I have trouble admitting that I will be a nurse

Tweety, BSN, RN · Mar 21, 2007

There's a negative view of male nurses?? Someone forgot to tell me that one. :)

It's good that you're being honest with yourself. The reasons you state shouldn't stop you from becoming a nurse. Keep your eye on your goals and everything will fall into place. Soon you'll be comfortable with yourself and being a nursing student and telling others you want to be a nurse. If you get a negative reaction, so be it. Their opinion of you is none of your business and you shouldn't base your worth from what people judge you as.

Oh and being nervous and apprehensive and doubting yourself is very normal. I felt that way every day for the entire time I was in school and the first year afterwards. LOL :)

Good luck.

Psqrd · Mar 21, 2007

I will be starting accelerated BSN program in 2 months. I have some anxiety about starting school partly because I'm leaving a good career and also I feel a little embarassed about being a nurse. Actually, embarassed is not the right word, I'm little apprehensive about the nursing field due to the fact that I don't really know what it would be like working in an all female dominated field. Also, threads like "why male nurses are looked down on?" doesn't help elleviate my anxiety (which I have stayed away from). I keep asking myself if this is the right choice especially because I'm making a huge financial investment. I ultimately want to go onto a CRNA program. However, I still need to go through nursing school and be a bedside nurse for a while. Anyway, I'm mostly excited about starting school, but I little apprehensive too. Has anybody else felt like this before starting school? Please tell me that this is normal. Thanks.

I am a second semester male student in an ADN program, I have to tell you that I have received nothing but positive comments from both male and female nurses. The one thing that I look up to in nurses of either sex is knowledge. I have been fortunate to have worked with some very sharp nurses in my healthcare career (20 years prior to RN school). What I have learned is that, if you can dispense your care with knowledge, compassion, and confidence; no one will care what sex you are.

P

Myxel67 · Mar 21, 2007

Why have you chosen to leave your good career? Are you looking for more opportunity? Do you know nurses who have already completed the education for CRNA and are working in the field? I ask these questions because when I was in nursing school, just about everyone talked about wanting to be a CRNA. Ultimately, I know one nurse who completed the program which she described as grueling and intense.

Generally, it seems that men in nursing are immune, or at least resistant to many of the issues that confront women. I have never seen a doctor yell or talk condescendingly to a male nurse.

Take stock and make sure you are making the right move for the right reasons.

NurseguyFL · Mar 23, 2007

Its important to be honest with yourself about your reasons for wanting to go into nursing in the first place. If you're doing it just to become a CRNA then you probably won't enjoy some of your pre-CRNA clinical experiences. But, if you go in with the mindset to learn as much as you can and to become really good at it, then you shouldn't be surprised to find that working with female nurses isn't really all that different from working with females in any other workplace setting.

Male nurses are not looked down on. I've never seen that anywhere. I read that thread, and the OP didn't give any information to substantiate his/her argument.

Soup Turtle · Mar 23, 2007

I've got one word for you- confidence! It's appealing. Self doubt and embarassment are not. If nursing is you, stand up and say it is. No matter what you do in life, there will people looking down on you. Unfortunately, that's just the way some people are.

Dallas_RN, BSN, EMT-P · Mar 25, 2007

When people ask I tell them

"'Im an Emergency Room R.N." rather than saying "I'm a nurse.". One it avoids possible embarrassment, and two it lets them know what type of "nurse" you are.

I have to say I have YET to meet one attractive female that has made any negative comments about what I do. People in general have great respect for nurses no matter the gender.

On the brightside the Female:Male ratio is GREAT for single/straight male R.N's.

NurseguyFL · Mar 25, 2007

When people ask I tell them
"'m a Emergency Room R.N." rather than saying I'm a nurse.". One it avoids possible embarrassment, and two it lets them know what type of "nurse" you are.
I have to say I have YET to meet one attractive female that has made any negative comments about what I do. People in general have great respect for nurses no matter the gender.
On the brightside the Female:Male ratio is GREAT for single/straight male R.N's.

Corey, are you saying that some people are more accepting of male nurses who work in the ER as opposed to those who work in other areas of nursing? I have no evidence to dispute this, but I doubt it anyway.

As for the ratios, it depends. You could find yourself working in an environment with many female nurses who are not attractive (to you), or not single, or not looking for relationships.

Dallas_RN, BSN, EMT-P · Mar 25, 2007

Corey, are you saying that some people are more accepting of male nurses who work in the ER as opposed to those who work in other areas of nursing? I have no evidence to dispute this, but I doubt it anyway.
As for the ratios, it depends. You could find yourself working in an environment with many female nurses who are not attractive (to you), or not single, or not looking for relationships.

It's hard for me to say really, I've never worked on the floor so have no personal experence to compare. E.R./ICU is more intriguing to most people so maybe it's less of an issue in that area, I have no clue.

Very true, just making the point that being the minority is not always a bad thing.

NurseguyFL · Mar 25, 2007

It's hard for me to say really, I've never worked on the floor so have no personal experence to compare. E.R./ICU is more intriguing to most people so maybe it's less of an issue in that area, I have no clue.
Very true, just making the point that being the minority is not always a bad thing.

On second thought, there may be some truth in what you said about some male nurses having a preference for ER and ICU. I've been thinking about this and it seems you're right that more guys seem to be working in those areas than elsewhere.

FlyMurse, BSN, RN · Mar 28, 2007

I know exactly how you feel. It's that time in High school where everyone's making their plans and asks "what are you doing?" so I tell them Nursing. I haven't gotten a negative reaction yet, but I still have trouble saying that "N" word! (NURSING!)

Scrubz · Mar 28, 2007

I will be starting accelerated BSN program in 2 months. I have some anxiety about starting school partly because I'm leaving a good career and also I feel a little embarassed about being a nurse. Actually, embarassed is not the right word, I'm little apprehensive about the nursing field due to the fact that I don't really know what it would be like working in an all female dominated field. Also, threads like "why male nurses are looked down on?" doesn't help elleviate my anxiety (which I have stayed away from). I keep asking myself if this is the right choice especially because I'm making a huge financial investment. I ultimately want to go onto a CRNA program. However, I still need to go through nursing school and be a bedside nurse for a while. Anyway, I'm mostly excited about starting school, but I little apprehensive too. Has anybody else felt like this before starting school? Please tell me that this is normal. Thanks.

How much thought have you put into this decision? From what I've seen before, it's not a good idea to want to be a CRNA and look at becoming an RN first as something that "has to be done" to get there. It sounds like your view of the whole picture is a little blurry.