Nursing Class - rant page

[Nix]

I am sorry ahead of time. I just got to talk to people who understand. I am a first year nursing student in my second week of nursing school and we just covered nutrition. I just about wanted to rip my eyes out and bang my head against the desk. It was a SAD sad class. Food pyramid all the way. Then in the next breath they talk about the rise of diabetes. *Facepalm* I'm wondering if it would be completely disrespectful to send my professors books, journal articles, links etc. to try and educate her. She seems to hate me already so I can't do too much more damage right?

Today was kind of the last straw for me. We were talking at the end of class about fundraising for nursing fees etc. I'm like ok that sounds fine. Except, most of the fees go towards food for banquets and buying pizza and cookies for the class. I'm like, "Dude, I thought we were trying to promote health here?!" The nursing professors are also encouraging the students who are trying to run for a class position to bring in cookies and suckers to win votes.

I am disgusted with our medical field. We honestly need to start some paleo/primal colleges for nursing and medicine.

[urbancaveman]

Hey Nix,

My mother is a nurse and the other day she was having a go at me because she said I was eating too much red meat and eggs! then at breakfast I was looking for the eggs in cupboard she tells me to just get a bowl of cereal! I am like mum how can you give me dietry advice when you are overweight yourself! Just because she is a nurse and been on the course they think they know it all! I just say go with it.... You just have to grin an bare it! It's like being athiest and getting told that the earth was create 5000 years in 7 days and that an amazing wizard who looked like a middle eastern gandalf turned water into wine! I think you should just take what you need in any doctrine you read and ignore the stuff you don't!!

One day Primal/paleo way of life will become CW, the revolution will happen don't worry judgement day is upon us :-)

[Miss Understood]

I can't tell you how many overweight and unhealthy nurses I know. Yes, what does that say about the profession. My family doctor is overweight, too.

[faithy22]

I think you're fighting a losing battle. My best friend is in her second year of nursing school and she is completely and totally in line with everything that she's taught. I used to be very much like that. I'm a chemist and thought chemistry belonged in all aspects of my life. Now I'm completely different so it's actually really hard sometimes to be talking to her. Her 14 yr old daughter has been having all kinds of health problems and my friend is just following the doctors and medicating her like crazy. She won't even consider dietary changes. It's so sad...

[carlh]

I know some pretty obese nurses.

Keep your head down and power through.

[primalrob]

i feel like this is a problem that keeps happening. CW is so ingrained in the medical profession's mind, and i think a big reason for that is that it's easy to understand. i'm not saying medical professionals are simple minded; i'm saying that with all they have to keep in their minds, adding extra ideas about health and nutrition might be too complex. and that sucks, because food really should be the first line of treatment for most things, and understanding all the options should be a requirement. maybe the ancestral health community can take a tip from pharmaceutical companies and send out representatives with free pens and grass fed jerky samples.

anyway, i wouldn't bombard you teacher with books and papers. that's just going to create resistance and animosity. instead, plant the seed by asking questions. pointing out that connection to the rise of diabetes right after discussing the food pyramid is a perfect example. simply saying, "doesn't that suggest that the food pyramid is flawed?" might not have changed any minds, but it might have gotten them thinking.

the other thing, about the pizza and soda and candy just makes me cringe. i get that those are the standards for today, so people don't normally bat an eye at that sort of thing...but come on. if there's one thing that everybody---EVERYBODY---in the health field can agree on, it's that whole foods are the way to go. and a teacher and students in the health field recommending crap? you should enter the election and focus on healthy diet choices...and be bold about that position. you'll probably win, and have the opportunity to open some minds.

[Mr. Koozie]

I wouldn’t send her any articles, books, etc., but I see nothing wrong with showing your displeasure concerning the food used for the fundraiser. Even CW considers pizza, cookies, and suckers to be unhealthy. It is disgusting what they’re doing.

[primalrob]

Keep your head down and power through.

i think this is a bad idea. not questioning or challenging ideas is a mistake, particularly in an educational setting. i'm not saying someone should riot the classroom yelling about how good butter is, but i think there is an obligation of informed people to stay informed and inform others.
keeping quiet is a great way to just earn your degree and go find a job and hope nobody notices you. having an opinion and a respectable voice is a good way to stand out a bit, and educate people in the process.

[carlh]

I definitely prefer your method of planting ideas instead of ignoring - you stated it very well.

[sbhikes]

I had an argument on nutrition once with a nurse and a biotech guy who worked for a major drug company. He was on my side, she wouldn't accept anything either of us had to say. I don't know what is worse, that the nurse is so CW or that the people on the inside of drug company research know you are healthiest on a paleo diet rich in fats from grass-fed animals.

I say if you really want to be a nurse, you've got some compromising to do in life.