I am sure that I am opening a pandoras box here but I will probably not be visiting this website much longer.
I have been a daily reader for several years and I have laughed, cried and been educated by what I have read on this forum.
It seems that for a several months now, the majority of opinions on issues and problems in nursing are being addressed by:
1. Nursing students...
2. Pre-nursing students...
3. I want to be a pre-nursing student...
4. I thought about becoming a nurse once...
5. My mother, sister, cousin, neighbor is a nurse...
6. I talked to a nurse in the hospital once...
7. I watch Mercy on TV...
8. I read a book about a nurse...
9. I met a nurse in the grocery store line
10. I once saw a photo of Florence Nightingale...
Well, you get the picture.
I have absolutely nothing against students (obviously we all started out that way) and they at least have a handle on some of this, but until you have worked in the TRENCHES, you CANNOT even IMAGINE what nursing is like as a profession!!!! The exteme highs and the extreme lows! The Humor and the Horror!
I do not have an issue with non nurses reading all of the posts however, I draw the line at expressing opinions as if you had a clue.
So to all of the layperson nurse " wanna bees" PLEASE do not post your advice and snide comments, especially in the vent threads. I have read "Oh, wow, I sure hope I don't think or act like that when I become a nurse".... or "oh wow, that nurse actually laughed at/told off /or disliked her patient-how awful !" ....so many times I now just skip these responses.
The vent threads are for experienced professionals who have "Been there and done that" to relate and to commiserate!!!
There is a forum for students, maybe there should be a forum for non medical/nursing persons.
After all, the official website states:
"A Nursing Community for Nurses" and 400,008 nurses talking about nursing...
In closing, Where oh where are all of you seasoned nurses? Are we just outnumbered? or is it because we are too exhausted from actually Working as a Nurse to post???????
My two cents, and yes, I have almost 20 years of experience. And Yes, I guess this is a VENT.
I am a student (about to graduate) and before you scroll past me or get mad that I am posting on here, I want to say that I agree with you! I have to say the homework questions, the requests about how to get into such and such, the "you are so mean" posts are really irritating, even to me.
I like to read the general nursing discussions and the specialty threads to learn more about day to day issues, pharm, procedures, work issues, etc. I really try not to say things that I don't know about... I am sure I have failed once or twice and I apologize for that. I try to keep CNA issues/student issues/new grad issues to those specific discussion areas. I think that part of the problem is that a variety of topics from different discussions are included on the home page, so when there are 300 homework questions and 3 topics about procedures/meds, the majority of the things on the home page are homework questions.
I love to learn from the posts of experienced nurses, and I think that keeping up with my reading here has really helped supplement my education. I hope to be able to contribute meaningfully in the future.
I was wondering, though, do you mind when students ask a question (NOT A HOMEWORK QUESTION) about some clinical skill/technique/med/patho that they have seen in clinical or at work, but are having a hard time finding information about? I find that sometimes the only way to learn some things is from experienced nurses. Sometimes the nurse I am with or my instructor do not know all of the details (because nobody knows everything). I will refrain from asking questions of you if it is annoying, but I know that there is a plethora of knowledge out there on this forum and I am hoping I can access that. (Don't worry, I will always search current threads first).
Thank you to all of you that post interesting and enlightening topics! Please don't hate all of us students... some of us are trying to be good neighbors in this virtual community.
I think all the kids are in bed by now. Just us old crabs.
I do know many diligent ones studying or working.
But, I'm sure that some are just so young and beautiful, that they are all on dates.
But when we see a few posts of, "I got a DUI - will this affect licensing?" , followed with how this was the first time, and that "everyone" drives drunk occasionally, and what they do off duty shouldn't affect how they are as a nurse......we'll know.
I was wondering, though, do you mind when students ask a question (NOT A HOMEWORK QUESTION) about some clinical skill/technique/med/patho that they have seen in clinical or at work, but are having a hard time finding information about? I find that sometimes the only way to learn some things is from experienced nurses. Sometimes the nurse I am with or my instructor do not know all of the details (because nobody knows everything). I will refrain from asking questions of you if it is annoying, but I know that there is a plethora of knowledge out there on this forum and I am hoping I can access that. (Don't worry, I will always search current threads first).
That is the sort of stuff that we are here for.
I and we don't hate you. Most students are great....just most experienced nurses or any part of the population.
Unfortunately in nursing, as in life, the minority that is most problematic, seems to get the most play/as in life.
I was wondering, though, do you mind when students ask a question (NOT A HOMEWORK QUESTION) about some clinical skill/technique/med/patho that they have seen in clinical or at work, but are having a hard time finding information about? I find that sometimes the only way to learn some things is from experienced nurses. Sometimes the nurse I am with or my instructor do not know all of the details (because nobody knows everything). I will refrain from asking questions of you if it is annoying, but I know that there is a plethora of knowledge out there on this forum and I am hoping I can access that. (Don't worry, I will always search current threads first).
I can't speak for everyone but that's the kind of thread I love! I can share what I know... clinical teaching is the fun part... and then I learn more as others chime in.
Specializes in ICU, PICU, School Nursing, Case Mgt.
Agreed, again, it's really not the students that annoy me so much...it's the pre students and the pre pre students. I'm sorry, but if you are NOT:
An actual nurse
A nursing student...a real nursing student...that means CURRENTLY ENROLLED IN A NURSING SCHOOL CURRICULUM AND ATTENDING CLASSES...not just "thinking about it"
or a CNA, paramedic or an EMT or maybe even a unit tech.
do not waste my time posting...read maybe, but for the love of all things sacred...DO NOT POST!
I don't know how it could be accomplished, but I don't think non nursing people should be allowed to post/ unless we create a forum for the "I once saw a nurse on TV" category.
I do give immunity to "Fuzzy"...I believe she works as a Vet tech and her posts have been outstanding and actually relevant!
I find it interesting that there has been little if any response from the very group I am venting about but again, maybe you're right/ they are all out shopping and getting a mani/pedi to make themselves even more beautiful.(typed with tongue in cheek-that means sarcasm-for all of you of whom I speak)
I find it interesting that there has been little if any response from the very group I am venting about but again, maybe you're right/ they are all out shopping and getting a mani/pedi to make themselves even more beautiful.(typed with tongue in cheek-that means sarcasm-for all of you of whom I speak)
Maybe we're not posting because this is an "experienced nurse venting" thread that we shouldn't post in.
In closing, Where oh where are all of you seasoned nurses? Are we just outnumbered? or is it because we are too exhausted from actually Working as a Nurse to post???????
Being in nursing 30+ years and going to school and working full time...heck yea I'm exhausted!
I agree with you about people who are not in the profession sticking their 3 cents in the mix and do NOT have a real grip on what all of us do day in and day out. They need their own site.
If we are getting it off our ample bosoms, I'd like to chime in.
I find it disturbing when nurses from the US chime in on Canadian topics. My favourite was a new US LPN advising a Canadian not to do a PN diploma but an ADN because LPNs can only work in nursing homes. WRONG on so many counts. Up here our education is different. There is NO ADN programme. It's either a two year PN diploma or a four year degree. LPNs work everywhere except the NICUs and PICUs in my province.
I don't want to hear about how socialist my healthcare system is and we're all taxed to death. We have universal healthcare and our taxes while high still afford us a comfortable lifestyle.
There is no such animal as a "pre" nursing student. You are an undergraduate in a general studies area of a BA, or a high school student upgrading their marks.
I love reading the Vet. Nurses when they post (and yes, I consider them nurses). Their patients and human companions mirror our patients and families in so many ways.
And I so agree with whoever said we all survived before cellphones and microwaves!
I do not have an issue with non nurses reading all of the posts however, I draw the line at expressing opinions as if you had a clue.
What kind of messed up thought processes does a person of any occupation go through to arrive at the conclusion that they should, "Draw the line at expressing opinions" on a public message board?
Discussion forums by their very nature encourage the expression of opinions. You can stomp and whine using bolded letters and phrases over how clueless the participants are, but ranting about the fact that they *gasp* participated in a discussion on an open forum is childish.
Usually when a person joins a discussion it is due to the fact they have something relevent to add, or share. They have knowledge directly of what is being discussed. A nursing discussion board is a place for "nurses" to discuss things regarding the practice of their profession. If I am a high school student, who wants to be a nurse, I would have no experience to share regarding what is being discussed. Nor would I have "walked a mile in their shoes", or even a clue what it is like to perform as a nurse. Therefore, I might just listen and not comment on things beyond my realm. That's all the polite I can muster, other wise, if you don't know about it don't comment. Just listen, you might learn something!
Specializes in ICU, PICU, School Nursing, Case Mgt.
Quote by intern67:
"Discussion forums by their very nature encourage the expression of opinions. You can stomp and whine using bolded letters and phrases over how clueless the participants are, but ranting about the fact that they *gasp* participated in a discussion on an open forum is childish.[/quote"
I rest my case!!!! or should that be I REST MY CASE!!!!!!
My two cents, and yes, I have almost 20 years of experience. And Yes, I guess this is a VENT.
Work in Progress
200 Posts
I am a student (about to graduate) and before you scroll past me or get mad that I am posting on here, I want to say that I agree with you! I have to say the homework questions, the requests about how to get into such and such, the "you are so mean" posts are really irritating, even to me.
I like to read the general nursing discussions and the specialty threads to learn more about day to day issues, pharm, procedures, work issues, etc. I really try not to say things that I don't know about... I am sure I have failed once or twice and I apologize for that. I try to keep CNA issues/student issues/new grad issues to those specific discussion areas. I think that part of the problem is that a variety of topics from different discussions are included on the home page, so when there are 300 homework questions and 3 topics about procedures/meds, the majority of the things on the home page are homework questions.
I love to learn from the posts of experienced nurses, and I think that keeping up with my reading here has really helped supplement my education. I hope to be able to contribute meaningfully in the future.
I was wondering, though, do you mind when students ask a question (NOT A HOMEWORK QUESTION) about some clinical skill/technique/med/patho that they have seen in clinical or at work, but are having a hard time finding information about? I find that sometimes the only way to learn some things is from experienced nurses. Sometimes the nurse I am with or my instructor do not know all of the details (because nobody knows everything). I will refrain from asking questions of you if it is annoying, but I know that there is a plethora of knowledge out there on this forum and I am hoping I can access that. (Don't worry, I will always search current threads first).
Thank you to all of you that post interesting and enlightening topics! Please don't hate all of us students... some of us are trying to be good neighbors in this virtual community.