Why do you visit allnurses.com?

[Joe V]

Our members come from all over the world. Some members sign up to interact with other nurses, others sign up for entertainment, then there are those who sign up because they want to learn from other nurses. Why did you sign up with allnurses? Why do you visit allnurses?

Click Like if you enjoyed it. Please share this with friends and post your comments below!

[nursefrances, BSN, RN]

I first found AN when googling "what are the best shoes for nurses?"

After graduating I came back to say "Yay! I graduated" and joined AN at that time.

Two years later after a crazy day at work, I had an email from AN and read some funny stories about doctor/nurse mishaps. I laughed so hard that I cried. I really needed that. I was hooked.

On my days off after a few shifts in a row I regularly came to AN with coffee cup in hand, flannel pajamas and fuzzy slippers in place and connected with my fellow nurse friends. THEN I discovered the breakroom and other friends who appreciated sarcastic humor. It's been history ever since.

I am glad I googled about shoes for nurses in 2008.

[imintrouble, BSN, RN]

I first showed up because I was in so much trouble.

Nobody would give me better advice than somebody who was a nurse.

I keep coming back because it's just plain entertaining.

[Lola Lou, BSN]

I first visited allnurses.com to receive some advice about getting my first job as a new nurse. Since I have landed my job I find myself coming back to the site to read about other new nurse experiences and what veteran nurses have to give fora dvice. I'm also interested in what my options are in nursing once I get a few years of experience under by belt. This is just a great overall site where fellow nurses new and experienced can come together for a broad spectrum of reasons. It is so much more personal and effective than just reading an advice column in a nursing journal. I’m sure that there are still many sections of the site that I haven’t even discovered yet. I can imagine that I will be referring to allnurses.com for the rest of my career!

[sharpeimom]

To feel like I'm still a part of the nursing community, to learn new things and to share what I can.

[That Guy, BSN, RN, EMT-B]

I like coming in to hear the sometimes ridiculous statements made by others here.

[TheCommuter, BSN, RN]

I joined these forums back when I was a student in an LPN/LVN program in February 2005. I learned real-world tidbits from other members that I would have never grasped in the textbook world of nursing.

I've been moderating certain forums since 2007, which has been an ultimate pleasure. My nursing career has also blossomed during my Allnurses.com tenure because I became an LVN in 2006 and an RN in 2010.

[LadyFree28, BSN, LPN, RN]

I joined AN as a PN student in 2004. I was looking to connect with other students outside of my cohort, as well as engage with the "real" view of nursing, locally, nationally, and internationally.

After rejoining and having a loooong hiatus from AN after life's rides, and returning to school for my BSN and graduating, I wanted to share my experiences as a LPN and understand experiences as an RN.

I also wanted to exchange support and let posters know you can be a happy and successful nurse, whether you are an independent contractor, or a W-2'er, and be empowered as a nurse.

...and for the entertainment. :)

[Dazglue, ADN, BSN, MSN, RN]

Well, I joined because every time I googled a question it always brought me to AN. I also joined because I wanted to vent or ask questions about a disease that one of my patients may have had. However, I rarely post because I'm always afraid I will be somehow identified. Not worth it...lol

[workingharder]

I come back hoping to see "The Mockery of Nursing" thread revived.

[nurs26]

I am the only nurse in my workplace, so I have no one to talk to or learn from about nursing. The website also reminds me why I became a nurse.

[FranEMTnurse, CNA, LPN, EMT-I]

To keep up on my knowledge of nursing, to learn about the new healthcare methods, and to keep in touch with my online nursing friends. I love this site. It's better than Facebook.

[lamazeteacher]

Since my career brought me further than I ever thought that I'd go, and I'd learned so much from it, this site was an opportunity to give back, share and "come in from the cold".

It's lonely at the top, and scary to see that age brings everything to an end. There was so much to share with nurses who are just starting, and others who are where I've been. At night when I was scared and lonely, I'd turn to AN for comfort - especially when I needed good nursing care. It was so good to see that there are good nurses out there who care about their patients - especially when I'd found the opposite where I was. So my venting took a turn into patients' perceptions of nurses, and I held a mirror for my colleagues to see how they look from a patient's perspective.

AN is also an opportunity to give back, and I hope that others grew as a result of my sharing time worn stories. I'm one of the outspoken dinosaurs of our profession, a pioneer of sorts who loved to be on the "cutting edge" of nursing and medical changes.

It was when I gave my first speech to hundreds of nurses in Los Angeles, that I saw that we all have a great deal to offer each other. When I spoke about the role of a Nurse working in a Maternity Home for "unwed" mothers-to-be, in 1966, it seemed that their interest in the well being of women (who we called girls, then) fortified my zeal and resolve to bring about change for all women. I knew that I had to be the best that I could be, then! That's the only way to represent our profession.

Teaching expectant parents was an opportunity to plant the seeds for change. I continued to do that while working days as a Nursing Educator, Infection Control Nurse and Administrator.

My most valued saying is that "when the student is ready, the teacher appears". We need to be open for that opportunity.