men in pediatrics:) thoughts?

Nurses Men

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Hello! I'm Hayden, new to the site. I'm nineteen and plan on graduating with my RN in three years. I'm sure clinicals will make or break my decision but I have been attracted to pediatrics and neonatal since I sought out nursing. I've always had a passion for children even since I was a kid I loved babies lol initially I started college in elementary education. I have some questions though. Will it be easy to get a job in pediatrics as a male nurse? And if you're a male, how does the public perceive you as a nurse?

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Specializes in Home Health (PDN), Camp Nursing.

In my five years of pediatric home are it has only slowed me down a few times. Some clients or their parents don't want a male nurse, however they are only a small percentage of the work pool. I have no clue what the public thinks of me...never much cared, I just do my job the best I can.

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Specializes in Skilled Nursing/Rehab.

Hayden - I am not a nurse yet... I work as an aide at a hospital while attending nursing school. However, I used to be a teacher for 9 years... In the K-12 education world, men were considered a real asset to a school, especially an elementary school, because many children today lack positive male role models. Depending where you work, this may be the case on a Peds unit, as well! For a sick child, a nurse can be a great comfort, inspiration and role model.

I work on a Rehab/Skilled unit, and every now and then we have patients request not to have a male caregiver, but there are always plenty of female aides/nurses to help in this situation, and no one here gets upset about it. Here are some examples of who requested female caregivers: 1) Older ladies (80+ y/o) who felt self conscious with a man, 2) a middle-eastern man with religious reservations, 3) some older men who are more comfortable w/ female caregivers.

As far as parents asking for this for their kids, there may be a few, but probably not that many. I used to teach middle school kids (ages 11-14) and I'll bet boys that age would be MORE comfortable with a male caregiver!

Anyway, these are my thoughts... I would NOT be worried or discouraged about this. If you have a heart for children and for healthcare, I think those are the important things. I work with quite a few male nurses and they are fabulous at their jobs. The little old ladies especially love them! ;)

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Specializes in Gerontological, cardiac, med-surg, peds.

I am a clinical instructor on a very busy pediatric stepdown unit. There are several male nurses on this unit, with one or two in management. Some of my male nursing students have gone into pediatrics or the neonatal intensive care unit upon graduation and have been very satisfied with their career decisions.

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Hi Hayden,

I work in pediatric home care. Male nurses get a mixed review from clients. However, in home care it is important to have "good rapport" with the client. The clients with our agency are from newborn on up to 18 years of age. Our office in Des Moines, IA has a male nurse and he has received rave reviews from the families he has worked with. We have clients who are pre-teen or teenagers as well. Sometimes a male nurse for a male client is a better fit than a female nurse. Personally, I would not hesitate to hire a male nurse for our clients. The position is based off of your credentials and background, not your gender. I think you will not have a problem finding a position. FYI: Home care might be a good place to start.

Tammy, RN CLNC

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Hayden,

I've been a PICU RN for over 5 years and I can't imagine myself being anywhere else. I rarely run into problems being a male nurse. My hospital has a lot of Muslim patients and we always arrange care with the family to avoid problems. We usually have a way of notifying the mother or other family members that a male is about to enter so that she could cover her hair/head.

My only annoyance is when families and patients refer to me as the doctor even though they know I am a nurse.

Male nurses are definitely needed in peds. For example, often times we are able to connect with fathers better than female nurses.

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Im a new nursing student coming from an elementary education career! The public loves male teachers in the early grades because so many of these children don't have a good father or male figure in their life! Some don't have one till highschool! I'm not sure about peds because I'm not a nurse yet, but I think it's great that you have that interest!

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Specializes in Nursing Professional Development.

I've worked with many men in peds and/or NICU. The person who established the National Association of Neonatal Nurses was (is) a man (Chuck Rait) ... as was the person who succeeded him as president of the organization (Tracy Karp). Chuck also established the Academy of Neonatal Nursing and the journal "Neonatal Network." While men are the minority in neonatal nursing, they have been well-accepted.

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Specializes in NICU, ICU, PICU, Academia.

I work with several guys in PICU and general peds. They bring a little something to the mix that women cannot. They are all excellent nurses. And the nice thing for a man in peds (from my point of view) is that you will NOT be looked upon as muscle for lifting and turning- our patients are- for the most part- pretty small.

Will you have trouble getting hired as a man in peds? You shouldn't.

Will you have an easier time getting hired as a man? Ummm...... don't go there.

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As a RN, for 8 years, I have something to say on this. I believe there's strength in numbers (so the more people telling you this, the better). There is absolutely no problem with a male in peds. If someone thinks it is a problem, they are the ones with issues. Nurses are sophistocated scientific professionals, and a nurse's skill set can be applied to any nursing situation.

I remember years ago, meeting a doctor in my maternity clinical. He told me he always loved maternity, and was a nurse in the specialty prior to becoming a MD.

Good luck! I'm sure the kids will be lucky to have you if your dedicated, you think critically, and you like what you do.

Josef, RN-BC

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Specializes in L&D, OBED, NICU, Lactation.

I've been a NICU nurse (primarily) for 7 years with time spent in the well-baby nursery, pediatrics, and school nursing. I'm also certified as a lactation counselor. The biggest factor for success as a male in certain areas is the way you carry and present yourself. Things you do, for better or worse, will be noticed. I've found that fathers have loved it when another guy teaches them how to handle and care for their child, it's a completely different dynamic. I do have to correct people sometimes and tell them that I am not the doctor, but I normally just introduce myself and say "hi I'm NICUguy, I'm your son/daughter's nurse for the shift." In the words of Barney Stinson, "just be awesome."

I work with several guys in PICU and general peds. They bring a little something to the mix that women cannot. They are all excellent nurses. And the nice thing for a man in peds (from my point of view) is that you will NOT be looked upon as muscle for lifting and turning- our patients are- for the most part- pretty small.

Will you have trouble getting hired as a man in peds? You shouldn't.

Will you have an easier time getting hired as a man? Ummm...... don't go there.

meanmaryjean, why shouldn't we go there? Hiring a more diverse group is part of nearly every organization's mission, why shouldn't that include improving the gender balance as well?

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Specializes in NICU, ICU, PICU, Academia.

Who should be hired is the best nurse for the job, not the nurse most likely to achieve gender balance.

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