What draws non-nurses to AN.com?

Nurses General Nursing

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Just saw a thread from a fairly distressed RN who fears losing her first nursing job. The very first response was from someone who stated "while I am not a nurse, I think ...."

It made me stop and think - I wonder what draws non-nurse, non-medical people here? And to give advice? I can't imagine being interested enough in an engineering forum, for example, to hang out on it, let alone offer advice in an area in which I have no experience or training.

Don't get me wrong, I have no issue with anyone posting on any forum. I just find it curious. Perhaps my worldview is too limited and I need to expand my Internet browsing beyond AN.com?:yes:

I love this topic! In fact, I created an account just to comment.

First, I am not a nurse. I'm a few years out of college and hold a position within allied health communications. The person who previously held my position had an AN e-newsletter subscription and I became obsessed with everything nursing for a short time, even considering a career change. Now that I'm pretty aware of the responsibilities, physical nature of the job, and nursing shortage lie, I've decided to stay put.

I have everyone on this board to thank for opening up my eyes to the realities of nursing. I've learned a lot, and I'm still very fascinated by nurses and the profession.

Specializes in Psych.
I love this topic! In fact, I created an account just to comment.

First, I am not a nurse. I'm a few years out of college and hold a position within allied health communications. The person who previously held my position had an AN e-newsletter subscription and I became obsessed with everything nursing for a short time, even considering a career change. Now that I'm pretty aware of the responsibilities, physical nature of the job, and nursing shortage lie, I've decided to stay put.

I have everyone on this board to thank for opening up my eyes to the realities of nursing. I've learned a lot, and I'm still very fascinated by nurses and the profession.

This is an excellent point. Maybe if more NON nurses would lurk around on the boards, we wouldnt have so many new graduates who quickly become disenchanted because nursing wasnt what they thought it would be.

Ive told my story before, I was never going to be a nurse because I knew what nursing was since my mom was one... well here I am now :) But because I knew what I was getting into, very little of the job actually is a surprise to me, when I encountered the " nurses devouring their young" I had already been bitten, spit out and came back for me, so I was able to ignore it better then my peer who had no healthcare experience.

Specializes in Hospice.

The point of this thread was to "call out" a person for offering encouragement and compassion to another person because they are not a nurse. That is judgmental and petty, as were many of the comments that followed. If you are only "allowed" to comment on threads that pertain to you directly, then why would nurses post in Students? We value their opinions or we wouldn't ask. And a "Pre nursing student" is someone who is completing their pre reqs in preparation for entering the nursing program. I doubt that nurses were born with RN behind their name, everyone takes an educational route to get there. You were a student once...... I hope.

Specializes in Med/Surg, Ortho, ASC.

Let me say it again - you are dead wrong.

I am the OP and my goal was never to "call out" anyone. In fact, it never occurred to me that the poster that I was referencing would ever notice this thread. And if you'll look at my post following his/hers, you will see that I was welcoming to him/her.

That you see this thread in that manner is simply a reflection of your mindset - not mine. I would appreciate it if you would refrain from attributing your thoughts to me.

The point of this thread was to "call out" a person for offering encouragement and compassion to another person because they are not a nurse. That is judgmental and petty, as were many of the comments that followed. If you are only "allowed" to comment on threads that pertain to you directly, then why would nurses post in Students? We value their opinions or we wouldn't ask. And a "Pre nursing student" is someone who is completing their pre reqs in preparation for entering the nursing program. I doubt that nurses were born with RN behind their name, everyone takes an educational route to get there. You were a student once...... I hope.
Specializes in Pediatrics, Emergency, Trauma.
The point of this thread was to "call out" a person for offering encouragement and compassion to another person because they are not a nurse. That is judgmental and petty as were many of the comments that followed. If you are only "allowed" to comment on threads that pertain to you directly, then why would nurses post in Students? We value their opinions or we wouldn't ask. And a "Pre nursing student" is someone who is completing their pre reqs in preparation for entering the nursing program. I doubt that nurses were born with RN behind their name, everyone takes an educational route to get there. You were a student once...... I hope.[/quote']

The point of the thread was to ask what draws people to AN...again, I didn't see where the OP stated they had a problem with IT...the OP stated they DID NOT have a problem with non nurses posting, but when it comes to legalities, scope and practice, a non nurse has NO IDEA (I cannot stress this enough) what is OK just yet, or at all, unless they re working in that capacity.

I was student on here in 2004... I started posting as a new nurse, went through a lonnng hiatus, it was pretty long...an returned. I returned with my experience, and (hopefully) guided wisdom.

That's not to say that no one can't contribute helpful wisdom; but when it comes to legalities, scope, policy of nursing, that where nurses come in. :yes: Everything else is fair game.

Specializes in Pediatrics, Emergency, Trauma.
Let me say it again - you are dead wrong.

I am the OP and my goal was never to "call out" anyone. In fact, it never occurred to me that the poster that I was referencing would ever notice this thread. And if you'll look at my post following his/hers, you will see that I was welcoming to him/her.

That you see this thread in that manner is simply a reflection of your mindset - not mine. I would appreciate it if you would refrain from attributing your thoughts to me.

I didn't realize that you responded to the post.

What the heck is a "pre-pre-nursing student"? SOmeone in high school?

Someone who has not yet started taking nursing program prerequisites, regardless of previous level of education.

What the heck is a "pre-pre-nursing student"? SOmeone in high school?

That was meant to be funny. Laugh. LAUGH.

I started visiting this site before I enrolled in my prerequisites, so I wasn't quite a prenursing student yet. I wasn't in high school, just working as an administrative assistant and trying to figure out what was the best way to go about becoming a nurse, how to make up for my horrible grades in college, etc.

Anyway, I generally don't mind the non-nurses unless they are the axe-to-grind, validate-my-feelings-about-my-evil-nurse variety or the give-me-free-medical-advice types. (And as an aside, it's an open forum and it's the internet, so yes, all types are welcome to come and share their opinions, but wondering why they are here is also a valid opinion and within TOS. We all have opinions and I can have opinions about opinions and you can have opinions about my opinions about your opinions and.....)

The point of this thread was to "call out" a person for offering encouragement and compassion to another person because they are not a nurse. That is judgmental and petty, as were many of the comments that followed. If you are only "allowed" to comment on threads that pertain to you directly, then why would nurses post in Students? We value their opinions or we wouldn't ask. And a "Pre nursing student" is someone who is completing their pre reqs in preparation for entering the nursing program. I doubt that nurses were born with RN behind their name, everyone takes an educational route to get there. You were a student once...... I hope.

You are pretty new to the site so you might not realize how frequently people who aren't nurses and who also don't appear to be on a path to becoming nurses post here. Being curious about what a nursing site has to offer to non-nurses isn't "calling out" and preferring the advice of nurses in certain contexts doesn't make someone a snob either. And klone wasn't asking what a pre-nursing student is, but what a pre-pre-nursing student is, which is a phrase *I* used in what was supposed to be read in a tongue-in-cheek manner.

I had always assumed it was for the free beer and sandwiches.

Definitely why I'm here ;)

I came here to see if I wanted to go into nursing. I also spent about 6 months shadowing some very wonderful nurses. When it was all said and done, I have gained even more respect for the people who are nurses and realized that I wanted to go into Respiratory. I have kept my membership here because some of the patient issues I have ran into the nurses here have had the same issues. There isn't a large board or even really a board that Respiratory Therapist or students can go vent on. It was a Respiratory Therapist that told me about this place. I do understand that I'm not always going to understand what nurses go through because I have never been one, but the perspective of dealing with sick people should be pretty close. Maybe I don't go into the right threads, but I rarely read snippy posts. It is the overall niceness that I have enjoyed the most about this board.

Specializes in Oncology; medical specialty website.
Let me say it again - you are dead wrong.

I am the OP and my goal was never to "call out" anyone. In fact, it never occurred to me that the poster that I was referencing would ever notice this thread. And if you'll look at my post following his/hers, you will see that I was welcoming to him/her.

That you see this thread in that manner is simply a reflection of your mindset - not mine. I would appreciate it if you would refrain from attributing your thoughts to me.

I've often thought we should have a set-up similar to what they do on studentdoctor. Their forums are open to everyone with the exception of one for chief residents. That's a closed forum. I think (and this is my personal opinion) it would be helpful to have a similar "gated" forum. That way, if a nurse wanted feedback from his/her peers, it would be feedback from actual nurses, not students, pre-'s or the "I'm not a nurse, but I did stay at a Holiday Inn last night" types.

I really don't get it either. I'm not an architect. If I went onto an architects' forum and read a thread asking for advice, I wouldn't dream of replying, "Well, I'm not an architect, but..."

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