Need to "interview" RN graduates from 60-70s and 80-90s

DoeRN · Dec 28, 2012

Why don't you try a long term facility or a local hospital in your area?

luckyzhp · Dec 28, 2012

In the small town I live in, LTC facilities employ mostly LPNs and unfortunately the local hospital employs newly licensed RNs and the few older RNs have already been interviewed by a classmate. But thanks! :)

CRNA, DNSc · Dec 28, 2012

I sent you a PM

nurseprnRN, BSN, RN · Dec 28, 2012

We get these requests a lot, so if there are any other students out there who might get this kind of assignment, listen up:

Part of your faculty's reason for giving you this assignment is to get you to go out there and speak to an RN face to face. A big email blast is not a substitute for shoe leather. AN is not Google.

See, in nursing, you have to learn to speak to a lot of people you would not otherwise encounter; you might find yourself out of your comfort zone. This is part of nursing, a huge part. An anonymous respondent online, well, you don't really know who we are, do you? We could be the truck driving guy living next door for all you know.

So if all you do about learning new things is "Go to the keyboard and hit send," then you are limiting your chances of actual learning a valuable skill you will need all your working life.

That said: Where will you find a nurse? Think outside the (computer) box.

Local hospital: go to the staff development/inservice education office and ask one of them. They value education and will be happy to chat or to hook you up with someone who is.

Go to the public health department downtown. Ditto.

Go to the local school and ask to speak to a school nurse. Ditto.

Go to a local clinic / physician/NP office. Ditto.

Go to the local jail and ask to speak to the nurse there. Ditto.

Notice all of these say, "Go to..." and not "Email..." Remember that part about meeting new people face to face and comfort zone.

Go!

luckyzhp · Dec 29, 2012

Wow! Well thank you! In the opening paragraph for this link the admins actually encourage use of this forum for care plans, interviews, etc. In today's time, utilizing the internet access as a resource(which it is as one of my instructors clearly stated that it is used by many interdisciplinary teams), I felt that I would be able to gain valuable information as well as compare it to the local nurses that typically have the same answers. Part of my learning is to compare the differences. Yes, I believe anyone on the internet could be the "truckdriver next door" so I guess my first mistake was to even join this forum. I am new to this forum as well and I thought a benefit of a forum was to help fellow nurses. I did say that I live in a very small town and most nurses in my area at the local hospital are within the last decade RNs, local LTC facilities are LPNs, dr offices are CNAs since they are cheaper to hire, and the local jail--well I am 1 of the 2 LPNs that are employed there. For the record, I have put my shoe to the asphalt, but my intent was to find out info from someone in another area to compare the differnces and without flying to the west coast, internet was the better alternative! Also, going to the facilites, I don't know of anyone that has the time for an interview during their shift considering all the job requirements. Again I thank you for the time that you took out of your busy day to respond!!!

nurseprnRN, BSN, RN · Dec 29, 2012

There's a difference between "using the internet as a resource" (which many students, perhaps not you, interpret as, "They'll give me all the answers to my homework" and they are disappointed too :) ), such as looking up research papers and physiology concepts, for example, and doing what you describe. You did not describe "compar(ing) to the local nurses that typically have the same answers." You said you were not asking them at all, because "they have already been interviewed by a classmate."

As to not interrupting anyone during a shift, you can make an appointment to see them at coffee, or after work, or on a day off. Sure, it's more trouble for you, more than hitting "Send," I completely agree with that.

I stand by my assertion that your faculty makes these kinds of assignments to get you out of your comfort zone and get you to speak face to face with working nurses for a variety of reasons, not just to get the answers to the questions you were given, and that it is beneficial for your education as a potential registered nurse to do that.

Happy to help. Really.

Esme12, ASN, BSN, RN · Dec 29, 2012

Wow! Well thank you! In the opening paragraph for this link the admins actually encourage use of this forum for care plans, interviews, etc. In today's time, utilizing the internet access as a resource(which it is as one of my instructors clearly stated that it is used by many interdisciplinary teams), I felt that I would be able to gain valuable information as well as compare it to the local nurses that typically have the same answers. Part of my learning is to compare the differences. Yes, I believe anyone on the internet could be the "truckdriver next door" so I guess my first mistake was to even join this forum. I am new to this forum as well and I thought a benefit of a forum was to help fellow nurses. I did say that I live in a very small town and most nurses in my area at the local hospital are within the last decade RNs, local LTC facilities are LPNs, dr offices are CNAs since they are cheaper to hire, and the local jail--well I am 1 of the 2 LPNs that are employed there. For the record, I have put my shoe to the asphalt, but my intent was to find out info from someone in another area to compare the differences and without flying to the west coast, internet was the better alternative! Also, going to the facilities, I don't know of anyone that has the time for an interview during their shift considering all the job requirements. Again I thank you for the time that you took out of your busy day to respond!!!

You did not make a mistake about joining AN...I too believe that the CI want their student to hit the pavement as I have already told you in my PM...but I did feel for you and I did answer you post as I do not answer many.

We do help with care plans...show us your work first and we will show you where to go and what to do...you will find us a wealth of information and guidance....we will show you how to get to where you need to be to help you become the best nurse you can be.

luckyzhp · Dec 31, 2012

Thank you, I do realize now that I should have included more detail, but I am new at this forum thing and I've been told I talk too much with too many unneccesary details. :) Yes, those are good points that I agree with (reasons behind certain assignments, buying coffee/lunch for the interview). Again, I thank you both for your help and insight. I have spent more time on this board reading and appreciate everyone's posts. Wishing everyone a Happy New Year!

tsm007 · Jan 1, 2013

To the original poster, I'm not an an admin or anything here, but I know most forums generally frown upon research surveys and some consider it spam and just remove the post. I had an assignment that required interviewing and how I found my people to interview was asking everyone I knew if they had any family members or friends that were nurses (that met the criteria I needed for my paper in my case I needed an advance practice nurse). You could ask at church or any groups that you belong to or really anyone you know. I just asked all my friends if they had any relatives that were nurses that I could interview. We were allowed to do our interviews by phone (not email) and I was surprised how easy it was to find people that would let me interview them that way. Sometimes you need to think outside the box on these assignments. I'm sure somebody has a sister, an aunt or uncle, or grandmother for that matter that is a nurse (or used to be a nurse) that you could interview. And then when you find a person ask them do you know any other nurses that I could interview? You might be surprised how many you can find that way.

luckyzhp · Jan 3, 2013

Thank you all for your replies. I have learned many things from those who replied to my original post as well as the in person interviews I did here in my home area.