[Jen,SN]

But why have a Canadian Nurses Forum? Or a UK Forum? Or separate forums for the states?

If you go to those forums, most of the threads there deal with liscensing, working in specific hospitals/areas, and colleges. I can see a need for seperate forums there.

[Tweety]

Originally Posted by Jen,SN

If you go to those forums, most of the threads there deal with liscensing, working in specific hospitals/areas, and colleges. I can see a need for seperate forums there.

I understand what you're saying. My point was that celebrating diversity doesn't necessarily need to be devisive. Obviously that's an opinion and others don't agree.

[PDCNurse]

Originally Posted by RN34TX

You mean because we voice our comments anyway without the new male forum? That's true. You and I have discussed this before and as a man I definitely think that the media and some people in general make way too big a deal out of men going into nursing.
We're still the minority by far but it's hardly anything new.
I think that female input is still quite valuable in whatever issues get discussed here.
For instance, I'm no longer an LPN but I still visit and participate in LPN threads because I'm interested and concerned about issues that affect LPN practice and employment and I think that my previous LPN experience has something valuable to offer in these discussions.
I also no longer work in Med/Surg (thank God) but still interested in Med/Surg issues and still like to stay in touch with what's happening on those awful Med/Surg floors these days and what those poor nurses endure on a daily basis. (Not that ICU is any picnic either but better for me)

I guess I don't have any issues about being a male RN right now because I don't feel that I get treated any differently by my female colleagues and there are a lot of men working on my unit.
But I have had jobs in the past where I was treated differently because I was the only guy on the floor and was used as a mule to be worked and received the heaviest lifting patients (or most combative patients) and even if I wasn't assigned to them I was called out of my patient's rooms to do their heavy work for them. Often from out of shape RN's who obviously got paid more than I did as an LPN but seemed to think that it was my job to take care of their patients for them.
I'm 5'8" and weigh 140-145 lbs yet was supposed to somehow keep the combative patients in check and get 250-300 lb patients out of bed because "you're the man on the floor."
This happened to me at more than one facility so I know that it goes on elsewhere and I'm not alone in this.
And perhaps because you're a female you can't see this because you haven't experienced it or it never went on anywhere you worked so you never saw it.
That's just one example of male specific issues that I think are important to be discussed here.
But we do agree that there is way to much hype out there about men in nursing.

You're right when you say that men are frequently treated as the "muscle" in the workplace. It's something we all are guilty of doing and I'm trying really hard not to. There is nothing wrong with having a male nurse forum since men are still the minority in this profession. Hopefully, having more men in the profession, being an example to other men, will show that nursing is a great profession no matter what your sex is. We need more caring nurses, male and female, and I hope this forum will show a positive side to being a male nurse.

[osarugue]

Originally Posted by brian

Please use this thread to discuss the following announcement:

I would want to say that men are great nurses.Just like u have male doctors so i also see male nurses.After my nursing, all d male nurses went for their degree courses which made most of them to be ahead of we the females who would rather go for the midwifery training.I give kudos to them!

[mattsmom81]

When titles such as 'How to deal with female man-hating nurses' come up I think we're crossing the 'sexist' line just a tad. JMHO.

[mingez]

Why?

Minorities of any group, have obstacles and issues unique to that population. Anyone who claims it's not is fooling themselves.

For example: Women in Law Enforcement. What a woman faces as an Officer is a much different experience from their male counterparts. The obstacles, because of this, are trememdous. So, if this were a Law Enforcement site, why not have a "Forum" for such things? Would anyone object to a section specifically for that? I'd hope not.

It's a support system, a place for those to share experiences, and at the very least, an organzational folder to keep all of the Male-related topics in one place.

[HazelLPN]

I have been a nurse since the 1950s, and I remember how shocking it was when female physicans started to become more common. I remember how hard they had to work to compeat with their male counterparts and many female nurses resented them. I envied them. Now, we are better off for it. It is the same with having male nurses. Men bring their own unique perspective to the job, and the profession benefits from having them.

[studious]

JEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEZ!!!!!!!

There's a lot of eostrogen in this male forum. What's the big deal, if the men want a forum to discuss male issues, who gives a rats behind. I know male nurse have issues, 'cause I've seen instances where men do get used as muscle in a ward situation, they also get grief from female nurses for being in the nursing profession at all. Hell, there was a big hoo haa over here in the UK when men decided to go into midwifery. As female nurses we go on all the time about(and don't say we don't) about sexist attitudes from either male Docs or patients, or are we going to pretend we have selective memories. I'll bet there is someone here that if they thought long and hard and are not hypocritcal about it, they have come across some form of sexism in their careers. If the men want a room, let them have it. This incidentally comes from a female, GAY , Staff Nurse. So if you really want me to go down THAT road!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[mattsmom81]

Originally Posted by mingez

Why?

Minorities of any group, have obstacles and issues unique to that population. Anyone who claims it's not is fooling themselves.

For example: Women in Law Enforcement. What a woman faces as an Officer is a much different experience from their male counterparts. The obstacles, because of this, are trememdous. So, if this were a Law Enforcement site, why not have a "Forum" for such things? Would anyone object to a section specifically for that? I'd hope not.

It's a support system, a place for those to share experiences, and at the very least, an organzational folder to keep all of the Male-related topics in one place.

If your comment is regarding my post, read it again. I have ZERO problem with a male forum, but I can't help but question the purpose of an inflammatory thread title such as "How to deal with female nurses who are manhaters'. To me this just smacks of intentional antagonism. But thats just me.

Should I start a thread 'How to deal with male nurses who are woman haters'? Now I'll pass on that one, even tho I've known quite a few... I wouldn't post such incendiary stuff. But then again, I'm just not that rude nor do I wish to antagonize my peers.

[Marie_LPN, RN]

Should I start a thread 'How to deal with male nurses who are woman haters'? Now I'll pass on that one, even tho I've known quite a few... I wouldn't post such incendiary stuff. But then again, I'm just not that rude nor do I wish to antagonize my peers.

I agree. I saw that thread title (the "Man-Hating Female Nurses" one), and the first thing i thought of was "well calling them man-haters isn't going to help"!