Male nursing student with power?

[Eterrybe]

I'm new to this site and currently a year and a half away from my BSN. It seems with very few male nursing students we have so much power. In my clinical rotation we have 2 male students work the floor with 8 female students and everytime a question is to be asked it comes to the guys. If theres multiple people in the room the RN or MD will as me or my buddy not any of the girls every single time. Is it that they dont look trust worthy? I have asked other people throughout their classes and the women are noticing the same things. I don't know if it's just our class and the people that I've talked to or what. Not complaining though because I like being in charge but just seemed odd at first.

[slasher]

I agree limaRN. I hope I work with nurses like you.

[DatMurse]

So this is what it's like to be favored. Now I know what it's like to be the hot chick being favored by your teacher

[akulahawkRN, ADN, RN, EMT-P]

I'm a male nursing student. For the most part, I have not felt like I have been too badly singled out because I'm male. I mean that by physicians, residents, med-students, nurses (RN and LVN), and my instructors. What I have learned is that I do have to be somewhat careful and sensitive about my patient's cultural/religious views about having male caregivers. What works for me so far is to really be simply "nosy but nice" and also keeping an eye out for my other classmates. While I had to repeat a course, I took the positive view of things and taking all that knowledge and organizational skill I've picked up along the way, I have managed to stay ahead of the game, thus giving me some time to help people out and be available for those opportunities that come my way.

I've found that being a little assertive and very communicative helps greatly because it very much helps the nurses and my instructors know what I'm thinking. I'd have to say that being very communicative is what's helped ME the most. Another thing that us guys have to be VERY cognizant of is that we don't communicate in the same way that women do. While I'm not saying that we must emulate the women, we must be aware of the difference and be conscious about how we fit in with their group. If we were to emulate their dynamics entirely, we'd end up getting dragged into the world of female interpersonal politics.

Aside from being physically stronger, probably our one male attribute that may help group dynamics is that we don't tend to get into that stuff and in a "mixed" environment, we may even help improve things on the floor, simply with our presence. The same goes with the ladies going into a male-dominated environment.

As to why us guys are talked to more, especially in a nursing environment, there's a lot of studies that do show that we're "favored" all the time. It's doubly so in nursing because we have to be better prepared simply because we are going to be asked lots of questions and have to prove ourselves to be good nurses. It's that same dynamic that happens with the ladies in "our" typical work environments, just in "reverse."

And if you do have your stuff together, you'll get known as a knowledgeable nurse, male or female.

I don't have any illusions about having any "power" as a male. I have some very specific advantages and some very specific disadvantages as a male in nursing. So, that being said, Nurse-On!!!

[justashooter]

coming into nursing from an engineering background i must say that during clinicals i was among the better educated students both in general, and in terms of the human physiology and nursing/medical practice. my answers were consistently more in depth and complete than most of my fellow students, who were either much younger than me, or were coming out of less challenging careers. that was just the way it was. men typically take on bigger challenges than women, and typically advance in learning and practice due to the willingness to take risk.

yes virginia, men are different from women.

[FuturePsychNP]

I'm new to this site and currently a year and a half away from my BSN. It seems with very few male nursing students we have so much power. In my clinical rotation we have 2 male students work the floor with 8 female students and everytime a question is to be asked it comes to the guys. If theres multiple people in the room the RN or MD will as me or my buddy not any of the girls every single time. Is it that they dont look trust worthy? I have asked other people throughout their classes and the women are noticing the same things. I don't know if it's just our class and the people that I've talked to or what. Not complaining though because I like being in charge but just seemed odd at first.

You'll find that will perpetuate throughout your career. I got that in school, and I get it at work. Even after explaining that I'm a RN people still assume I'm a doctor. Male and female patients, staff, and doctors all for the most part have a sort of unconscious expectation from male nurses.

That "power" has both rewards and consequences. Use them wisely, grasshopper.