Why Do So Many Non-Nurses Post in the "International Nursing "Forum?

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I'm just curious why this particular forum seems to attract so many posters who are not nurses. It seems to be more of a problem here than in the other forums. I don't have an issue with nursing students or CNA's posting here; I welcome their questions and comments. I am referring to posters who are not personally part of the nursing profession: wannabes, fanboys, voyeurs, men with a nurse fetish, etc. Many of them seem to post as if they want others to think they are nurses, thereby increasing the creepiness factor.

I assume that most nurses who post here are interested in what other nurses have to say. That's why I post here--it's a wonderful opportunity to share ideas with nurses in different geographic locations, different nursing specialties, and different backgrounds. Over the past few years, however, there seems to be an influx of non-nurses posting here, and I really wish the moderators would address this problem.

The allnurses home page --right across the top of the page-- clearly states:

allnurses: a Nursing Community For Nurses

Is that not clear?

Is there something ambiguous about the wording of that banner??

I am interested in hearing the opinions of other nurses regarding this issue...

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Tell the truth I thought everyone on here was a Nurse in some form or other. Naiive really. It does explain some of the posts being a bit, shall we say, over assertively ignorant?

Hmm, some people must really have an agenda.

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Specializes in Dialysis, Nephrology & Cosmetic Surgery.

I agree with the sentiment that to be a member of AN you really should be a nurse. There is a UK site I am a member of and to join you have to provide your NMC PIN. Not sure if that is something I'd like to see here but I think there should be some way to identify people who are participating in the forum.

On a similar note, I also wonder why a minority of people - seemingly with no affiliation to international nursing - find it necessary to be openly hostile towards AN members from overseas.

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I post in the International forum (and other places on AN) to read about other types of nursing.

It is also interesting to read what the US is portrayed in other countries. It seems like some of my less then reputable countrymen are recruiting nurses to the USA when there are no visas and no positions. I find that behavior ( the behavior of the recruiters ) unethical. It gives the foreign nurses false hope about coming to the USA.

The second point is, some ( NOT all) foreign nurses who do find their way to the USA are not prepare to practice safely since I will be working side by side with them I need to be mindful of who I am working with.

My last point, it seems like the Board of Nursing isn't doing a great job screening the candidates. Since the review is really a paper review not an onsite review, a nursing school which is a poor performer can look great on paper.

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Specializes in Education, FP, LNC, Forensics, ED, OB.

we attract anyone, whether they are pre-nursing student, currently in a nursing program, thinking about becoming a nurse, are married to a nurse, were taken care of by a nurse, like to watch nurse-related tv shows and have questions/concerns, or are nurses; all are welcome at allnurses.com.

per the terms of service:

you are among the most intelligent, friendly, experienced, passionate and vocal nursing posters anywhere on the internet. you are part of a site whose opinions are widely read by men and women considering nursing, nursing assistants, students and nurses: rn's and lpn/lvn's from across the us and through out the world especially australia, canada, uk, and others. this website is one of the most highly respected within the nursing community and is listed as a resource in nursing publications and at other nursing related websites. we didn't get to that status without the professional and courteous contributions of our membership. we welcome you to a place you will soon call home.
yes, we are a community of nurses for the most part, but we do not exclude anyone who seriously wants to post here. the site owner, brian short, had a vision many years ago. one that he realized included those who were not nurses. a site he envisioned that would help those considering nursing or just had general questions about nursing. he envisioned a welcoming site filled with nurses who were experts in every aspect of nursing. a site that would stand out amongst other sites and be recognized as both the site for non-nurses to come to for information that could be carried to "real life" and apply, but one that would be recognized in the professional world of nursing as foremost authority. a site where nurses could come to vent, de-stress from this fast-past world, share ideas, gather research, take back to their places of work, and advocate for their patients. a site where the pre-nurse and/or nursing student could come and get information that would help them in every aspect of their potential nursing careers. a site where all nurses come together..........

brian succeeded. his vision has been realized and is still being realized as the site grows and grows.

you might take a look at our new an central. it is strictly a non-nursing-related sister forum of allnurses.com. most discussions have absolutely nothing to do with nursing, specifically.:wink2:

you will also see that non-nurses post all over the boards at allnurses.com. it is not exclusive for the international forum.

again, we welcome anyone!!!

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Specializes in intensive care, recovery, anesthetics.

I don't mind non nurses posting, gives sometimes an interesting view and obviously if someone is interested to become a nurse:) I welcome those.

Some posts are strange to me as well, yes, but I think let's deal with those in a polite professional manner. And I think we have to be careful as well not to judge a whole group for the behaviour/ mistakes of a few.

As an IEN who worked in different countries I can only say, orientation takes time! You're not fit running from day 1, doesn't matter how experienced you are. And even with great language knowledge, you have to get used to all the dialects, different vocabuarly and so on, especially phoneorders can be tricky, not to forget all the abbreviations that are in use.

So fellow nurses bear with us:)

5cats

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Specializes in CTICU.

I haven't noticed that a lot of non-nurses post in the international forum.

The second point is, some ( NOT all) foreign nurses who do find their way to the USA are not prepare to practice safely since I will be working side by side with them I need to be mindful of who I am working with.

I was with you up until this point - can you tell us how exactly reading posts by IEN will help you to work with them? You know they aren't all the same, right? So reading a post by one IEN really has little bearing on the IEN who ends up on your ward?

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I post on here because I want to learn about nursing in other countries. I'm not a nurse, but I'm a nursing student who some day would love to teach nursing in the far future.

Eventually I would love to go back to the mother country and practice nursing before I retire.

I also want to add that I've met some really cool people on this site and in this forum. I also don't mind non nurses posting, but what I don't understand is how some of them are posting as if they have been in the profession for years. Most of the time the advise that they offer is incorrect and they seem to bully a lot of the nurses who post.

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I haven't noticed that a lot of non-nurses post in the international forum.

I was with you up until this point - can you tell us how exactly reading posts by IEN will help you to work with them? You know they aren't all the same, right? So reading a post by one IEN really has little bearing on the IEN who ends up on your ward?

By reading this area gives me insight to the educational experience IEN has.

For example, a UK or Australian nurse has a education equal or superior to a US education. I also have observed that UK nurses can be very assertive and not afraid to speak their mind.

Nurses from other countries don't have the benefit of a strong educational system. Also I have observed they don't speak up when they don't understand something. Now from reading this board is due to the fact their educational system is punitive.

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Specializes in Acute Care. ER. Aged Care/LTC. Psyche.

If I may express my opinion,

I do not mind non-nurses posting here. Most people (non-nurses) are in communication, in contact, or in a friendly or working relationship with a nurse (being the largest group of health care worker in the land). This make them somewhat concern about nurses being their healthcare provider. Others might want to know more about the nursing profession as whole. Others might want to explore the possibility of entering the profession. Others might want to do research or study about nursing or a nurse.

We can't just deny them the accessibility of this site just because this site's name is Allnurses. Let's give them the privilege of seeing what nurses are like (virtually, by means of opinion, comments, answers made by the nurse). Let's give them the benefits of interacting with nurses. And in return, we can also learn from them. We can know what's their perception about us, or they can voice their concern about the healthcare industry. After all, nursing means interacting with people, right?

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per the terms of service:

"you are among the most intelligent, friendly, experienced, passionate and vocal nursing posters anywhere on the internet. you are part of a site whose opinions are widely read by men and women considering nursing, nursing assistants, students and nurses: rn's and lpn/lvn's from across the us and through out the world especially australia, canada, uk, and others. this website is one of the most highly respected within the nursing community and is listed as a resource in nursing publications and at other nursing related websites. we didn't get to that status without the professional and courteous contributions of our membership. we welcome you to a place you will soon call home."

maybe i'm not getting your point, siri. i understand that this forum is "widely read" by just about everyone--that's not the issue here. i wholeheartedly believe that anyone should be allowed to read this forum. my issue is with the influx of non-nurse posters. many of the more recent non-nurse posters present inaccurate information, and become belligerent when confronted about it. i question why they are allowed to become members.

the terms of service states--not once, but twice--"this is a board for nurses and nurses-to-be to discuss nursing issues." nurses and nurses-to-be. that's what brian wrote. nowhere in the terms of service does it state that membership is or should be open to people who are not nurses.

brian definitely succeeded in his dream! allnurses has grown into the go-to site for all things nursing-related, and it is a great resource for anyone interested in nursing issues. i'm not sure, though, that the intent was ever to permit non-nurses, some of whom clearly have ulterior motives, to be allowed to become members.

as he said: "this is a board for nurses and nurses-to-be to discuss nursing issues."

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I have to agree with Nursehello. There are far too many non-nurses giving a lot of misinformation. That only hurts the people seeking information regarding nursing.

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