Stupid medical student denigrating nurses

July 8, 2005 -- The Edmonton Journal published a fair piece by Jodie Sinnema on May 19 about the recent controversy surrounding the lyrics of a "Nurses' Song" performed by University of Alberta medical students at their annual "Medshow." It seems that nursing professors, the university provost, and even the medical school dean found something objectionable about the song's assertions that nurses were "whores" and "bitches" whose "incompetence" threatened to "make our patients die." But at least the medical students felt nurses were qualified to "fill up my coffeepot" and "give good head," and the refrain urged nurses to "show me those boobs." The song seems to reflect virulent misogyny, ignorance of nursing, and professional insecurity, a perfect storm of dysfunction that persists in many clinical settings, harming patients and contributing to nursing burnout and the global nursing shortage. For more click link:

This really burns me up! It seems like when we try to get ahead in the professionalism and collaboration race, we get put back by stupid stunts like this one! Most nurses don't want to compete with doctors because we have our own ways of dealing with our patients and their treatment modalities. Nurses are not "doctor wanabes" and doctors are DEFINITELY not nurses in any way, shape, or form. We have two different ways of taking care of patients with the same common goal. ARNPs are caught in the middle of the fray because we take care of diagnostic and treatment issues in collaboration with physicians and have the qualities of both professions. I think this blend is what gives patients the best quality of care from both worlds and is why some patients prefer NPs.
It's sad that nurses and doctors continue to have turf wars because patient care should be of the utmost importance rather than machismo and who's calling the shots.

I'm finally on Code Blog!

Well, the most current information is that the online track is back online again! Yipee! The only glitch is that I need to find something to take during the Fall semester. I found two social work classes that may tie into nursing. I am awaiting approval to take them so that my loans will stay in place. I finally made an appearance on Code Blog! I'm so glad that she posted me. Now that I have a better grip on the future of my schooling, I can get back to placing relevant material on the site. Off I go to finish this semester's homework and then to a couple of deserved weeks off to enjoy. It's hard to juggle being a nurse practitioner student with work and family, but it will all be worth it in the end.

Your favorite Nurse Practitioner student got a present!

I got a present from my husband yesterday! He got me a Toshiba laptop. As a nurse practitioner student, I've been wanting a laptop forever. Now my kids can use the internet without having to bug me about it. I have to play with it to figure out all the bells and whistles. My husband gets upset when I am on the computer upstairs for hours doing homework and occasionally I'll hear "I feel like a widower!" wafting up the stairway.
Now I can work on my homework from the livingroom or outside on the porch. WHOOO HOOOO!! Outside!!
I bought a wireless G router and it booster my internet from 10 mbps up to 100 mbps. How cool is that! I wish I would have known about that little detail. I would have bought the stupid thing even without the laptop.
I'm still trying to figure out the details for the Fall semester. I'm seriously thinking about taking the semester off. It's hard to get behind, but what can I do if there is nothing offered this Fall? I was going to go over once a week and take some classes on Thursdays but they changed the time to 8:00 am. I just can't get there that early and get my youngest to school.. I keep getting these roadblocks put up.. Maybe for a reason?? Hmmmmm???
I miss pleasure reading and painting my ceramics. Maybe I'll put up a few pics of my work on the site.
Gotta run for now and do more homework. I'm going outside!!!! Yippeeeeee!!!

Changes again in the program

Oh well, here we go again! I was told today that I would have to drive to campus to finish my online program for the last year of it. I wouldn't have started the online program if I had known it would be this wishy washy. One other student who is even further away from campus (6 hours) was told the same thing. What sucks is the fact that she had quit her job in order to finish this program full time. Now she's in freaking limbo with me. I am 2 hours away myself and don't do distance driving well.
I'm awaiting a phone call tomorrow to find out more details. This really burns my butt!
Give the patience to hang in here and finish this through!!!!

Professional bashing

I have been surfing the net instead of homework and have noticed what I call "professional bashing" going on. We all know that doctors like to belittle nurses and make them feel inferior and that nurses love to watch doctors make fools of themselves. But do we really need to keep doing that to each other? Aren't we all supposed to be helping each other take care of who's most important? (the patient, not the egos)
I was surfing and found an entry on Code Blog's site that I felt needed responding to on my own site.

I would be very interested in how nurses would have responded if the roles were reversed, and the story was about a senior doc who lashed out at a mere nursing student, and was also consistently rude for a month.

Would any nurse have said "I'm glad you realize how crucially important doctors are and gave him props. Doctors virtually always understand the biomedical and psychosocial conundrums of the patient better than anyone else..."
added by MD on May 24, 2005 12:04 PM

Well... I, as a nurse, would have responded the same props regardless of who the professional was. The nurse shouldn't have held the grudge for that long. Doctors have been known to hold grudges also. I know a few.. I do agree with the terminology of "virtually" understanding the biomedical and psychosocial conundrums but I think we should replace the term doctors with "health care professionals". We all have to know how the medical and psychosocial aspects of our patients work. If you don't, you are in the wrong profession and I don't want you taking care of my patients.
Anyone else agree?

What would you like to see here?

I am wondering what do you expect when you come to my site? I would like some input about what you would like to see here. More medical information, more school stuff, or nursing humor, more personal stuff about me, etc... I have been told that the best thing for a nurse practitioner student is to remain anonymous, of course. I like to see pictures of people but my husband doesn't think it's a good thing..
If you are wondering about the bolds, I'm trying to see if it works to optimize search engine placement. Just a thought??

Doctor Discovers the 'Orgasmatron'

While Meloy, an anesthesiologist and pain specialist in Winston-Salem, was putting an electrode into the spine of a female patient with chronic back pain, the woman reported a decrease in her pain and a delightful, but very unexpected, side effect.
In a surgical procedure done in his office, Meloy implants the electrodes from this device into the back of the patient, at the bottom part of the spinal cord. When the electrodes are stimulated with a remote control, the brain interprets the signal as an orgasm, he said. The device is about the size of a pacemaker and can be turned on and off with a handheld remote control.

I think this is great, but can you imagine what would happen if someone got ahold of the remote control outside of the bedroom??? I can picture it now!! You're walking along and WHAM!! You hit your knees and start to moan... After it was over.. how to explain?? Too funny!!!

Nurse Practitioner online track getting rearranged

What a pain in the butt!! I was told by my counselor at the college that I needed to take all three classes this semester due to not being available in the Fall and not sure when they would be.. I paid over 3,000 dollars for the classes out of pocket! The online track is new to the college and I expected some glitches. But....
I called yesterday to find out what was being offered in the Fall and was told that possibly Advanced Assessments would be there but nothing else and that the program was on hold.
HOLD!!! What do you mean on hold!!!!!!!
I freaked out!!! By this semester I will have taken 15 credits toward a 37 credit (plus thesis) track.
Solution??? I called the head nursing dean at the college and sent an email for clarification...
Here goes... There is nothing being offered in the Fall and I already have loans lined up! There goes good cash out the frigging window!! I just consolidated my loans while in school to take advantage of the low interest rates and now don't have a grace period... More money coming out!!
Spring Semester will have 4 classes of which I have already taken 2 so I'm good there. I'll at least have 6 credits for my loans in the Spring.. I still may have to go to campus for classes in the skills section. They haven't figured out how to do it online yet... Suggestion?? Call other colleges who are already doing it and ask them... Hmmmm?? I'm hoping they will let me take some courses (who knows what? Independent study or thesis for 6 credits in the Fall.. Who knows!

Anyway... thanks for letting me vent.. Gotta get ready for work tomorrow!!