! Last week, she telling me what a great oncology nurse she thinks I would be. It's difficult when you don't recieve support from those close to you. Ultimately, you can't let their opinion affect you too deeply. I had to learn to be confident in myself...I'm attending a top BSN program in CA., my grades are excellent, I'll have options when I graduate. I always try to educate people whenever I can. Some will be receptive, while others refuse to examine their world-view.