Nursing students are told summer class mandatory

The College of Nursing recently reorganized it's baccalaureate program, causing many classes to be consolidated and combined, said Pamela Reed, associate dean of academic affairs for the College of Nursing.

Because of the reorganization, a required class, Nursing 472, Nurse as Acute Care Provider with Children, will be available to this spring's entrants only during an extended Presession in the summer of 1998.

The students were notified of the change by mail last week.

"This just felt like a bomb in the mail," said Kim Buchanan, a nursing senior. "We feel like they just want to get us over and done with to make way for the new curriculum."

Adam Dadeppo, a nursing senior and representative of the Student Nurses of the University of Arizona, called for a meeting this afternoon with Reed and two other student representatives to discuss the class.

"We just want to present our primary concerns to her," Dadeppo said.

"Nobody wants to take a summer class if they can help it, and some people are going to have a real problem with scholarships and financial aid," he said.

Reed said the curriculum change was necessary to keep up with the changing health care needs.

"Our curriculum needs to interface with the needs of the health care system," Reed said.

"We don't want our curriculum to become outdated in this field."

The five-week class consists of one six-hour lecture on Mondays and two eight-hour clinical days.

Reed said the class was re-scheduled because of a lack of available clinical sites. Students admitted in fall 1997 would be taking a similar class at the same time, Reed explained.

Because the class involves child care, Reed said it must be held at hospitals with pediatric units.

She said the only two hospitals in Tucson with pediatric units are Tucson Medical Center and University Medical Center.

Scheduling classes around other schools that use the facilities for the same classes would be difficult, Reed said.

The students' main concerns are financial, Buchanan said.

Buchanan said students would be unable to work full time during the five-week period.

Also, she said students would have to adjust their course load in the fall to compensate for the class taken during the summer.

"If we have already completed our general education requirements, we won't have enough classes to be considered full time that semester," Buchanan said.

Reed said the financial concerns are somewhat overblown.

"I am not sure that the problems they perceive are accurate. They would still be able to apply for financial aid and we also have a few scholarships available."

Phyllis Bolt Bannister, director of student financial aid, said students cannot use financial waivers during the summer, because summer programs are funded differently than those in the fall and spring.

However, Bolt Bannister said students may apply for financial aid for summer classes.