Posters that are not nurses

Nurses General Nursing

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i'm going to keep this nice and polite i promise mods!:)

i'm just hoping that one of the smart student/new nurse posters can answer this.

i know that we have quite a few people on here that do not have the title nurse, either rn/lpn. we have some great, intelligent students,new nurses,cna's, techs, etc. most of them add a lot of interesting elements and variety to the posts and i enjoy reading them.

however, i really want to know something. i have noticed this with several other posters(not the above ones) on several occasions. why on earth would someone that is not a nurse think they could ever tell a nurse how to do their job? or think that limited clinical experience is enough to say they know what a nurse does?

i mean, i would never think of say, jumping in a thread telling ob nurses how they should do something or how they could do it better. i've never done ob (not counting school)

i guess this is just frustrating as it seems people think it's so easy to do this job! it's not, it has hard times, fun times, sad,break your heart in two times. but it's not a job that you can learn how to do in a few semesters of school. it takes years. fortunately, i think that most of our students here know that and respect that.

so, what's the thought on the ones that don't know? is it their egos? overconfidence?

i'm really interested in replies.

Specializes in ICU, PACU, Cath Lab.

Well I am not a nurse!!! Not yet at least...but I totally agree with you...I do not say much here, but many times I am amazed by what I read...people who have no idea what it is like to be a nurse, telling you all how it should be! Now like I said I am not a nurse, I will be in May...but I am an EMT and I do understand the demands of the job...I do not however have any idea what it is like to really be a nurse!! I come here to read what all the "seasoned" nurses have to say, cause I know that it will all come in handy some day and I want to avoid making the mistakes that so many new/student nurses make!! I feel like I know very little about anything most of the time. I love it when I have nurses that will take me under thier wing and teach me and show me the ropes...but I also understand that this is not always possible...there are days that you cannot get ahead and you just plain do not have time to hold my hand!!! I completely understand why you all come home after a long hard shift and want to vent...and I am sorry that so many cannot understand that....someday they all will!!! Thanks to all the nurses here that provide me with a daily dose of reality and guidance!!!

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you are right about experience being the most valuable tool

yu get tell when a patient if going down hill by smell, touch etc because you have seen the same look in another patient's eyes..this you cannot get from a book or lecture

but be patient...these new nurses can learn and they may have some new knowledge that you have not heard of yet...we all have a place in this professon

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It's the worst in nursing school. I remember sitting in class and there were a few hens who would constantly comment on what they saw a nurse do during clinicals and what a horrible sloppy nurse that person was and how they would NEVER do such a thing, they couldn't believe how some of these nurses made it through school, blah blah blah...

It really got on my nerves.

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Specializes in LTC.
:twocents: Some people just have a general lack of respect. :twocents: They think that if they have something to say, everyone else wants to hear them and will agree with whatever they say.
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Specializes in Day Surgery/Infusion/ED.

I give those posts exactly the consideration they merit...a little. I take a lot more stock in what people who have a license and have been in the trenches have to say.

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Specializes in ER, ICU, Infusion, peds, informatics.

in general, i don't mind the non-nurses participating in threads so much. i find that their perspective usually gives me something to think about. and how else are they going to learn that there really is more than one way to do something? often, nursing school only teaches their way. other ways arn't necessarily wrong, just different. or, maybe it is wrong, and not just different. there are enough experienced, practicing nurses on this board that can chime in.

plus, the "nursing school way" is often the most current (per research), and it can help us all to update our practices, since most of us don't have time to read the journals.

one exception: i really really really wish they would keep their admonishments out of the vent threads. that is aggrivating. the vent threads need to be respected for what they are.

if you will notice, however, it isn't just the new nurses/nursing students that are peeing in our cornflakes.

it seems as though anyone (including other, practicing nurses) who has ever had a bad experince in their medical care will chime in and tell us about it when we vent about our shift. bad care happens. there are bad practitioners out there.

i have more to say, but i really think i am going to stop here.

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I am not a nurse yet. I am only 17 credits into my program. I originally came here because I was looking for info on the NLN, NET, etc. I also needed to learn about online classes and things of that sort so the Student Nursing Forum has been a wonderful tool for me.

I read a lot of other threads in the general forum and in the specialty forums to learn. I never thought I would want to work in the ER, but I have found the nurses in that forum very smart and very funny. It opened my eyes. On the flip side I know that I could never do Burn Nursing as it just isn't my calling. It's been very educational.

As a hopefully soon-to-be nursing student I know my place. I know nothing, zip, zilch, nadda and need to learn before opening my mouth. There is a big difference between learning it in school and then applying it in the real world. I would say that since reading here I have also seen a few of the nurses be very hard on other nurses. That upsets me as it seems like a competition when everyone should be on the same side. It seems it is the same few which is par for the course in life. There are a few bad apples in every crowd.

I have also learned how much nurses really do. As a lay person you just don't realize how smart, educated and trained nurses really are. I have also seen how much nurses care. I have often felt it was nurses that kept things running and I see now that is very much true.

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I forgot...a few times I have been a little scared of starting a nursing carer after reading here. It seems some of you really work for awful people and terrible establishments. I know that can be true of all professions, but it is harder when it is the nursing community because your patients suffer with you.

Seeing others work short staffed, tons of OT, fighting for their days off, not making enough money, being treated as slaves, etc. is a tough read. It has also shown me when to say no and when to not even answer my phone. I will be a better nurse for all of this one day.

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Specializes in ER/Trauma.

I am a new RN, and it irritates me when I see/hear other students do that too... I know I don't know anything about anything when it comes to nursing... I am MORE than fully aware of that... I get so irritated when I hear other students complain about a nurses technique... I agree that no student or new RN should judge another RN until they have the same amount of experience under their belt... oh, and I am starting at a busy ER so if any of you have any advice, PLEASE let me know :chuckle

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Specializes in Cardiac Care.

The title of this thread caught my eye. I think the OP raises some interesting points.

As a student, I obviously do not have a lot of clinical information to share. I would also hope that I am not one of the non-nurse posters being referred to. I come here because these forums are filled with wonderful humans who have taken the time to teach me and encourage me and to kick me in the butt when I've needed it. I've made some friends, and I look to all of you as role models and inspiration. I hope to always be learning, and I pray if I ever come across as someone who knows everything, that someone will take me down a peg or 50. I truly am in awe of all of you.

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Specializes in ER.

i totally agree that nonnurses and students bring a fresh perspective. welcome, folks, and feel free to chime in. my only pet peeve and request is that you

respect the vent

because i am not perfect, and i am not saintly, and if i don't tell someone what just happened i think the top of my head might blow off.

doesn't anyone take psych class anymore?

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Specializes in Lie detection.
. I hope to always be learning, .

That right there, makes all the difference in the world. I, too hope to always be learning, in nursing and in life ;)

Btw, love your siggy, having 3 felines of my own:D and a fan of Mr.Herriot. Now HIS job was hard.

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