[worldtraveler]

Originally Posted by nurseguy_2005

Ok I am a 24 yr old male thinking about nursing. I work in the IT field and hate it. The nite shift is the main turn off . I cant tolerate a night shift position whatsoever.

Im thinking about going for an RN either ADN or BSN. I want to get into education and teach eventually

Well as a male could any of you guys tell me the good and bad of nursing as a male. I woudl like the 'raw' honest opinions.

Nursing would pay more money than I make now. IT Jobs are soooo scarce and I want something thats more people oriented.

So Im either thinkign about education or nursing


Thanks

As a Male Nurse(who is now 59 yr old and who entered this as a 3rd career at age 43, I would advise you to do a quick CNA(aide) course first and work for a few months in this capacity. I am a US Coast Guard Vietnam Vet(65-69 active), I worked Heavy Construction from 1970 to 1980 after completing my 3 year apprenticeship as a Cement Mason. Missing the High Sea, I returned and worked as a Merchant Seaman for the US Military Sealift Command-pacific(dept of defense 1980-1987) so its not as if I have never seen other Professions/cultures ect. As a CNA. You will soon see if its for you rather then investing a lot of time in completing a Hard course, ONLY, as many Nurses find out, its not for them after they start work on the Floor! And they leave the profession shortly after graduating after finding out its not for them. One of the difficulties I have been subjected to as a Staff Nurse(male) on a Hospital Floor was constantly being asked to take the Heavy total care Male Patients while smaller female nurses were assigned the ambulatory patients. I set the record straight on this from Day One on assignments such as this with my Nurse Manager. I would do my share to help out but as a Male Nurse, BUT I would NOT do it all, on every shift. I informed my nurse manager I am a Team Player and would be happy to share these difficult assignments. You have to be very Assertive as a Male Nurse and if you aren't assertive now, you will be shortly after starting work on a typical hospital floor, if you want to survive. Also, as a Single Male Nurse, Scheduling conflicts at Christmastime are a continuing problem. Single, Childless Male Nurses in many hospitals are expected to pick up the worst shifts so Nurses with Children are allowed off. Realizing these would be a conflict with me for the foreseeable future, I now only work Home Health on a Visit Basis. You should be aware, as a Potential Nurse, you will face these dilemmas many times as a Staff Nurse in many hospitals across the USA. Do Not, I repeat, Do Not, let Salaries solely guide your decision on studying Nursing, Look at the Total Picture. Also, if you think being in Nursing will eliminate 3rd shift work you dislike, think again, as you will, in your first few years and maybe longer, be expected to work MANY 3rd shifts. You will get an educated look at some of the pitfalls in Nursing after a few months on the floor as a CNA, observing Nurses you are assigned with. If its about making lots of money, there are many other professions that pay better with less stress then Nursing school. Nursing school, as anyone here will tell you, is no Cakewalk! Take off the Rose Colored Glasses and Think about it.....

[Corvette Guy]

Originally Posted by zoinks22

Male RN here in MICU Upstate NY.
Nursing school is the hardest thing I have ever done, including Basic Training in the Army. Washout rates for programs are in the 60% range (my class graduated 45 of the 165 who started). The job is stressful and you are often overworked due to the economics and the lack of RNs relative to the aging population. But the things that make it hard are the things that make it the BEST job there is (thought being a cop was the greatest, but having done both, being an RN is without question the greatest!!)

Bottom line is this, 2005:
People place the lives of themselves and of their families in YOUR hands.
There is no greater honor or responsibility than that!

Good luck with whatever you choose to do.

LOL, of course Nursing School is harder than Army BCT. My son went to BCT at FT Sill the summer of 2000, and told me it was like summer camp. BTW, he was an honor graduate at BCT. It kind of surprised me that the female & male recruits train together at Army BCT. However, at my AMEDD Officer Basic Course the male & female Officers slept in the same tent. I can tell you this, my USMC Boot Camp [1980] was waaay harder than my AAS in Surg Tech, AAS in Nursing, or my RN-BSN program.

Seriously, nursing programs can be a real challenge and all those that finish should be proud of such an accomplishment.

[Corvette Guy]

Originally Posted by worldtraveler

As a Male Nurse, I would advise you to do a quick CNA(aide) course first and work for a few months in this capacity. You will soon see if its for you rather then investing a lot of time in completing a Hard course, ONLY, as many Nurses find out, its not for them after they start work on the Floor! And they leave the profession shortly after graduating after finding out its not for them. One of the difficulties I have been subjected to as a Staff Nurse(male) on a Hospital Floor was constantly being asked to take the Heavy total care Male Patients while smaller female nurses were assigned the ambulatory patients. I set the record straight on this from Day One on assignments such as this with my Nurse Manager. I would do my share to help out but as a Male Nurse, I would NOT do it all, every shift. I informed my nurse manager I am a Team Player and would be happy to share these difficult assignments. Also, as a Single Male Nurse, Scheduling conflicts at Christmastime are a continuing problem. Single, Childless Male Nurses in many hospitals are expected to pick up the worst shifts so Nurses with Children are allowed off. Realizing these would be a conflict with me for the foreseeable future, I now only work Home Health on a Visit Basis. You should be aware, as a Potential Nurse, you will face these dilemmas many times as a Staff Nurse in many hospitals across the USA. Do Not, I repeat, Do Not, let Salaries and solely guide your decision on studying Nursing, Look at the Total Picture. You will get an educated look at some of the pitfalls in Nursing afetr a few months on the floor as a CNA observing Nurses you are assigned with. Think about it.....

... excellent suggestion!

[worldtraveler]

Originally Posted by thatoneguy

dont be so amazed. some, actually many, female nurses show big time animosity towards men.
ok for the OP. here is a few things, you asked for the raw version;

the bad:
one thing i dont like is you can no longer "tell it like it is". like if someone dose something dumb you cannt tell them "that was dumb" miss being able to do that. women just are more sensitive. i think some guys get this way after awhile too.

you are expected to do the heavy work, like turnning a 700lbs patient, no matter how busy you are. ask one of the women on the floor and if their busy and cann't help, its ok no big. if you say your too busy you will hear about it all dam day.

on the floor you will more than likely be the only guy. maybe another if your lucky. and have to deal with moody women during there time of the month. no one ever takes this into account. if a girl comes in with cramps and is ******, its your fault. bring up this issue and you get attacked by all. we all know about the moodyness and irritability but if you argue with them or remind them of it, to be not so irritable, thats your fault too and will hear about it. you are expected to be sensitive to them they are not expected to sensitive to you.

dont ever forget women love to gossip. and what is said doesnt go away by lunch like guy talk. grudges are held more often and for a longer time. if you vent about one person chances are every word you said will get around with a added bounus word or two. you really have to watch your back as a nurse.

you really really need to watch your back. some nurses spend more time poking their nose into everyone elses buisness than they do with their own patients.

some patients just dont like males doing things to them. its wierd in the ER during a crisis they dont mind so much but once they get up to the floor they think your a waiter not a nurse. and it can be a real challange getting a female nurse to switch patients or do things for you, dont get me wrong there are a lot of cool chicks in the field, seek those ones out. i had a 25 year old female patient that needed to be taken into the shower, docs orders. well she or i did not fell comfortable doing that. i just did not want to be alone in the shower with her. i could not get a female to take here to the shower and stay with her, which she needed. there are some that will always help out but not most.

there is no dout higher expectations for male nurses. no dout at all. they expect you to want to be a manager or something.

did i mention you cant tell it like it is. this is a big one for me. worth saying twice. even if its not dealing with you. like a nurse ******** about something you can not say aahh shut up about it already or they will turn on you and again its your fault.

everyone thinks your a doctor. this is good and bad. mostly bad though.

the gossip once again, dont let them know to much about your personal life. everyone will know about it.

then you have the should b's. the nurses that are always saying this is how it should be. seems no one wants to talk about how it is. these are the same type nurses that come on shift and the first thing they do is sedate their patients so they dont have to deal with them. i guess this is how they get so much time to stick their nose into everyone elses business.

ok last of bad. if you work around mostly guys you know the first thing after everyone gets their work laid out for them, they take it and go with it even if we dont like it we just deal with it. for nurses they will start refuseing and ******** about their assignments because their patinets are 15 yeards apart not next to eachother, before they even see their patients. seriously you can spend the frist half hour of your shift listening to everyone ***** about their assignments. man i wish they would just come in get their assignments and go with it. with guys you could just pretend cry and say something like aaahhh poor little guy has to walk an extra few feet boohoo. dont even think of doing this to a women or some of the fairy guys you find in this field, there just so sensitive.

the good;

your a guy. when you do get mad, i mean mad not upset, everyone stays clear. i think guys are just more willing to have it out.

they think your a doctor. if you call the pharm or something about your patient sometimes they think your the doc and get on it right away. kinda nice, i never till them i am the doc, but have had them, after the conversation is over they say, "ok doc ill get right on it". i use to correct them but it happens to often so i only correct them if its really needed now.

ok i will get a talking to about this but, if your single, there are so many horny girls you will be working with. a good thing i think. will not say anymore about this but could say a whole lot more. lots and lots more

some women listen to their male co workers more so than the female co workers, some.

i think its easier for guys to talk to the doc. we dont think of it in a personal way at all. for some reason alot of female nurses seem to get all personal about calling the doc or pointing out things to them.

dealing with those "mean" patients, its much easier for us. i just think our calm voices or just being a guy, patients dont act up with us as much.

we dont need as much help getting a patient out of bed or turnning them to do a dressing change. hell i can pick up a 150lbs old lady and put her in a chair by myself with out even thinking about it. a female nurse needs others there to be safe and even then they have a harder time of it. something that only takes us 1 minute might take a female nurse 15 minutes just to get someone to help, then they have to do it. this time really adds up by the end of the day.

all and all being a male nurse is great. every depaterment, well not O.B. and such, wants male nurses there. so big demand for male nurses. lots of hours to be worked if you want it. depending on how flexible you are you will be able to work whatever shift you want, might not be the area you wanted. but if you want a certain shift in a certain area with in a year i would think you will be able to get it.

o one last thing about women. you know they travel in packs, for the most part anyway. so if you have an issue with one they will more than likely go around looking for others that share their side of it and team up on you later. guys dont do things like this we have it out one on one and thats that, it over after that, not so for women they will stew over it all day or even all month waiting to bring it up again. for me, because i never take it personal, it's kinda funny to watch unfold. i must say i never had any real problem working with women at all, but have seen it happen to many others. it can get rediculous watching two female nurses have it out about the same things day after day and never realize they are the only ones that care about whatever they are getting into it about. those times when you wish you could just say shut up about it already. but, if you do that both will turn on you and try to convince you they are right and get you on their side, even though you dont care about it at all.

You Hit the Nail on the Head; as a male Nurse also, I have experienced EXACTLY the same thing as you. I no longer work the Hospitals but when I did, I experienced the Vicious Gossip Part-it was the Worst I have ever seen anywhere, in any of my prior professions, the back-biting and back-stabbing I observed in Nursing on a typical Med-Surg Floor. I would now Never share anything concerning my family, personal life, with other staff. Sadly, It just invites trouble and gossip!

[Corvette Guy]

Originally Posted by Rocky_Griffin

Wrong my friend! IM a GT driver myself and a fan of the vette
(thinking of getting a C5 ZO6) but,
C6 ZO6 Vette = 500 HP Mustang GT 500 Cobra = 450 HP
Now this looks like the vette has a leg up, but you should never forget about the power to weight Ratio! Guess we won't really know until the release of the GT 500.

Power to weight ratio? Your kidding, right? The C6 Z06 is around 500 lbs. lighter than the Cobra.

[Corvette Guy]

Originally Posted by worldtraveler

You Hit the Nail on the Head; as a male Nurse also, I have experienced EXACTLY the same thing as you. I no longer work the Hospitals but when I did, I experienced the Vicious Gossip Part-it was the Worst I have ever seen anywhere, in any of my prior professions, the back-biting and back-stabbing I observed in Nursing on a typical Med-Surg Floor. I would now Never share anything concerning my family, personal life, with other staff. Sadly, It just invites trouble and gossip!

worldtraveler - I'm curious, what is your current nursing specialty?

[realmean1]

Ok, so you wanna be a nurse? Like the smell of fresh caca in the morning, right after the coffee? How about running a code, giving it everything you know and the young man/woman dies anyway? Then getting jumped on because of the time spent cleaning up caca or trying to save a life should have been spent charting so your sorry butt is not sitting there collectin the OT. Been there, done that, was a corpsman, was a nurse's aide, was an LPN, now an RN for 20 years. Every job has its good or bad points. So, go for it, can always change later. Yeah, right>>>!! Ford vs Chevy, horsepower vs speed. Once you crash, doesn't matter what they cut you out of. Reckon I am just getting too old for this stuff.

[Corvette Guy]

Originally Posted by realmean1

Ok, so you wanna be a nurse? Like the smell of fresh caca in the morning, right after the coffee? How about running a code, giving it everything you know and the young man/woman dies anyway? Then getting jumped on because of the time spent cleaning up caca or trying to save a life should have been spent charting so your sorry butt is not sitting there collectin the OT. Been there, done that, was a corpsman, was a nurse's aide, was an LPN, now an RN for 20 years. Every job has its good or bad points. So, go for it, can always change later. Yeah, right>>>!! Ford vs Chevy, horsepower vs speed. Once you crash, doesn't matter what they cut you out of. Reckon I am just getting too old for this stuff.

OMG, is that what happens at 50

I have +5 years to find out... naw, I should have changed out the OEM Heads on my Vette by then & will be at around 525bhp

[Rachael12345]

I am a female RN, have been in nursing long enough to say that I know EXACTLY what you are saying, BUT i don't think it is happening just to MEN. It is happening to women too. Your experience is my experience. I suspect that one element that sparks this behavior in nurses is that when they see someone being cool and effective in their job with their patients, professional jelousy flares! There is just nothing rational about their behavior. No matter how well you even handle the situation with them, they will become passive-aggressive, sabotage and slander I believe to make them feel better about themselves in others eyes. I hope I don't sound bitter, I like to speak the truth in the right place.

[realmean1]

In 5 years, you will proably be driving a 3 and 1/2hp honda to power the electric motor on your ride. CAUSE gas will be 50.00/gal