Out with "Nurse" In with...?

Nurses General Nursing

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It's time to change the term "nurse." It doesn't fit with the male image of nursing, and more and more men are coming into the field of nursing. I just can't think of another term. Our vocabulary just doesn't seem to have another term that would fit both sexes.

"Medic" doesn't work, because it has a military connotation and medics are more like EMTs or paramedics, and nursing is far more than a medic. We provide the care people need when they are sick.

"Caregiver", though, sounds like a volunteer or a family member.

"Registered Healthcare Provider" sounds like an MD, or an insurance company.

"Registerd Medical Technician" is not a professional status. Technicians do tasks; nurses assess and make care plans based on their findings. Not to mention, patient education, care coordination, and supervision of, in fact, med techs.

Anyone have any good ideas? I'm sure the elderly female nurses at the ANA would welcome our suggestions with open arms! :rotfl:

The Veridican

I believe the name "nurse" should stay, but we should change the image of nursing to the public.... There are nights in the ED that there is 8 Male nurses, LVNs and RNs. I can understand what the poster has stated. When I got out of school, it sounded so wierd to have a patient call me nurse. In actuality thats what I am a Registered Nurse! I have debated on going to PA school or FNP school, and when I think about it a I have worked really hard to obtain that "nurse" status.

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I guess I don't think of the term "nurse" as gender specific.

I am, however, working my fanny off to get an RN after my name, with all that title implies. Nope, nope, I wouldn't want to see it changed.

I agree. I mean, the word "nurse" in English means lots of things: breastfeeder, babysitter; it can even mean a member of an insect society that belongs to the worker cast and takes care of the young.

However, worldwide, the term "registered nurse" means only one thing. It is and will always be the other side of the healthcare coin (MD/RN). And as I said in the o.p., our language does not have another term for registered nurse.

Veridican

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Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.
Well, since you ask, all of nursing is really a "male" endeavor. It's heavy, it requires scientific thinking, decision making, accountability, and these kind of traits are traditionally found in male dominated occupations.

I believe, in fact, that nursing started out as a male profession, but it reversed around the time of the Civil War (Please correct me if I am wrong.)

So, the male image of nursing would be the original image of nursing. :rolleyes:

I get you now. Another one for persisting w/gender stereotyping and issues. Another way to divide an already very polarized group such as nursing.

Ok I will sit this one out and see what others say. "Nursing" is NOT a simply "male" or "female" pursuit an this may be news to YOU, but scientific and critical thinking are NOT limited to the male domain or mind. I am not feeding this one another bite. :angryfire

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I get you now. Another one for persisting w/gender stereotyping and issues. Another way to divide an already very polarized group such as nursing.

Ok I will sit this one out and see what others say. "Nursing" is NOT a simply "male" or "female" pursuit an this may be news to YOU, but scientific and critical thinking are NOT limited to the male domain or mind. I am not feeding this one another bite. :angryfire

It just strikes me as unusual that nursing would be a female dominated occupation, given what is required of a registered nurse. Obviously there are mostly female RNs, so obviously females are as capable as males in things such as scientific thinking, decision making, accountability, and apparently they have the physical strength that is required. That's my testimony to the facts.

It is you who wants the polarization, not I.

What is interesting is that there are so few men in nursing. Apparently, men are raised to consider "caring" for another human being as a kind of weakness--and yet it takes so much strength to do it properly.

Men respect Jesus Christ and then look at nursing as if "only a girl" would do it.

Veridican

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

never mind. I said I would not feed this one, and I mean to stand by those words. :) . OH and Veridican would be pertaining to "Truth" right? Iguess that would depend on perspective as to what that "truth" really is.

Meanwhile, Have a very pleasant day. :)

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"Nursing" and "Medicine" are two different disciplines and models of healthcare delivery. Not all laypeople, well, in fact, not all healthcare providers, "get" this, but getting the point across would be even more difficult if we used a different title, especially something like "Medic" or what-have-you which implies not only (a) a medical model but (b) subservience to MD's. Just my $0.02.

Latin, "nutricius", from which nutrix, nutricia, nurse, means "that which nourishes", by extension, tending to, i.e. doing patient care. That's what we're about. Patient care.

And I'm male, BTW. I have no problem with the term "nurse."

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"Nursing" and "Medicine" are two different disciplines and models of healthcare delivery. Not all laypeople, well, in fact, not all healthcare providers, "get" this, but getting the point across would be even more difficult if we used a different title, especially something like "Medic" or what-have-you which implies not only (a) a medical model but (b) subservience to MD's. Just my $0.02.

Latin, "nutricius", from which nutrix, nutricia, nurse, means "that which nourishes", by extension, tending to, i.e. doing patient care. That's what we're about. Patient care.

And I'm male, BTW. I have no problem with the term "nurse."

Dittos 100%. I can't think of another term that doesn't mix the two professions (a mixing which I abhor) or doesn't, in some way, under-define what a nurse is and does. And, really, given the Latin root as you have shown, the idea that a nurse is only a "breastfeeder" or some such thing, would be as offensive to women (even more so, perhaps) as it would be to men.

And, I suppose I have raised a somewhat moot point anyway. The whole world knows what a registered nurse is--there is no confusion. I rarely encounter a pt that is tickled by the idea of a male nurse (save those precious few with wives who look just a little too much like themselves that crawl out of the backwoods of the county and say proudly things like: I's never gonna let a male nurse gimme a bat.)

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Specializes in Inpatient Acute Rehab.
What is the "male image of nursing" as you see it? Just curious.

I'm curious too. What do you see the image of a nurse as? I hesitate to use the term male nurse because, in my eyes a nurse is a nurse, regardless of their gender.

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How about 'OY YOU THERE'

:roll

Down here in the South it would have to be "Hey, y'all!"

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Specializes in RN, BSN, CHDN.
Down here in the South it would have to be "Hey, y'all!"

Lol :rotfl:

Yo would be good too.

Lets be serious for a min, what on earth is the big problem with the word 'NURSE' in my experience most patients call you by your first name now. It seems to me that the male members of the'nursing' (should we change he word nursing too) population have nothing better to do than moan about the female word NURSE. Worry more about more serious issues like being called incompetent that would be worse.

Or we could say here is the MAN nurse in case the patients dont notice the nurse is male. And here is the Woman nurse

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Specializes in Rodeo Nursing (Neuro).
we can reverse it to "yo" and have it work out ok. :rotfl:

thanks for clearing that upicon7.gif

as far as the origins of the word "nurse", google "male lactation."

we can do (almost) anything the gals can. just sometimes not as well.

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Specializes in Critical Care/ICU.
It just strikes me as unusual that nursing would be a female dominated occupation, given what is required of a registered nurse. Obviously there are mostly female RNs, so obviously females are as capable as males in things such as scientific thinking, decision making, accountability, and apparently they have the physical strength that is required.

What is interesting is that there are so few men in nursing.

It just strikes me as unusual that nursing would be an occupation interesting to men. Obviously there are some male RNs, so obviously males are as capable as females in things such as scientific thinking, decision making, accountability. I mean after all, some men do have the physical strength that is required.

What is interesting is that there are so many women in nursing.

Now doesn't that just sound silly? You may not realize it, but your comments are extremely sexist and yes, polarizing. Not necessarily polarizing of nurses according to the responses from men to this thread, but polarizing between the male and female genders.

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