Question- Friends on AN

Hmmm. Well I guess that depends on who the friend is now doesn't it.

If you are looking for a "friend with benefits" I think you need a different kind of a site! We're all respectable professionals here (well, for the most part anyway).

let's see....

camaraderie
friendship
chatting offboard
another friend
fb friend sometimes
sharing nonnursing interests and jokes
occasional worrying and griping sessions
the knowledge that someone has your back when you need it
general silliness
talking about our spouses and pets and kids and grandchildren

who can think of more?

Majority of the people I am friends with here I have actually met before. So you never know...

In technical terms, Friends/Contacts are another way of interacting with other members at the form. It's "Friends" if both of you choose to connect to each other (i.e., you and I friend each other), "Contacts" if the connection is one way (e.g., you friend me but I don't reciprocate).

You can use Friends/Contacts to determine who can send you private messages and what people see on your profile.

It doesn't mean you have to like the person or even know them. You also don't have to reciprocate every Friends request you receive or even use the system if you don't want. And a word of helpful advice: don't take it too seriously. Just take it for what it is--a tool to help control how you interact with others at the forum--and nothing more.

Hope this helps!

"Friends" created on Allnurses can serve as another wonderful (two-way) support system. This can be true both professionally and personally.

Is there some sort of different location to "talk" with your friends, or is it just via PM?

It is my understanding that Private Messaging (PMing) a "friend" (or anyone) is the only way of "private communication" that Allnurses provides between two members if they wish to "talk" to each other. Of course, anyone can share their personal email address (or mailing address or phone number) via a PM and continued communication can take place from there.

Throughout the years, I've had the pleasure of meeting in person "friends" that I've met here. It's very cool to meet "internet friends" face to face.

I have no clue. I accepted someone I'd never heard of's request to be my friend just to see what happened. I didn't notice any potential advantage.