New name for nurses who are men

[midlife101]

New guy here.

I'm a 46 yr old single dad of 3 daugters (that accounts for some of what's wrong with my brain).

I've decided to take the plunge and start the prereqs at my local community college with the intent to become an RN...hence, my presence on this board.

In the last couple of weeks, since I've been here, I've read alot of threads about men in nursing and some of the stereotypes (real or imagined) that go along with the term "male nurse". I, myself, will admit to feeling a bit of a feminine connotation associated with the term, probably due to the association with "nurse" and breastfeeding.

It occurs to me that if we put our heads together, we should be able to come up with a better term that we could then quietly promote in our day to day activities.

We've already heard "murse", RN with prostate and some others but I'd like to hear other ideas too. I'll profer a couple of suggestions of my own to get things started:

RN-DG (RN - Differently Gendered)

RN-NSG (RN - Non Standard Genitals/Gender)

Well? Let's hear it folks (yes, you ladies too!)

[Anoetos, BSN, RN]

Tank Commander

[MrChicagoRN, RN]

New guy here.

In the last couple of weeks, since I've been here, I've read alot of threads about men in nursing and some of the stereotypes (real or imagined) that go along with the term "male nurse". I, myself, will admit to feeling a bit of a feminine connotation associated with the term, probably due to the association with "nurse" and breastfeeding.

RN-DG (RN - Differently Gendered)

RN-NSG (RN - Non Standard Genitals/Gender)

Differently gendered makes me think Trans-Gendered; and my genitals are definitely standard issue.

I am not a "male nurse."

Someone calls me that and I just reply "I am a Registered Nurse; and yes, I am a man."

Nurse is a noun or a verb from thefreedictionary.com

1. A person educated and trained to care for the sick or disabled.

2. a. A woman employed to take care of a child; a nursemaid.

b. A woman employed to suckle children other than her own; a wet nurse.

3. One that serves as a nurturing or fostering influence or means: "Town life is the nurse of civilization" (C.L.R. James).

So actually, 1 & 3 describes us all. #2 applies to women, but not any to any LPN or RN I ever met.

Why perpetuate differentiation?

I am not a White Nurse, not an Asian Nurse or a Black Nurse. Not a male nurse or a female nurse, neither gay nurse nor a straight nurse. I am a nurse.

[DavidFR, BSN, MSN, RN]

I've never actually had a problem with the legal title "nurse"

[JenniferSews]

What is wrong with just plain old nurse? It works for me, and it works well for my coworkers (both male or female.)

ETA- if "nurse" is too feminate and degrading, why not change the title for all nurses? Why should men be segragate as something different and possibly better while us woman are left with the "nursemaid" connotation?

[elkpark]

I worked 25 years ago with a colleague (RN) of the male persuasion who used to get asked a lot, "Oh, you're a male nurse?" To which he always replied, v. pleasantly, "No, I take care of females, too."

The only place I've ever encountered any discussion, in nearly 30 years of nursing, of males having a problem with the title "nurse" is on this site. And I've worked with lots of nurses-who-happened-to-be-male over the years (none of whom, BTW, have identified themselves as "male nurses" (or anything else that highlighted their gender), just nurses). I can't imagine why anyone would want to enter a particular occupation if they have that much of a problem with the established, standard title of the occupation. And I can't imagine wanting to have a special, separate title that would single (me) out from most of the rest of my colleagues within a particular occupation/profession.

Best wishes for your journey!

[workingharder]

I always liked the title, "Emperor".

[EricJRN, MSN, RN]

The division that is already present in nursing is actually one of its weaknesses. We have separation created by degree type, by license type, by specialty and by job role. At times, we spend so much time arguing over which nurses are best that we miss opportunities to improve the field for all of us.

What's worse, the average person doesn't care whether their "nurse" is a licensed nurse or an unlicensed allied health provider. John Q. Public has been so thoroughly confused by the array of titles and acronyms in nursing that it's gotten tiring just keeping up with all of us.

I work in a specialty where I am dramatically outnumbered by females. I enjoy bringing a unique perspective to the work and I don't mind the good-natured ribbing I sometimes get from the ladies at work. At the end of the day though, I think that most of us would rather fit in more than we stand out.

[agldragonRN]

i like the title nurse. i also don't mind being called male nurse.

"if it ain't broke, don't fix it"

[midlife101]

Ya'll are taking this way too seriously. Lighten up and forget it.

[RN1980]

i prefer the title "nurse commando"

[nurse2033, MSN, RN]

Dad, get over it. I've written this before but a real man can wear a tutu and still be a real man. I'm your age and have a similar life profile. No one cares you're a man. You take care of sick people, which is an awesome and lofty calling. Real men can be caring and sensitive. Just last year I cried when I hit my thumb with a hammer. We just need to rebrand the label with our manly awesomeness.