Off the wall question about NPs

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I have a serious question to ask and I hope people will take it the right way. PLEASE UNDERSTAND THAT I AM IN NO WAY KNOCKING OR DENIGRATING THIS SITE NOR THE POSTERS HERE. Hopefully I have prefaced enough.

I have been a member a short time here and what I have noticed is that 98% of the questions asked and the topics being posed have little to nothing to do with me or my interests as a future NP. Questions about whether it's possible to breastfeed a toddler while going part time to a full time program while working as a nurse at a school for mutants does not really interest me (characterization but I hope you get my point). Endless topics/posts of being in class XXX at school X and omg im so happy good luck topics also do not interest me. In short, this forum seems to general and unfocused for me.

I am also a member of physicianassistantforum.com and they are over there talking about the future of the profession, the next PA convention, challenges of the profession, ways to sharpen skills, legislation, advice to up and comers etc.

Where do the professionally minded NPs post? Those that are beyond being a student or a prospective student. Is there a deeper website/forum around? I desire a website where the above topics/interests/etc on the PA forum are spoken about by professionals who realize the challenges of the profession and are interested in pushing themselves and offering helpful advice to new NPs.

I have heard of clinician1 but you need a license to register/read. Googling has yielded little for me.

I appreciate you reading this and offering suggestions. To those who take issue with this question I would ask that you not post. If I have offended you then it is likely you have different interests from me and this question was not meant for you.

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This is a completely legit inquiry.... I am curious to see your responses! Thank you for posing the question, and good luck.

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Would like to know as well!

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Omg, thank you for posting this!!

I fully agree. It's almost embarrassing to the profession as a whole. Every post here is about where to find an online program, how difficult it is to do part-time online NP programs, blah blah. Very, very little professional information. Meanwhile on the PA forum it's A LOT more professional. They also tend to speak more coherently and have better grammar...but I digress.

I think it may be time for someone to create a separate NP forum with a professional focus much like the PA forum?

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Specializes in Nephrology, Cardiology, ER, ICU.

AN vigorously supports professional APN practice. Many of us are active in legislative voting and in our states APN organization. However AN does have a large student and new grad APN membership also.

Certainly for those of us in practice for several or many years, our focus differs from those of students. The mods and admin team work diligently to separate the student posts from the already practicing APNS.

Please feel eel free to start professional practice related threads.

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AN vigorously supports professional APN practice. Many of us are active in legislative voting and in our states APN organization. However AN does have a large student and new grad APN membership also.

Certainly for those of us in practice for several or many years, our focus differs from those of students. The mods and admin team work diligently to separate the student posts from the already practicing APNS.

Please feel free to start professional practice related threads.

I believe that AN does support it. I just think that the large number of new grads and hopefuls are of a different mindset from me, and some others apparently.

It is a weird part of nursing that I have noticed. For example, I got a ANA newsletter in the mail today. The headline? "The stem of your flower". Shall I even expand on how, as a 33 year old male, serving 4 combat support tours in the USAF, an avid football lover, on what this makes me feel like? lol.

Truly, I desire conversation on practice roles, state defined scopes, legislation, jobs, post school training/OJT stuff, just all the things that profession minded people deal with. The fact that this website has many members as it does and has as few threads on these topics, well, draw from it what you will. I will endeavor to post more I guess, but I'm more of the quiet, only speak when I have something important to say type and would much rather read others thought-inspiring convos than start one (I have 50 facebook friends and they are all real life friends lol).

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I believe that AN does support it. I just think that the large number of new grads and hopefuls are of a different mindset from me, and some others apparently.

It is a weird part of nursing that I have noticed. For example, I got a ANA newsletter in the mail today. The headline? "The stem of your flower". Shall I even expand on how, as a 33 year old male, serving 4 combat support tours in the USAF, an avid football lover, on what this makes me feel like? lol.

Truly, I desire conversation on practice roles, state defined scopes, legislation, jobs, post school training/OJT stuff, just all the things that profession minded people deal with. The fact that this website has many members as it does and has as few threads on these topics, well, draw from it what you will. I will endeavor to post more I guess, but I'm more of the quiet, only speak when I have something important to say type and would much rather read others thought-inspiring convos than start one (I have 50 facebook friends and they are all real life friends lol).

You sound just like me, and I honestly have no idea what to do about it. I previously requested a separate forum section be made to discuss professional issues ONLY, but that request was denied. I scour daily and read the very, very few conversations that have to do with relevant issues, but it's really not enough.

There are maybe 50 or less posters on this forum that think like we do. The rest is all senseless drivel. One place I have found to be a little more intelligent is the SDN forums, in the PA/NP section.

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You sound just like me, and I honestly have no idea what to do about it. I previously requested a separate forum section be made to discuss professional issues ONLY, but that request was denied. I scour daily and read the very, very few conversations that have to do with relevant issues, but it's really not enough.

There are maybe 50 or less posters on this forum that think like we do. The rest is all senseless drivel. One place I have found to be a little more intelligent is the SDN forums, in the PA/NP section.

Yeh I agree with ya for the most part (although I wouldn't use the word drivel, just not interested in it heh). The lack of interest in challenging discussion disappoints me.

And SDN? Ugh, no thx. That site is so full of arrogance and a-holes I'd rather not contribute to their site clicks. The sheer stupidity shown there towards nursing, especially by medical students and wanna be med students is unhealthy for my mental health.

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Specializes in Adult Internal Medicine.

Truly, I desire conversation on practice roles, state defined scopes, legislation, jobs, post school training/OJT stuff, just all the things that profession minded people deal with. The fact that this website has many members as it does and has as few threads on these topics, well, draw from it what you will. I will endeavor to post more I guess, but I'm more of the quiet, only speak when I have something important to say type and would much rather read others thought-inspiring convos than start one (I have 50 facebook friends and they are all real life friends lol).

If you post some of these topics you will get practicing NPs that respond and will engage in them; unfortunately you will also get perspective students that want to share their perspective too, but I guess that is part of the nature.

It sounds like you might really appreciate joining your state NP association as a student member; not only is it good networking, you will get to listen to and perhaps participate in discussion and action related to the practice of NPs in your state.

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I would avoid SDN like the plague but there are sometimes some legitimate posts regarding NP/PAs (mostly from crossover posters that frequent the PA forums)

I sometimes visit the physician assistant forums and I agree that it is a very professional atmosphere with lots of good questions, resources (pinned threads) and input, albeit with less activity than here.

Maybe a state organization would help you the most as the emotional, pat on the back, cheapest or fastest online school threads will never cease here.

Good luck

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try linkedin, they have np groups that may interest...i also visit np blogs as well

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If you post some of these topics you will get practicing NPs that respond and will engage in them; unfortunately you will also get perspective students that want to share their perspective too, but I guess that is part of the nature.

It sounds like you might really appreciate joining your state NP association as a student member; not only is it good networking, you will get to listen to and perhaps participate in discussion and action related to the practice of NPs in your state.

Thanks, too be fair, I am a prospective NP student, in that I am applying to programs. However, my mind and what interests me is much further down the road, hence my reasons for starting this thread. I think you are right about joining state associations as a starting point.

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