Good Evening, Doctor!

At the beginning of every school year, I assign my junior high students to draw two pictures - one of a physician and the other of a nurse. See, there's a purpose to this; it helps illustrate the concept of a stereotype and use it to rid the horrible reputation that the science subject has.

As expected, the drawings have many commonalities. As some of you might imagine, the physician is an old, white, oversized, bald male wearing a lab coat and glasses, with a stethoscope around his neck.

The nurse is a young, short-haired, relatively thin lady wearing a skirt, tennis shoes, nurses' hat with a red cross on it and holding a thermometer.

I then show them pictures of the reality - physicians and nurses come in many different sizes, shapes, colors, ages, religions, genders, sexual orientations, et cetera. Throughout the year, my students enjoy many different activities that demonstrate how fun science can be, as opposed to difficult, nerdy, and boring!

Is the media contributing or defusing the nurse stereotype?

When we hear about the homosexual gentleman in "Will and Grace," the doctor's mistress in "Ciderhouse Rules," and an disapproved future groom in "Meet the Parents" as being nurses, the stereotype continues. I find myself defending the dignity of the male nurse often since I learned that I have been accepted into nursing school. Finally, a dream came true, and am truly blessed to be given the opportunity to fulfill my purpose in this life. However, the fight continues.

As a Mexican-American future nurse, I explain to "machos" that the nursing profession is not "only womens' work" anymore. Times have changed. Gender preferred jobs are a thing of the past.

You know what we need?

A nurses reality TV show to portray the lives of the "real" nurses that work very hard every day to save peoples' lives and treat the sick.

When I was a CNA a few years ago at a local nursing home, a recurring situation happened frequently. "Good evening, doctor," some of the residents would say. "Good evening, ma'am, but I'm a nurses' aide and not a doctor. It's time to take a walk." As we would walk, the conversation would change to why I wasn't a doctor and why I wouldn't become one. The answer is simple - I want to believe that every nurse, male or female, are doing what their lives' purpose calls for. That is what I am doing. There is no other explanation. I just know. Whether the stereotype continues or defuses, I will be the nurse that patients may rely on. How about you?