New forums

Re: New forums

Vicky RVN — Sun, 12 Sep 2010 09:47:48 GMT

[quote user="Arlo Guthrie"]

I wasn't thinking of allowing the general public in, but creating a separate area which contains a few pages of info about becoming a nurse so the general public DOES NOT then enter the site (because it is available outside).

[/quote]

Sounds like a fab idea Arlo, a lot of people come on looking for job info so would be good to do it that way

Re: New forums

Arlo Guthrie — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 07:38:31 GMT

Also, when you see a member of the public in here, please do tell me, as I will delete their account (nicely!). I hope the new message on registration makes it much clearer that the site is not for the public.

Kerry, I've explained the reasons for restricted access on VS earlier in this thread. I don't think I can explain any better than I have already

Re: New forums

Nick Shackleton — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 21:20:00 GMT

[quote user="Kerry Haigh RVN A1 Cert SAN MBVNA"]

Just to clarify I have NO problem at all with vets coming and contributing on here, In fact I loved the Romain bunny bit and I think that maybe inviting more vets on to cover specialist areas would be a real treat!...however... I just don't understand why we don't have full access on the vetsurgeon forum??

I'm not sure that inviting the general public on here would help are you going to do that with the Vetsurgeon forum too?

[/quote]

I agree with Kerry!

We already got the general public on here for example mother of a lad who wants to be a VN!

Re: New forums

Kerry Spain — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 21:17:38 GMT

I'm not sure that inviting the general public on here would help are you going to do that with the Vetsurgeon forum too?

Re: New forums

Maisy — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 09:28:11 GMT

[quote user="Arlo Guthrie"]

[quote user="Maisy"]I like this idea about the nursing bits, but would people be able to ask questions or would it just be information?[/quote]

No, I was thinking that this would be info only - no questions.

[/quote]

Re: New forums

Arlo Guthrie — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 09:24:09 GMT

[quote user="Maisy"]I like this idea about the nursing bits, but would people be able to ask questions or would it just be information?[/quote]

No, I was thinking that this would be info only - no questions.

Re: New forums

Maisy — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 09:12:16 GMT

[quote user="Arlo Guthrie"]

Alternatively (and probably a better idea), is that we create a public section of the site with information for the public about a) a career in veterinary nursing and b) pet healthcare (which would just say: "visit your vet".

[/quote]

I like this idea about the nursing bits, but would people be able to ask questions or would it just be information? If random Joe Bloggs can ask questions about pet health, despite the memo saying to go to their vet, chances are there will still be questions pop up.

Re: New forums

Sally Seddon — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 08:59:29 GMT

I like this idea Arlo

Re: New forums

Arlo Guthrie — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 08:55:29 GMT

So far, what I am reading into your posts is that most people either don't mind, or are glad to have vets' input in the forums.

At this stage, I'm not persuaded that enough people want vets restricted for me to do that.

Most also seem to be asking for more to be done to prevent the occasional member of the public joining the site, usually to ask advice about a career in nursing!

The first thing I have done is add a prominent message at the top of the registration form, here: http://www.vetnurse.co.uk/user/createuser.aspx. I think you'll be surprised how effective something like this can be, and I am not sure why it wasn't there before (oversight).
I do also have an idea that we may change membership of vetnurse such that in order to register, you MUST enter the email address of an existing member, which would then make the registrant a colleague of the person whose email address they entered. This would make it very easy to self police membership.
I am also looking at the idea of creating a public-facing forum. Essentially a non-login part of the site where members of the public can ask you questions. But do you really want that? My experience of these things is that they can attract fruitcakes.
Alternatively (and probably a better idea), is that we create a public section of the site with information for the public about a) a career in veterinary nursing and b) pet healthcare (which would just say: "visit your vet".

A couple of people have suggested that I create a restricted access forum, or allow people to post anonymously, in order to create an environment in which members can post without fear of their comments being seen, for example, by someone at their practice.

There is no way of reliably restricting who can see what in a community this size, so the answer is that you need to accept that limitation and post accordingly.
I'll expand on that. Say we said the site (or one of the forums) was going to be nurse only (verified by RCVS number). There would be nothing to stop anyone visiting the RCVS website and grabbing a VN number. When someone forgets to log out of the site on a practice computer, there would be nothing to stop a colleague reading content later. There would be nothing to stop a nurse from lending his or her login details to someone else. The security would, in fact, have more holes than a collander. So it would be an awful lot of work for nothing.

Since there is nothing we can do about any of this, the best thing is to accept that when you contribute to a forum, you are writing in the public domain, and should post accordingly. It's no different to the way that we all moderate what we say offline, depending on whose company we are in!
I am (at the moment) against the idea of making it easier to post anonymously. I think accountability is important in a professional community like this. I do accept there are times when someone needs to discuss a sensitive issue, but I think the current method of having more than one user account for this purpose is OK for the moment.

Re: New forums

Steph Phillips — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 22:23:56 GMT

Good idea Nick / Arlo - It certainly makes the forum a bit more organised

I personally have no probs with vets seeing our posts - we all work together after all!

Re: New forums

Steph Worsley — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 22:01:27 GMT

[quote user="Samantha Vowles"]

Some nurses might want to ask a question that they dont mind nurses seeing, but may not necessarily want a vet to read.

I agree. I want to know that if I write something that could be seen as being critical of a vet/employer/etc then I won't have to worry that I might get into trouble for saying it!

[/quote]

like has been said before, it doesnt matter if vets are restricted as a colleague might see it and then pass it on and you would get in trouble anyway

Re: New forums

Samantha Vowles — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 21:48:54 GMT

Some nurses might want to ask a question that they dont mind nurses seeing, but may not necessarily want a vet to read.

I agree. I want to know that if I write something that could be seen as being critical of a vet/employer/etc then I won't have to worry that I might get into trouble for saying it!

Re: New forums

Nick Shackleton — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 21:48:43 GMT

[quote user="Phrin SVN"]

It doesn't really bother me too much, and I do think that the VS members such as Gillian are very valuable to the site.

To my mind, a simpler solution would be to have a single 'nurse only' forum, purley for QVN's and enrolled SVN's, although that would take up a lot of Arlo's time as in order for it to work, it would mean that every QVN or SVN on the site would have to be verified against an RCVS number - which thinking about it, could easily be lifted from the RCVS website.... hmmmm.... pehaps not such a simple idea!

I shall go back to sitting on the fence I think!

[/quote]

I kinda agree with you there Phrin! Well we kinda already have that with us guys who have our badges on the threads we post!

I personally think it should be restricted for 'aspiring' nurses or their mothers!!!

Re: New forums

Phrin Vernon RVN — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 21:39:45 GMT

It doesn't really bother me too much, and I do think that the VS members such as Gillian are very valuable to the site.

I shall go back to sitting on the fence I think!

Re: New forums

Kim Buckley — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 21:11:01 GMT

I'm not really that bothered about vets being on the forum.

If anything I would like a thread which automatically makes you anonymous. I have an anonymous account but you can link up all the different posts you make which may make you identifyable. (spelling?)

Re: New forums

Gillian Mostyn — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 20:55:05 GMT

[quote user="Sandra Taylor RVN, MBVNA"]it may just be a question of not wanting to look thick in the eyes of a vet[/quote]

If that is true, what a shame. .

Re: New forums

Sandra Taylor RVN, MBVNA — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 20:29:50 GMT

I think if only to be fair, then maybe we should have a VS section only. If any nurse wants a vets input then they can post in that section, that should not be too hard.

Some nurses might want to ask a question that they dont mind nurses seeing, but may not necessarily want a vet to read... for what ever reason,it may just be a question of not wanting to look thick in the eyes of a vet.So asking someone on a more equal footing is easier..... Just my opinion, but I bet there are a few out there who probably wont post certain things, not for annonymities sake, but more to do with what I mentioned above.

Re: New forums

Gillian Mostyn — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 18:37:09 GMT

[quote user="Sal (the 1st) Holesworth VN CMH Chyp (M)PNLP"]I dont believe in the 'them and us' situation' at all and I dont have anything to hide but I do still think that sometimes there is stuff that comes up on here that really doesnt need to be seen by a greater audience, as equally there is on vetsurgeon - it really isnt in the interests of practice harmony.[/quote]

[quote user="Sal (the 1st) Holesworth VN CMH Chyp (M)PNLP"]but I do think just as it is on vetsurgeon there should be areas which people can use and know that they can discuss topics openly without fear of inviting reprisals.[/quote]

I should say firstly that I can understand the comments about 'keeping vets out' - I can see your point about levelling the playing field for the two sites. Not sure why it is needed - but that isn't my decision to make. I just feel I gain another perspective from seeing what nurses think about certain topics, and I enjoy the banter, but to be honest I have the same conversations and banter at work as I have here - so maybe I'm not 'normal'!

However, the comments above very much sound like you are saying that you want areas that vets don't have access to so that subjects can be discussed without fear of the management reading them. But there is just as much chance of a colleague, HVN or a practice manager seeing it. So I am not sure what your point is? Is it really an anonymity issue? Or is there something else that I am missing?

I should also say that it is rare that something is discussed on vetsurgeon that relates to anyone other than just the poster. On the rare occasion someone asks for anonymity to ask advice about their colleague or employer, I know Arlo goes to great lengths to check their identity. It really isn't about secrecy - it is a totally different type of forum. But if you really are interested in choices in fracture management and the rules governing the prescribing cascade then fair play!

Re: New forums

Maisy — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 15:34:27 GMT

[quote user="Princess Ophelia Hermione MacBeth"]

I would prefer to restrict access to only those working in vet practices/allied industries. I.e. no members of the public or wouldbe trainees.

[/quote]

Ditto. I know people have got upset when this has been mentioned before but in fairness it does say during registration of the site that it is for people working/involved in the veterinary profession. Leads back I guess to having a set area where people can find out information about becoming a VN perhaps without having to register for the full site?

I don't mind vets having access to all areas of the forums really either.

Re: New forums

Rachel Jayne — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 15:26:38 GMT

I agree with restricting access for those who aren't actually working in practice... but I appreciate it might be difficult to police...

Re: New forums

Louise B — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 15:23:55 GMT

[quote user="Arlo Guthrie"]

What does everyone else think?

Do you want to me to create a new Veterinary Surgeons forum, and restrict vets access to all but that forum?

[/quote]

No, not unless we can have honoury vet nurses. Gillian Mostyn, for example, is as much one of us as any nurse. Alexander Campbell (VPIS) provides useful comments on random threads that he might otherwise not see. I agree with Arlo's comments on restricting while growing a forum.

I would prefer to restrict access to only those working in vet practices/allied industries. I.e. no members of the public or wouldbe trainees.

Re: New forums

Arlo Guthrie — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 13:57:38 GMT

What does everyone else think?

Do you want to me to create a new Veterinary Surgeons forum, and restrict vets access to all but that forum?

Re: New forums

Sal the 1st — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 10:24:55 GMT

[quote user="Arlo Guthrie"]

[quote user="Sal (the 1st) Holesworth VN CMH Chyp (M)PNLP"]I also feel quite strongly that the restrictions that apply to nurses on the vetsurgeon site should also apply to vets on vetnurse site - ie restricted to certain areas

[/quote]

OK - how about I create a section called Veterinary Surgeons (equivalent to Veterinary Nursing on VetSurgeon), and prevent access by vets to all the others?

It will prevent those vets who have contributed to the other forums from doing so in the future, which I think will be a shame, but if that's what you want!

Incidentally, the reason for restricting access to nurses on the other site is PURELY to help me grow and develop the other forums. I fear that if too many vetnurse members were to post too often on the VetSurgeon site, it would destroy the growing community of vets. It would be easy to misunderstand what I mean by that, so let me explain further. Imagine you are a vet coming to VetSurgeon and you see the 5 most recent posts were all from veterinary nurses - you would feel that the site was for nurses, not vets.

The same would apply if I thought that vets would come to this forum and dominate it. I would certainly restrict their access in that case. But they don't!

[/quote]

yes I do understand that you wanted to develop the other forums and I do understand that having lots of posts from nurses on the vetsurgeon site maybe wouldnt look that good - but now vetsurgeon is doing well maybe it would be a good time to have similar restrictions on here. As another poster mentioned it will confer equality between the two sites and also I dont think it will stop vets who have already played a part in helping people from this site, the same way it doesnt stop nurses asking questions or posting in the area they are allowed onto at vetsurgeon - but I do think just as it is on vetsurgeon there should be areas which people can use and know that they can discuss topics openly without fear of inviting reprisals.

I dont believe in the 'them and us' situation' at all and I dont have anything to hide but I do still think that sometimes there is stuff that comes up on here that really doesnt need to be seen by a greater audience, as equally there is on vetsurgeon - it really isnt in the interests of practice harmony.

Hope that explains why I feel the way I feel

Re: New forums

Caro Laithwaite VN — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 09:59:01 GMT

Blast it Arlo l was just going to give you a hard time for double posting and as l clicked reply you zapped your post

no other comment on this thread l will just cause trouble if l do so am

Re: New forums

Arlo Guthrie — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 09:56:00 GMT

[/quote]

OK - how about I create a section called Veterinary Surgeons (equivalent to Veterinary Nursing on VetSurgeon), and prevent access by vets to all the others?

It will prevent those vets who have contributed to the other forums from doing so in the future, which I think will be a shame, but if that's what you want!

The same would apply if I thought that vets would come to this forum and dominate it. I would certainly restrict their access in that case. But they don't!