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FAQ
 This page was last updated on 15-Jun-02

 Ask-A-Nurse:
 Frequently Asked Questions
A
sk-A-Nurse is our most popular feature on The Student Nurse Forum.  To help you better understand the purpose of this service, I felt it would be helpful to post answers to some of the frequently asked questions I receive.  If you cannot find your answer here, I encourage you to e-mail me directly and I will be most happy to answer any additional questions you have.  Happy reading!
- Stephanie Thibeault
The Student Nurse Forum
kcsun3@yahoo.com

How much does this cost?
Absolutely nothing!  The Ask-A-Nurse service is provided to you for free - just my way of helping out fellow nursing students (we're all in this together!).

What kinds of questions do you answer on Ask-A-Nurse?
The Ask-A-Nurse Forum was designed to answer student's questions about nursing education and nursing practice.  

Who answers the questions submitted to Ask-A-Nurse on The Student Nurse Forum?
Questions submitted to the Ask-A-Nurse Forum are answered by either myself (questions related to nursing education, research, etc.) or by one or more members of The Student Nurse Forum's Advisory Panel (questions related to nursing practice).

How come a lot of the questions seem to be answered by you and not the Panel Members?
Actually, MOST of the questions are answered by me.  The members of The Student Nurse Forum's Advisory Panel are all practicing nursing professionals.  They have generously agreed to share their knowledge and experience for the benefit of nursing students visiting this site (read: they are volunteering their time for free).  I am extremely conscious of their time commitment, as they have full-time careers and families...as such, I try to limit both the type and quantity of questions I send them, to best utilize their expertise without overburdening them.  In general, only questions related to nursing practice, or those I cannot properly answer myself, will be forwarded to the panelists for review.

Who are the Advisory Panel Members, what are their qualifications/experience and what kinds of questions DO they answer?
Our Advisory Panel members have a combination of over 65 years of nursing experience in just about every area of practice.  You can read about each of them here:  Meet Our Panelists

Our volunteer panelists are forwarded questions relating to nursing practice.

I have a heart condition, need corrective eye surgery, think I may have Ebola Zaire, etc.  Can you give me advice?
Yes, absolutely - please seek the opinion and services of a qualified medical professional as soon as possible!  The Student Nurse Forum is designed to help nursing students and those interested in the profession.  The aim here is to support and encourage future nurses during their education and early years of practice.  We do not give out medical advice or treatment suggestions.  The first pledge of the Hippocratic Oath is to "do no harm."  I am not qualified, nor ethically able, to give out medical advice on this website, nor will I allow anyone else to do so.  If you have concerns about your medical condition, or that of a loved one, please make use of the medical support services in your community.

I have a term paper, speech, presentation due tomorrow morning - where can I find information on (fill-in-the-blank)?  P.S.  Can you get back to me within the next 2 hours?
Well...er...hmmm....Please understand that the majority of the questions on this forum are researched and answered by me.  I have spent *hundreds* of hours researching, evaluating and triple-sourcing answers to your questions during my own free time.  I love doing this!  However, I also have school, just like you, and 2 kids to take care of, so...will I try to find answers for you as quickly as possible?  Yes!  Can I get it to you in 2 hours?  Nope - I spend at *least* that much time hunting and digging to find your answers.  I try to post answers to questions within a week of receiving them.

Hi - it's me again...my next project is (fill-in-the-blank).  What have you got for me this time?
Okay, just a wee bit of clarification.  Ask-A-Nurse is here to help you when you can't find the answers you are looking for, when you need some encouragement and advice, or if you just need a nudge in the right direction to get started on your research.  I enjoy helping you however I can - but I am not here to do your homework for you.  If you have honestly tried to find the information yourself, or just don't know where to start, I'm glad to help...but please don't e-mail me with every single assignment - I am just one person.  Part of your nursing education is learning how to find and evaluate information for your research projects.  A brief intro to web researching is provided here:  Researching on the Web

Can you recommend a good nursing program in (insert-your-location-here)?
No.  I cannot recommend a program that I have not personally attended.  While I can locate programs in your area, but I cannot offer an opinion on their merit.  A good resource for this kind of information is The American Association of Colleges of Nursing - at the very minimum, the program you choose to attend should be accredited.

What's the difference between a CNA, an LPN and an RN?  A 2-year RN and a 4-year RN?
A full description of each of these can be found here:
Certified Nurse Aides
Licensed Practical Nurses
Registered Nurses

What's the starting salary for a new nurse?  How much do nurses make?
Median nursing salaries in different areas of practice can be found here:
Salary Guide


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