[Ekklesia]

I’ve been on the receiving end of quite a number of male “nurse” jokes ever since I started college for my BSN. I have not been phased one iota, but now that I’m in school and am around other men, they seem to want to change the terminology to something other than “Male Nurse” (something like “masculine health care technologist” or whatever).

Anyway, I thought I’d do a little research and poll the fine folks here. What do you think: Are you bothered by being called a nurse?

For the record, I am not.

[Roy Fokker]

I'm not.

And I think it's pretty dumb to be called "Masculine Heath Care tech" or whatever.

I am not averse to describing myself as a "healthcare professional" either - just like Doctors, surgeons etc.

I also have a mild peeve with "Male Nurse"

I went to "Nursing" School - not "Male Nursing school"
I train to be a "Nurse" - not a "Male" nurse
I will practise as a "Nurse" - not a "Male" nurse
I don't refer to my female peers as "female" nurse - so why the difference for me?

[elkpark]

I worked years ago with a nurse (who happened to be male) who also got the, "Oh, are you a male nurse?" treatment alot (this was when men were even rarer in nursing than they are today) -- and his stock response was a pleasant, "No, I take care of females, too ..."

I don't know if that was original to him or if he heard it from someone else, but I've always liked it.

[RN_Jen]

Originally Posted by Roy Fokker

I'm not.

And I think it's pretty dumb to be called "Masculine Heath Care tech" or whatever.

I am not averse to describing myself as a "healthcare professional" either - just like Doctors, surgeons etc.

I also have a mild peeve with "Male Nurse"

I went to "Nursing" School - not "Male Nursing school"
I train to be a "Nurse" - not a "Male" nurse
I will practise as a "Nurse" - not a "Male" nurse
I don't refer to my female peers as "female" nurse - so why the difference for me?

I hate the term "male nurse". Sounds like some kind of subspecies or something. A nurse is a nurse and gender should be irrelevant.

[akcarmean]

Originally Posted by RN_Jen

I hate the term "male nurse". Sounds like some kind of subspecies or something. A nurse is a nurse and gender should be irrelevant.

I have to agree. A nurse is a nurse. We all went throught the same training. There should not be any type of male or female put before the word nurse. WE all worked our B*tts off to earn that title and it should be NURSE!!!


Angie

[Ekklesia]

Originally Posted by Roy Fokker

I'm not.And I think it's pretty dumb to be called "Masculine Heath Care tech" or whatever.

Indeed, it is a touch ridiculous.

Hmm, I guess that my options for the poll weren’t as detailed as I would have hoped. I was focused on the ”nurse” part of “Male Nurse”. Everyone’s reply’s thus far seems to be focused on the “male aspect of the term. Interesting.

I don’t really mind being called a “Male Nurse”, but; as Roy Fokker
said, “I don't refer to my female peers as "female" nurse - so why the difference for me?”

After reading the replies I am starting to see the light.

I wish I could re-do the poll now, oh well.

[utahliz]

.....

[donster]

Originally Posted by Roy Fokker

I'm not.

And I think it's pretty dumb to be called "Masculine Heath Care tech" or whatever.

I am not averse to describing myself as a "healthcare professional" either - just like Doctors, surgeons etc.

I also have a mild peeve with "Male Nurse"

I went to "Nursing" School - not "Male Nursing school"
I train to be a "Nurse" - not a "Male" nurse
I will practise as a "Nurse" - not a "Male" nurse
I don't refer to my female peers as "female" nurse - so why the difference for me?

and ditto!

You said it well, Roy.

[Tweety]

When people ask what I do and when I talk about my profression I say "I am a nurse". Why refer to myself as a "male nurse" when it's fairly obvious I'm male.

I don't feel the need to change the word "nurse".

[ZASHAGALKA]

I have no problem being a nurse.

This is my problem: the term, nurse, is a description as opposed to doctor, which is a title.

This site has alot of insight into why nurses aren't treated like 'professionals'. Maybe part of it is because 'Dr.' Smith refers to the bedside nurse as 'Kelly', or 'Amanda', or in my case, 'Tim'.

I used to know a little bit of Russian, and like many languages, Spanish included, Russian conjugates verbs into 6 forms: I, you (informal), we, they, you (formal), us. You talk to peers and those above you in the formal 'you'. You talk to friends, children and subordinates in the informal 'you'.

DR. is a formal 'you' address. Referring to you by your first name is a very informal 'you' address. While I will submit that this arrangement between doctor and nurse is the evolutionary model of nursing's past, it is not a recipe for 'professionalism' in the future.

I do not object in the least to being referred to as a nurse. I object to the fact that my training and experience are just so many useless letters AFTER my name instead of a key address IN FRONT OF my name. And even then, my objection is only because, that isn't very 'professional'.

~faith,
Timothy.