I believe we need a male nurses week

[Gr8Dane]

Because we should simply be celebrated for having our very presence on the floor lol! Just playing :)

But for real I think we do deserve our own week, lets look at what we do above and beyond:

Heavy lifts and always being asked to "assist" with lifting patients.

Dealing with the combative patients and family members.

Being given the heaviest groups because "were the men".

And many more

So my fellow male cohorts, ARE YOU WITH ME!?

[kwkrnc]

I'm glad to hear that you are 'kidding'. It needs to be made clear to everyone on staff that being make does not automatically include you in every heavy lift or anything else. If it makes you feel any better it has been my experience that the male nursess are immediatly treated with greater respect. And, if you look top down you will see that in the profession of nursing, despite the recent entrance of men, there is a disproportionate number of men in management. I am pleased to work with some fantastic male nurses who have also recognized that they are called on more for heavy lifts but they tend to lean on the women for foley's and oftentimes to help with a pt's psychosocial needs. The best advise I can offer is this--to have the greatest positive impact your group should be working as a team. I will also add that the influx of men into the profession is a good thing!

[Jiminocala]

Yes, and I want my front tooth fixed too. That would be the one that an alcoholic chipped with his fist at a previous hospital job. Just call me "Human Shield, RN, BSN"

[Connie Elder]

PLEASE give me a break. Male nurses needing a week of there own?! WHere in the heck do you work at? I have been in the medical field for 39 1/2 years, a nurse for 32 of those years. Male nurses don't get the heavier load. If that happens it's by the luck of the draw and not becasue you are a male. Give me a break will you?

[HippyGreenPeaceChick]

Right on Connie. I have not worked as long as you, in Fact you've been working longer than I have been alive. If anything there should be an older nurse week. You all have worked for it. You deserve it and you should be proud of it.

[feliz3]

Yes, I believe your statement is correct: male nurses deserve recognition. I am a female nursing student, but I recognize the importance of your statement as male nurses have given a positive contribution to the nursing profession, as well. I'll never forget a fellow student in my class, a male student, who wanted to be a nurse but he was having difficulties adjusting to the group dynamics which was female dominant. I spoke to him about the important contribution he could bring in to the profession as a male nurse. The day I spoke to him he was feeling discouraged because it was difficult for him dealing with the fact that he was a male in a female dominant field, and he felt like the "odd one out". I understood, his feelings, but I still insisted that his future contributions to the profession were more important that any personal issues he may have had over gender differences. He seemed to understand my view point, and relaxed enough to finish his rotation. However, he eventually withdrew from the nursing program. Since then, I have made a point to get along with everyone, avoid work/classroom politics over gender or sexual orientation issues. It hurt me to see my classmate go. I inquired to my classmates about him, and one of them flat out told me she did not care to talk about this particular male student. I felt like she slammed a door on my face with that answer. I was disappointed on my classmate for regardless the nursing student's gender he is a human being, and I was inquiring as for what happened to my fellow classmate who was not in class anymore. My classmates acted as if this male student had never been in the classroom with all of us trying to survive a tough nursing program! I will celebrate male nurses even if I am the only one who does it. feliz3

[HazeKomp, BSN, RN]

Sounds GREAT to me....

as long as we have a FEMALE nurses week, too! :wink2:

[SmilingBluEyes]

Glad you are joking because in all seriousness, we really don't need yet another "week" to celebrate. There is nurses week, hospital week, phlebotimist week, doctors' day, pharmacists' week, respiratory week, etc. Not to mention, some specialties have THEIR own week, as well, such as oncology or home health nursing. It's a lot already. And on my unit, we are all female so WE do our own heavy lifting, thank you! When we did have a man on the unit, it never crossed my mind to get him just because he was male, to do my lifting/moving FOR me. He had his own patient loads to cope with. Not all of us shift our heavier loads onto the men.

Men make amazing contributions to nursing and I am glad to see them entering in greater numbers. But not above and beyond those of their female counterparts, IMO.

[GALE SOWELL]

So you think female RNs don't handle heavy patients, ones who are upset, angry, or demented? Where have you been all my many years of nursing when I took care of it myself? I was a paramedic before I went to nursing school and I've always done it all. Why do you think you are so special, LPN?

Signed, long-time RN

[spenmom]

The best part of having male nurses is that they dilute the overabundance of estrogen in nursing. I can't say enough good about the male nurses I know. They stay out of the drama, they are fun to hang with, and they don't gossip or backstab. They are worth so much more than just "lifting heavy people." If given a choice, I would work with a male any time. I don't expect them to lift any more than I would lift, or do any unpleasant tasks that I wouldn't do myself. If it takes having an appreciation week for those nurses with Y chromosomes, I'm all for it. Tell me when you want to do it, and I'll get started organizing!!!! We can have beer, football, chicken wings, steaks, etc. The more males in nursing we have, the better our standing in the medical community.

GO GUYS!!!!!

Much love from a very happily married nurse, who thinks you Y-chromosome nurses are the best thing ever to happen to the profession!:heartbeat

[BellaDestiny]

LOL! you are too funny! on the psych ward, yes it was great to have someone who may be a bit stronger than myself, but never once did I back down and leave any coworker hanging...male or female! But, I'm still pleased that more males are getting into the field!

[feralnostalgia]

Maybe so, but those that get through inevitably end up getting the promotions...

there is a disproportionate number of men in management

I was kinda wondering if this would be the case. so sad how sexist society is. I hope I never get a promotion at the expense of a more qualified female candidate. (of course, I also don't really want to go into management either, though becoming a nurse practitioner and having more autonomy would be nice.)

I would hope that men working in traditionally female roles help break down gender stereotypes, and make everybody freer and more equal in the process. If men can be nurturers then women can be leaders and thinkers. it would just be sick if patriarchy and sexism has crept into something good and healthy like that. I wonder, does anyone know where there are statistics on comparative average rates of pay for men and women in nursing? I'd be very interested to see if those are equal or not.

However, he eventually withdrew from the nursing program. Since then, I have made a point to get along with everyone, avoid work/classroom politics over gender or sexual orientation issues.

it's good of you to be considerate like that. do you mean he quit because people kept incorrectly assuming he was gay? I've always wondered why the big strong straight guys freak out about this. I get assumed to be straight pretty much every day of my life and I never have a crisis over it...

could any guy who reads this do me a favor? if it bothers you to be assumed gay or feminine, but you try to respect gays and women as equals, could you really think about why you're bothered in the first place? is that an indication of real, deep respect?

I never hear of a professor with only a masters degree being bothered because people keep calling them "doctor." seems to me that people only get upset or put a lot of effort into correcting people when they're assumed to be something "beneath" them. not that there's anything wrong with being sensitive to straight guys, but maybe instead of putting lots of effort into convincing people a male in a traditionally female profession is still traditionally masculine (...), we could talk about how men, women, and everybody in between will benefit once we as a society stop trying to force everyone to fit into narrow little roles that were invented to keep macho straight men on top.

[SmilingBluEyes]

If you were to follow this logic, we would need a "Female Doctors' Week" as well.

How about unity, which so sorely is missing in nursing?