Evil Estrogen Empire - The Silent Menace

Nurses General Nursing

Published

As I sit back and reflect on my 23 years of health care employment I mediate on those things that have inspired and discouraged me in these endeavors. In my various roles and responsibilities I would sometimes find myself at odds with "the establishment" and for the most part understood the conflict I encountered.

But then I entered nursing and discovered that this profession had it's own version of the "good old boy" network that a CRNA friend of mine described as the "evil estrogen empire". Granted this is not a flattering term but was a catchy phrase to describe a certain clique in nursing that seemed to resist the idea of men practicing nursing.

I have read countless threads on the various flavors of this subject and can see that there exists substantial difference of opinion on the etiology or even the existence of this phenomenon.

The real question is this, if you accept the premise that men in nursing are subjected to various negative stereotypes, gender bias and other forms of discrimination what is the best approach to redress these grievances.

Should men just ignore the problem and hope that things will get better or should they become more proactive on this issue and attempt to educate others on the consequences of such behavior?

-HBS

SmilingBluEyes

20,964 Posts

Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.

you are asking for it aren't you???

i won't dignify this with anymore here.

check the archives. there are lots of enlightened men in nursing who have ideas how to "survive the evil estrogen empire"...

funny, the world is ruled by MEN in a mass majority of countries, but we are ok with that? nursing, primarily female since its inception and we are an "empire"....

interesting viewpoint is all i will say.

Rustyhammer

735 Posts

:rolleyes:

P_RN, ADN, RN

6,011 Posts

Specializes in ORTHOPAEDICS-CERTIFIED SINCE 89.

:rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes:

Oh my Lions and tigers and bears. OH MY

Specializes in 5 yrs OR, ASU Pre-Op 2 yr. ER.
Originally posted by hbscott

But then I entered nursing and discovered that this profession had it's own version of the "good old boy" network that a CRNA friend of mine described as the "evil estrogen empire". Granted this is not a flattering term but was a catchy phrase to describe a certain clique in nursing that seemed to resist the idea of men practicing nursing.

If i used a reference of "testoserone empire", i'd have 3rd degree burns form the flaming. Just a thought.

Evil estrogen empire, no that is not flattering, a better term for that would be SEXIST. Using such a term to describe the problem is only aggravating it.

Tweety, BSN, RN

34,248 Posts

Specializes in Med-Surg, Trauma, Ortho, Neuro, Cardiac.

I was in the business world prior to nursing. For about five years ago I worked in a regional headquarters in Atlanta. Mostly white men ran the place.

Frankly I couldn't stand the testosterone. The men all gossiped, back stabbed, were petty, enjoyed the failures of others, were judgemental, whined about their jobs, talked about their wives failings, talked endlessly of armchair style politics and had all the answers to the worlds problems, of course the useless sports talk. The egos were insatiable.

Honestly, I like women much better. I might get flamed for this, but I hope the male-female ratio doesn't change. Because my guts tell me things won't really get any better if guys ran the show.

SmilingBluEyes

20,964 Posts

Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.

Tweety: much the same as what I experienced in the US military.

so I HATE WHEN we say nursing is in the state it is in due to being predominantly female. WHAT SEXIST GARBAGE...../.

thank you tweety for your perspective as a man who made it in the "estrogen empire".....you are DA man.

hbscott

416 Posts

Originally posted by SmilingBluEyes

you are asking for it aren't you???

Indeed. What am I asking for? I believe the question was "Should men just ignore the problem and hope that things will get better or should they become more proactive on this issue and attempt to educate others on the consequences of such behavior? "

**check the archives. there are lots of enlightened men in nursing who have ideas how to "survive the evil estrogen empire"... **

I believe I stated "I have read countless threads on the various flavors of this subject and can see that there exists substantial difference of opinion on the etiology or even the existence of this phenomenon.

**"funny, the world is ruled by MEN in a mass majority of countries, but we are ok with that? nursing, primarily female since its inception and we are an "empire".... **

I believe I stated "But then I entered nursing and discovered that this profession had it's own version of the "good old boy" network that a CRNA friend of mine described as the "evil estrogen empire" which made no conclusions based on that remark which could be extrapolated as approving or endorsing.

**interesting viewpoint is all i will say.**

Thanks! I would hate to bore you or any other person reading this post.

:)

stressednurse

131 Posts

Well, lets see....Male nurses. Hmm, I can't conjure up a specific certification for that. RN, yes, CCRN, Nurse Anesthetist, OK Nurse Assistant, OK these exist...still surfing. Geeze, there seems to be no gender specifications....wondering why they exist.

Thinking back to where nursing started...........

Well women, we seem to have brought nursing to a level that is appealing to men. Maybe the gender gap is really narrowing in the work environment. Could we look at this as a positive thing instead of constantly fighting it?

Haven't we been striving for equality for the last 50 years or so?

Honestly, I have worked with good and bad women and men in nursing and other fields too, lets just hire the best and keep em.

hbscott

416 Posts

Originally posted by LPN2Be2004

If i used a reference of "testoserone empire", i'd have 3rd degree burns form the flaming. Just a thought.

I think "Testoserone Tyranny" has better ring to it.

hbscott

416 Posts

Originally posted by 3rdShiftGuy

Honestly, I like women much better. I might get flamed for this, but I hope the male-female ratio doesn't change. Because my guts tell me things won't really get any better if guys ran the show.

So what you are saying is that gender ratios are relevant to the problem stated in the original post?

Specializes in 5 yrs OR, ASU Pre-Op 2 yr. ER.
Originally posted by hbscott

I think "Testoserone Tyranny" has better ring to it.

Better ring to whom?

Phrases like that, as i said, are only aggravating the existing problem.

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