To much time wasted on classes that have nothing to do with Nursing!!!

Music in My Heart · Apr 1, 2013

OP, is your point that nobody should have to take classes that don't directly pertain to their majors?

If that is, indeed, what you're suggesting then I could not disagree more.

The point of a college education at any level is to create people educated at a basic level in the various subjects that our society deems valuable: history, humanities, science, math, language arts, etc.

If you want to be trained in only those topics which directly apply to your work then you should be a technician of some sort.

Nurses, however, are expected to be able to think logically, communicate succinctly, and interact respectfully with perhaps the broadest range of people of any profession - from the uneducated and illiterate to those holding multiple doctorates, from nearly any culture on Earth, from neonates to centenarians. Nurses are expected to be able to quickly master new technologies and to understand the functions and dysfunctions of the human body.

Everybody with a university degree has a certain level of minimal education. For example, during my engineering studies, I also took anthropology, speech, writing, history, philosophy, and music appreciation... all foundational topics for a well-rounded individual and not simply a techno whiz kid.

malamud69, BSN, RN · Oct 31, 2013

Until you've been through nursing school, I'm not sure how you can make the claim that those other classes have nothing to do with nursing. I think you'll be surprised :)

Well I will totally beg to differ! For instance I am doing a bridge program and even with years of college and humanities classes etc...etc...I must still take a required intro communication class. This may be fine for somebody just getting out of high school etc...but for an adult who has lived and worked in the world of humans what is the point? Money for the school bureaucracy is the point! Further scrutiny of many of the core courses also reveal the same truth...seems to me the best practice for "learning" nursing is hands-on-clinical-at the bedside! Same for most all disciplines...cannot learn to do something by reading/writing about it...yes you can gain a broader understanding perhaps but lets get real here!

ShelbyaStar · Oct 31, 2013

I am working on my second BS, so I'm not having to take many "useless" classes this time around.

However, I will say that the ones I took the first time around have turned out to be surprisingly useful.

I hated my women's studies course at the time. But now I find myself frequently thinking back to it and what I learned about gender (the course covered a lot of trans and minority issues in general, not just feminist stuff), and the things that women still have to keep in mind in a career setting. It taught me to recognize when I may be being discriminated against, when someone else is, or when I may be doing something that could cause someone to sort of subconsciously discriminate against me.

Public speaking is really something that everyone should have to take! I was already pretty good at it but it made me better. You might not get up and do a speech at some point in your career but you do need to be a good communicator, often delivering difficult or bad news or dealing with someone difficult without escalating the situation.

Writing... I took a basic class freshman year and then a senior contentious issues class. It was truly amazing how many people in the senior class still couldn't write to save their lives. It's important. It will help you communicate and you will appear more professional and intelligent if you can write well.

Chem will come into play in later classes. My business writing course was very helpful for things like resumes and cover letters. My investment management course was helpful for personal finances. I could go on and on...

A BS is meant to be a well rounded, advanced degree. If you don't want that and only want practical classes, go for a different degree.

lifelearningrn, BSN, RN · Oct 31, 2013

Do you want to be a trained monkey, or an educated individual? Anyone can be taught to start an IV, insert an NG tube, and take a temperature.

You need to know how to write properly, so yes, those comp classes are necessary... math? Absolutely necessary. Can you do your job without history and government? Sure, but you would like to be able to hold an intelligent conversation with other educated individuals, wouldn't you? The more rounded your education, the more open your mind is. An open mind see things others might not.