Students requesting help with HW and interviewing a nurse for HW purposes

[Black Jade]

...but state you don't know anybody and come to allnurses.com... I'm curious, what would you do if this website didn't existed?

When I was in nursing school, I used allnurses.com and other nursing websites as well as books for their resources which really helped me a lot. It never occured to me to ask for help with my HW. If I needed help, I would go to my instructor or go to a tutor or even a mentor.

Regarding interviewing a nurse, the instructors gave you this HW for a reason. Otherwise what would be the purpose of this HW if the instructors think the students wouldn't know any nurses? If it were me, I would interview my nurse I was partnered in clinicals, ask my instructor if he/she knew any nurses, if I was a volunteer approach one of the nurses at the hospital or even ask my doctor's/child doctor's nurse or the nurse at the school health services for an interview. There are plenty of opportunities to find somebody and interview face to face. This is the beauty of it, because you can see the expression on their faces as she/he recounts her/his experience and how she/he built herself/himself as a nurse.

I'm not trying to be mean. I'm actually curious, for those requesting help with homework, what would you do if allnurses.com didn't existed?

BJ

[Black Jade, BSN, RN]

I think some of you missed my point. For those of you who agree with me, Kudos to you. My question was, what if there was no internet, no allnurses.com WHAT WOULD YOU DO THEN? Some of you made excuses about not wanting to approach a nurse in clinicals for an interview, etc...because he or she doesn't have time to answer or are not very receptive to students. How do you know, have you tried? If you would approach me, I would gladly help you. Maybe not right and there, but I would set you up to meet me on my day off. The idea of a "Starbucks compensation" is a great one. That's one way to say "Thank you for taking the time". Do you think that your instructor made up this assignment so that you can interview a nurse online? I don't think so. The idea is for you to approach a nurse face to face and learn from their experiences. For those making excuses about not being able to find a "real time" nurse, then mention this to your instructor. That way maybe the instructor should omit this assignment for future nursing students, since it is really "difficult" to find a nurse to interview.

BTW, for those inquiring, I'm the average age of a nursing student. So, I've been around internet for a long time.

BJ

[RNandRRT]

I think some of you missed my point. For those of you who agree with me, Kudos to you. My question was, what if there was no internet, no allnurses.com WHAT WOULD YOU DO THEN? Some of you made excuses about not wanting to approach a nurse in clinicals for an interview, etc...because he or she doesn't have time to answer or are not very receptive to students. How do you know, have you tried? If you would approach me, I would gladly help you. Maybe not right and there, but I would set you up to meet me on my day off. The idea of a "Starbucks compensation" is a great one. That's one way to say "Thank you for taking the time". Do you think that your instructor made up this assignment so that you can interview a nurse online? I don't think so. The idea is for you to approach a nurse face to face and learn from their experiences. For those making excuses about not being able to find a "real time" nurse, then mention this to your instructor. That way maybe the instructor should omit this assignment for future nursing students, since it is really "difficult" to find a nurse to interview.

BTW, for those inquiring, I'm the average age of a nursing student. So, I've been around internet for a long time.

BJ

I appreciate your point in all of this, but just because you don't like the particular method some use to accomplish the task, does not mean it's not appropriate.

There are always many ways to accomplish a task and just because someone does something a way you don't approve of does not mean it's not an appropriate way to perform it.

You don't like interviewing online. That's fine. As long as someone is willing to ask, and someone is willing to respond, then what could possibly be the problem?

Again, the question shouldn't be "what if allnurses.com wasn't around", because clearly it is. What if starbucks didn't exist? you would find another way to bribe someone I guess. Point is, Starbucks does exist, and someone used that to their advantage, just as they use allnurses.com to their advantage.

[General E. Speaking, RN, RN]

I had a very very nervous high school boy approach me one day wanting to interview a nurse. I was so impressed that even though I could tell he was scared to death and nervous as a long-tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs, he managed to muster up the courage to walk into our facility. Poor thing was sweating profusely and his voice was shaky. Fight or flight was kicking in!

I was incredibly busy but nothing critical going on. I smiled and tried to ease his pain. I invited him into the breakroom and gave him the 15-20 minutes he needed for his assignment.

I think the interviews should be face to face.

[OCNRN63, RN]

I had a very very nervous high school boy approach me one day wanting to interview a nurse. I was so impressed that even though I could tell he was scared to death and nervous as a long-tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs, he managed to muster up the courage to walk into our facility. Poor thing was sweating profusely and his voice was shaky. Fight or flight was kicking in!

I was incredibly busy but nothing critical going on. I smiled and tried to ease his pain. I invited him into the breakroom and gave him the 15-20 minutes he needed for his assignment.

I think the interviews should be face to face.

Quoting "Arthur Branch" from Law and Order. Very nice!

[dudette10, MSN, RN]

The purpose of the assignment is not just to get specific information.

The idea is that in doing so and talking to others in your profession you will learn a thing or two about the actual individuals who practice it, how they think, and live, and relate to others -- and also, how they will relate to you once you enter the profession.

A person who takes shortcuts with an assignment is probably going to have some problems when it comes to performing in the workplace because it shows a lack of respect for the job.

Really? How do you know what the assignment is and, therefore, know the best way to do it?

I had to interview at least two nurses with specific questions, and our instructor told us we could do it any way we wanted. She said email, phone, whatever was fine.

You know how I did it? Facebook private messages. Since my friends work 12s during nights, and I gave them three days to respond, it worked beautifully. They responded at their leisure, rather than dealing with me calling them in the short window between their daytime sleep and getting ready for work since I don't know their work schedules.

And, no, they didn't "write my paper" for me. For whoever said that, it's a ridiculous assumption that when you get a written response, the paper is written for you.

[sistasoul]

I feel face to face interviews are best but not everyone has 20 minutes of undivided attention to give someone. I love students but on my unit there is only one nurse who is able to leave the floor for an uninterrupted dinner. 99 percent of us chart through dinner time if we are lucky enough to sit down during a shift. Usually the charting is done after report is given to the oncoming nurse. If I had the time I would gladly give the 20 minutes to a student for an interview.

When I was a student I never witnessed a nurse with 20 minutes downtime. That is probably why a lot of students post interview questions on this forum.

[TDCHIM]

I thought I was the only one who had a problem with this.

There's a lot to be said for having a real life conversation with a real life human being. You'll get your answers but you will also get a lot of more personal and nuanced information.

The purpose of the assignment is not just to get specific information.

The idea is that in doing so and talking to others in your profession you will learn a thing or two about the actual individuals who practice it, how they think, and live, and relate to others -- and also, how they will relate to you once you enter the profession.

A person who takes shortcuts with an assignment is probably going to have some problems when it comes to performing in the workplace because it shows a lack of respect for the job.

It's just a good habit to get into -- going that extra mile -- while you're still in school. Because it is what will separate the good nurses from the bad once you get out into the world.

And the world is not going to wait for you to figure things out so best to get on top of it now.

Also, as others have stated, you have no idea who you are talking to online, the internet is famous for attracting a contributing cast of whack-a-doodles and ne'er-do-wells.

Also, what really makes me nuts about those interview posts is that the poster usually states that "HELP! I have to turn this assignment in tomorrow!" Seriously? You just found out that you have to do this complicated project tomorrow? What happened to time management? Again. Another good habit to get into while in school.

Okay, I definitely understand the frustration over the "I have to turn this in tomorrow!" appeal. I doubt that people are really being given one day to do one or more interviews.

However, I have to take issue with the notion that someone is simply cutting corners by going online to a professional site to request assistance with an interview. In this instance, one person's shortcut is another person's use of an available and widely accepted tool. If the instructor indicates that using the internet as an interview resource is acceptable, then I don't see a problem with it. In any case, I don't think going to the net for help (assuming the instructor hasn't prohibited doing so) indicates a lack of character or a moral failing. That kind of assumption reminds me of those moral tales that were told to kids in the early 1800s - the ones where the man's eventual death by hanging could be traced back to the very day he tiptoed into his mother's pantry and stole a spoonful of the preserves while her back was turned! This is just an issue where people have different perspectives on what makes sense.

[CuriousMe]

Okay, I definitely understand the frustration over the "I have to turn this in tomorrow!" appeal. I doubt that people are really being given one day to do one or more interviews.

However, I have to take issue with the notion that someone is simply cutting corners by going online to a professional site to request assistance with an interview. In this instance, one person's shortcut is another person's use of an available and widely accepted tool. If the instructor indicates that using the internet as an interview resource is acceptable, then I don't see a problem with it. In any case, I don't think going to the net for help (assuming the instructor hasn't prohibited doing so) indicates a lack of character or a moral failing. That kind of assumption reminds me of those moral tales that were told to kids in the early 1800s - the ones where the man's eventual death by hanging could be traced back to the very day he tiptoed into his mother's pantry and stole a spoonful of the preserves while her back was turned! This is just an issue where people have different perspectives on what makes sense.

My perspective, is that for the most part, the requests I see for interviews here on AN are looking to cut corners.

[TDCHIM]

I have a different opinion, but that's the great thing about a discussion site - everyone can civilly debate topics from their different perspectives. :) At least no one's throwing personal insults around on this thread (yet)!

[roser13, ASN, RN]

"However, I have to take issue with the notion that someone is simply cutting corners by going online to a professional site to request assistance with an interview"

Well, therein lies the problem. While you might consider allnurses.com a "professional" site, others might not. The site does not restrict access to those who demonstrate a nursing license. Anyone can post, and trust me, "anyone" does.

[TDCHIM]

Given that I technically am "anyone," (i.e., not a nurse nor a nursing student, but rather a health information management student), I understand your point. :) I guess I meant that it is a site with a clear professional purpose and affiliation which is dominated by professionals from a specific field and those who wish to learn from those professionals' experiences without pretending to their titles or overall knowledge. IMO, you can usually pick out those who don't fit within those boundaries pretty quickly.

And as I said earlier, conducting an interview online has a "buyer beware" component that balances the convenience factor; however, there are ways to work around that danger (i.e., asking the interviewee for his/her credentials for citation purposes). If the instructor and student accept an online interview as a viable option, I'm not going to sit in judgment of the student's dedication or future suitability for work in the field because s/he has chosen to take that option for whatever reason.

Now, I think I've run my mouth more than enough on this subject for one night! The whole place must be sick of my opinion by now, so I'm heading back to my books and my ever-flowing stream of assignments. Have a good evening, all! :)

[General E. Speaking, RN, RN]

Quoting "Arthur Branch" from Law and Order. Very nice!

Actually, quoting Nana! (a friend's grandma) Hear that term thrown around every now and then in the South.