Yes, there you have it. The beauty
of “Intersession.” Students knock out some of the credits that they need to
take care of during their 5 week winter break. Intersession, then, is
essentially summer school in the winter. Instead of having a month or two to
complete the class, students really only have two weeks. What does that time
frame say for how long one sits in the classroom? How does Monday-Saturday
8:00-12:00 or 2:00 for two weeks sound? Fortunately, I loved my classmates and
the instructor that taught both classes.
the first course was Nursing the Neonate which
introduced me to all things related to baby/umbilical cord/amniotic fluid. For
the final at the end of the course, our class of 25 students separated into
smaller groups and each had to resuscitate a baby going through a re-enacted
code. The second class that nurtured my mind during this “vacation” was a new
course called “Faith and Health Systems.” The instructor incorporated speakers
of various faiths to introduce the class (again, about 25 students) to the
basic tenets of their faith and how it relates to healthcare. It was really
enlightening for us to learn so much more about how diverse yet interrelated
the world’s religions really are. One day we had a Buddhist Monk come in and
teach us to meditate. We also had a Rabbi talk to us about Orthodox Judaism and
the importance of abiding by the Torah, and Kosher food regulations (some
speculate that these food rules were early health regulations.)
Both of these classes were excellent breaks
from the normal classroom setting during the academic year; the small class
size allowed for intimate and reflective conversations (often times while sitting
on the floor in a circle). I had a very positive experience with Intersession
this year. I learned a tremendous amount about babies and different faith
systems. The credits were an added bonus. It was also nice to have a couple of
weeks to warm up my brain for the next term… pathophysiology, pharmacology,
psychiatric nursing, and maternal/child health nursing.
Wheeeeee… now that I know how to resuscitate a baby,
meditate, and recognize Kosher food, I’m ready to go into another term!