Non nurses on AN

Published

I should know better but it still kinda blows me away when I catch a post from a non nurse giving nursing advice.

I'd like to think no one is making career decisions based on a post but I wonder how much we are influenced nonetheless.

Anyway, I just read one here in General Discussion this morning. It was *liked* by the non suspecting OP. (I think non suspecting). Not even a nursing student. With no disclaimer.

Specializes in ICU.
You go wherever you want. It's a public forum. If people don't like you because of your "creds" that's silly. You conduct yourself really nicely.

Some of my best friends here are students. I was a student once. Actually, I am still a student, because I am doing the bridge program AND in orientation for a new job.

I think Libby meant the "OMG YOU ARE SO RUDE, Help!!! NETY!!!" type students.

Yes?

Thank you. I really appreciate that. I like to think that with my life experience, I am able to bring certain viewpoints to this site. I have been on both sides of the healthcare experience. I was a patient and spent much time in the hospital a few years ago and now with my clinical experience, I have a little bit on the healthcare provider side. So in many cases, I can see both sides of the coin and I like to interject another perspective sometimes.

There are a few subjects that I am passionate about. I pretty much always try to be respectful of others. I think we all know that doesn't always work when someone personally attacks you. But even then I will get up and walk away from the conversation.

I have learned so much from this site. With school, GrnTea and Esme were wonderful at giving advice, especially on care plans. Just from reading their posts, the care plans didn't scare me too much. I can't thank them enough for that.

I will advise until I am blue in the face about for profit schools. I attended one years and years ago for a different field. It cost me a fortune and the classes I took in business management meant absolutely squat. When I realized what a scam it was, I transferred to my community college and started my prereqs for nursing. But then I got married and my ex made me quit, so I had to pay back about $12k in loans for classes that didn't mean anything. And now I am seeing a friend getting scammed by two of these schools. She is stubborn and won't listen to me. It does make me happy to see a poster ask a question and then we all can talk them out of going there. I feel like I saved someone some heartache over having a hard time to find a job.

I have stated in other threads that I truly like to help people. It is ingrained in me. My advice truly comes from a good place. I know sometimes I can come off brash, but I truly feel many people need some tough love in life. They need some realistic advice instead of people just saying, "You got this", "Never give up on your dream!!!". I don't like to see people constantly spinning their wheels. If they come here for advice, they are truly torn and don't have a clue on what to do. And it's great to have that gung ho positive attitude. I have a great attitude towards life. But I also know when certain situations just aren't working anymore and I have to cut my losses and find a different way. I hope that makes sense.

I just wanted to say thank you Farawyn. Your comment was helpful.

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I am a bit happy to see some of the opinions on this thread regarding non-nurses on the site. I am not a nurse (working as a paralegal in a medical malpractice defense firm and currently considering nursing school to become a nurse paralegal), and have been hesitant to post much due to thinking it would not be welcomed. What I have (and would post in the future) would be generic advice and nothing nursing specific (i.e. handling work situations that can be found in just about every job, job interviews, applying for jobs). I know my two years of vocational allied health does not qualify me for responding to anything more specific. :)

I like reading all opinions, including non-nurses on here. I think it offers us many different perspectives and can help to see what the public sees/feels/hears.

Posting your opinion is different than trying to give career advice in a career you haven't yet started.

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I am a bit happy to see some of the opinions on this thread regarding non-nurses on the site. I am not a nurse (working as a paralegal in a medical malpractice defense firm and currently considering nursing school to become a nurse paralegal), and have been hesitant to post much due to thinking it would not be welcomed. What I have (and would post in the future) would be generic advice and nothing nursing specific (i.e. handling work situations that can be found in just about every job, job interviews, applying for jobs). I know my two years of vocational allied health does not qualify me for responding to anything more specific. :)

What I tried to clarify, and would change in the thread title if it were allowed, is that this was about people who truly haven't a clue but go on to pose as if they had any relevant experience in the topic at hand.

I've read the repeated warnings but this was the first I saw it so clearly.

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Thank you. I really appreciate that. I like to think that with my life experience, I am able to bring certain viewpoints to this site. I have been on both sides of the healthcare experience. I was a patient and spent much time in the hospital a few years ago and now with my clinical experience, I have a little bit on the healthcare provider side. So in many cases, I can see both sides of the coin and I like to interject another perspective sometimes.

There are a few subjects that I am passionate about. I pretty much always try to be respectful of others. I think we all know that doesn't always work when someone personally attacks you. But even then I will get up and walk away from the conversation.

I have learned so much from this site. With school, GrnTea and Esme were wonderful at giving advice, especially on care plans. Just from reading their posts, the care plans didn't scare me too much. I can't thank them enough for that.

I will advise until I am blue in the face about for profit schools. I attended one years and years ago for a different field. It cost me a fortune and the classes I took in business management meant absolutely squat. When I realized what a scam it was, I transferred to my community college and started my prereqs for nursing. But then I got married and my ex made me quit, so I had to pay back about $12k in loans for classes that didn't mean anything. And now I am seeing a friend getting scammed by two of these schools. She is stubborn and won't listen to me. It does make me happy to see a poster ask a question and then we all can talk them out of going there. I feel like I saved someone some heartache over having a hard time to find a job.

I have stated in other threads that I truly like to help people. It is ingrained in me. My advice truly comes from a good place. I know sometimes I can come off brash, but I truly feel many people need some tough love in life. They need some realistic advice instead of people just saying, "You got this", "Never give up on your dream!!!". I don't like to see people constantly spinning their wheels. If they come here for advice, they are truly torn and don't have a clue on what to do. And it's great to have that gung ho positive attitude. I have a great attitude towards life. But I also know when certain situations just aren't working anymore and I have to cut my losses and find a different way. I hope that makes sense.

I just wanted to say thank you Farawyn. Your comment was helpful.

Please, this was not about you or any other solid members. It was about someone without any kind of relevant experience to back up their advice as evidenced from another thread.

I didn't think ahead that "non nurses" would come across as anyone but nurses but I can't change the thread title to Phonies on AN.

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Yes, because everyone knows that if you pass NCLEX in 75 questions, you're a better nurse than those who passed it in 76, 77, 78....And you're certainly better than the old fools who had to take it with a Number 2 pencil. Those nurses should just retire and make room for the younger, prettier, and thinner nurses. Or in the case of guys, the old guys should retire and make room for the more buff, more hirsute guys.

I agree that your post was the best one of this thread. I vote to make it a sticky.

Number 2 pencil :roflmao:. Why that would be... moi!

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Number 2 pencil :roflmao:. Why that would be... moi!

Wait, they're not using scan trons anymore?!

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You don't know what bullying is, here let me start a thread about it. I'll quote the dictionary, but you should have used the search feature. If you had any experience as a nurse you'd know how wrong you are. Wait a minute, I need to talk about Media while you cath my female patient.

I think we just re-enacted Spring on AN in three posts.

You did! This was spring in a nutshell! All the weird stuff started happening when Esme left. Coincidence? I think not. Someone get her back here before all hell breaks loose again.

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Number 2 pencil :roflmao:. Why that would be... moi!

Moi aussi!

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Specializes in Oncology; medical specialty website.

What pencil? I took my test on stone tablets.

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I had to cut down a tree, make my own pencil, then walk to the testing center uphill in a raging snowstorm, walk home uphill in a raging snowstorm, then do it all over again the next day.

Oh, and I got my results by Pony Express.

Oh please, they didn't even have ponies when I took *my boards*.

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What I tried to clarify, and would change in the thread title if it were allowed, is that this was about people who truly haven't a clue but go on to pose as if they had any relevant experience in the topic at hand.

I've read the repeated warnings but this was the first I saw it so clearly.

I did read your other post and know which posters your meant! My comment was mainly to express the appreciation to those who do accept us non-nurses on a site meant for nurses.

I have noticed though that, with a lot of the posts, you can tell just by the way they type how they are going to respond to things, such as giving out the advice that they are not qualified for, being bullied and the whole NETY thing. From lurking, I have noticed that a lot of the ones that do that are the ones who type in the "text-speak" form. >.

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Specializes in Oncology; medical specialty website.
Oh please, they didn't even have ponies when I took *my boards*.

So you rode your dinosaur to take boards...you still had transportation!

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