Book: Crime and Punishment

I’m not quite sure how I managed to procure a copy of this book, especially since I never bought it. I think it may have come from my parent’s library and was quietly pilfered when I moved out. Whatever the case may be, I have had this book on my bookshelf it’s been calling to me to be read for quite some time.

I finally took the initiative to digest the pages of this book and am glad that I did. This book fascinated me. Maybe I’ve watched too many crime shows but getting inside criminal’s heads is something that piques my interest.

This book is the story of a young man, Rodian Rashkolnikov, a former university student, who decides to commit a crime under the rationalization that there are some people for whom the law does not apply. The way that Fyodor Dostoevsky writes the thoughts and behavior of a criminal kept me completely absorbed.

Though the vocabulary can be difficult at times and the story jumps around a little bit, with other side stories coming in at odd times the reader is never bored. At least I wasn’t. I always had to know what was going to happen, if Rashkolnikov was going to break under pressure, was he going to be found out? Maybe I have a macabre sense of humor but interspersed in the tale were some moments that made me laugh out loud. Let me just quote on spot that exemplifies the vocabulary but also the humor:

“Pyotr Petrovich belonged to that class of persons, on the surface very polite in society, who make a great point of punctiliousness, but who, when they are directly crossed in anything, are completely disconcerted, and become more like sacks of flour than elegant and lively men of society.”

The image of a sack of flour sitting in a chair all dressed up and trying to look proper just seems humorous to me.

I highly recommend reading this book. It is worth working through the occasionally long paragraphs of psychological dissection of the criminal psyche and seemingly random interjecting side stories to see a story not of redemption or punishment but of hope and enduring love.

More: Russia pt. 2

In Russia I learned a lot about their healthcare system in the short time I was there as I discussed in my previous post. However, I was able to enjoy many of the sights available in St. Petersburg. We watched Romeo and Juliet at the Marinsky Theater, toured the Hermitage, walked through the fountains of Peterhoff, tossed coins at the Hare monument near the Peter and Paul Fortress on Enisaari, was awestruck at the Church of the Spilled Blood and St. Isaac’s Cathedral. We got to see a lot of St. Petersburg while there, as you can tell. It was an incredible experience and I’d like to share some of my favorite pictures from those moments.

More: Russia pt. 1

While I had the privilege of visiting Finland for about 19 days I also had the amazing opportunity to stay in St. Petersburg, Russia for 5 days. While there we learned about the culture and healthcare system of the country just as we did in Finland. Russia has a socialist healthcare system but it works very differently than Finland’s. There are almost as many doctors as nurses in Russia which was a surprise to me. Largely that is due to the public opinion of nurses. If you’re not sure what I mean Google ‘Russian Nurse’ and you’ll understand; children, don’t try that at home or anywhere else. Also, the country is much larger and resources are not evenly distributed. That causes problems because taxes raised in the area directly affect how much money there is for healthcare. The regions of Russia with more oil and other natural resources sustain a much higher quality of care. It’s unfortunate but very true.
I’d like to touch on the nursing profession in Russia again. We were given the opportunity to visit with the president of the Russian Nurses Association and some of the faculty and students of the St. Petersburg College of Medicine. One of the most fascinating things I learned from those moments was the importance of professionalism. Those who have chosen to practice nursing in Russia usually feel like they have a calling to do so. They really want to make a difference in people’s lives. Because the stigma that nursing has there nurses aren’t given a political voice, they don’t have the power to bring about the changes that will increase the quality of care they can provide. This is where the Nurses Association comes in. They are trying desperately to rally the nurses across the country to come together as one voice. Here in the United States the American Nurses Association has a very strong political voice and has made many important and vital changes to healthcare as we know it and will continue to do so. When in Russia nurses are listened to I have a strong feeling that healthcare there can be an example to the world of quality and change.
I’ll admit, there have been times during school that I have questioned my professor’s emphasis on professionalism. Now I understand what it would be like if there wasn’t professionalism in nursing. I would postulate that nursing would still consist of emptying bedpans, wiping bums and following every order from the doctor. That type of nursing was appropriate in its time but currently nurses are much more respected. And as such we have the potential to do so much for patients because they trust us.
I guess what I’m trying to explain is that I learned a great deal about Russia and about myself while in St. Petersburg. I learned a lot and had a great time. This last picture has nothing to do with anything I’ve said so far, it just makes me smile.