ead this great article about The Student Nurse Forum which recently appeared in the Kansas City Nursing News! The Kansas City Nursing News is a weekly publication that has a circulation of about 30,000 here in Kansas City, so we were thrilled to be featured in this newspaper. If you live in the Kansas City area and have not yet subscribed to KC Nursing News, click on the link below - it's free and you can even opt for the web-based version - read it right from your desktop!

Stephanie Thibeault has completed 1 1/2 years toward her nursing degree and can begin taking nursing courses after one more semester of prerequisites. When Thibeault wanted to learn more about nursing she went directly to the Internet. But all of the information she sought was in different places.

Thibeault, who currently is a student at Johnson County Community College and plans to transfer to the University of Kansas School of Nursing to complete her BSN, has since developed a web site for those who are interested in the nursing profession. Activity on the site has grown from 50 hits during its inaugural month - October 2000 - to more than 7,000 hits a month currently.

Specifically, the Student Nurse Forum (on the web at kcsun3.tripod.com) offers educational support and career planning guidance for nursing students, via more than 80 pages of topical content, interactive quizzes, tutorials and an e-zine. The site features an online mentoring community through the use of e-groups, message boards, a chat room, Nursing Instant Messenger, an awards program and live "customer service."

Two of the web site's most popular features are the Diary of a Student, which chronicles Thibeault's own experiences on the path to becoming a nurse, and the Ask-A-Nurse column, which is a Q-and-A column for students. A panel of experienced nurses and educators in the field or, where appropriate, Thibeault herself, answers questions.

On the web site's opening page visitors can choose from a wide variety of topics, including career planning, transitioning to work, nursing news, educational guidance and nursing law/ethics. Other subcategories include community, study aids, leadership/mentoring, self-tests and tutoring, reading nook, study tips, and continuing education. Visitors may also look at subcategories devoted to resources, the National Council Licensure Exam and a nursing web award.

Thibeault, who lives in Merriam, recently added a new section to the site that features video slide shows illustrating different aspects of clinicals. She chose the slide show format so visitors would not need to download the information.

More than 40 related sites have a direct link with the Student Nurse Forum, and Thibeault said her site is among the top 10 in all major search engines.

"It took me about two weeks, around the clock, to create the first eight pages of the Web site," Thibeault said. "I was taking one course at the time. Getting the information wasn't the issue; it was an issue of building the site. But I found a really good program within the internet while looking for free web hosting.

"My site is updated regularly, with new content added on a regular basis. Whether you are thinking about nursing as a career, are currently in a nursing program or are already a nurse and would like to share your experiences, you are welcome to our community.

"I have experienced great personal satisfaction from encouraging future nurses, and the site has led to a unique professional opportunity for me as well. I was asked to write a book for nursing students. I have met many great people while doing research for this site. When I needed people to advertise in the classifieds section, I came upon Bandido Books, a company that specializes in nursing books. I did several product reviews for them and they asked me if I would do the book.

"The book includes 150 pages. It is currently undergoing a peer review process and will come out at the beginning of August. The book is much more in-depth than my web site. It includes a huge section on tips for study skills, organization and how to prepare for NCLEX. It also features a section on how to get through the first six months after graduation."