Second Semester of Nursing

My second semester of nursing has begun. We are two weeks into the semester and already have one huge test under our belts.  We started the semester learning about surgery.  We are now into the meat and potatoes of nursing. I'm loving it.  Sort of.  The pace of the program has picked up now that we are into more important subjects.  The pace isn't what bothers me.  Its the fact that we rush through the subjects that I began to wonder if I really learn any of it all.  Yes, on my first test of the semester I received an A on it.  I am ecstatic for such a good grade.  But do I really know it?

Right now we are learning about OB.  I was so excited when I first opened my Baby-Mama book.  The joke from my friends on Facebook was that since I have birthed four babies then I should be teaching the class.  Well, I won't go as far to say I know everything about having babies but I'm no dummy either.  I love the whole baby making process.  Once I made decision to go into nursing it was because of OB.  I have seen horrid OB nurses and spectacular ones.  But I am disappointed once again with the pace we are going through it.  We aren't allowed a lot of time for discussion.  I was hoping for some good videos to do some teaching.  Instead we have had lectures followed up with, "But you won't need to know that until your second year."  That drives me insane.  We did watch a video that was made in 1973.  OMG...  It was a slide show that had been transferred to DVD.  It even had the beeps on the voice over to tell you when to change slides.  While it did give us a visual on some of the fetal positions it was more funny than anything.  Where does all this money we pay for the nursing program go?  They just raised our tuition (yes, only the nursing tuition) this past year.  Surely, we can afford decent videos.

So there is my little rant.  I just wish we did more than just lecture.  But I guess that is what our clinicals are for.  I am ready to get my hands dirty.  To learn.  To observe.  I am really looking forward to going into the OR and watching a surgery from start to finish.  I am usually not the type of person who gets ill at guts and gore so we shall see how I do.  I also will hopefully get to put in catheters and other fun stuff.  As for OB, since I am only a first year, we may get to go for one day to a women's hospital to observe.  But that is it.  I'll take it for now.  I will just look forward to next year when we can do more for OB.

Alright, I am going to head off now.  I will try to do some studying today but boy those nursing books are incredibly boring.  I will try and keep you posted of how everything is going.  I hope you all have a great week.