Re: Male Nurse Demand?

Originally Posted by Cul2

Should there be a demand for more male nurses? How about these possible answers to that question.

Yes

Because any workforced that becomes dominated by one gender is not a healthy workforce.
Because a gender diversity in a workforce is a good thing.
Because some male patients would prefer a male nurse, especially for more private procedures -- just as some
female patients prefer female nurses. Right now that doesn't happen a good part of the time.
Because, generally, right now males in nurses are still novelities, they are merely tokens. Just look at the stats
of how many males and females in nursing.
Because when little boys and little girls go to hospitals or clinics or see advertisements about nursing, they're not stupid. They see the gender imbalance. But they don't see it as an imbalance. They see it as how things are and should be. The message to children is still that nurses are women.
Because if we really believe in gender equity than we should really practice gender equity.
Because the subtle, hidden message that comes out of nursing is that women are better suited as nurses. Is that true? If so, let's just say it openly and be done with the debate.
Because to open fields dominated by men, brave, couragous women political and social activists had to fight. It just didn't happen. It took political work, sometimes lawsuits. It took affirmative action and quotas. It took special incentives, including grants and awards to help women. That may be necessary in nursing.
Because we wouldn't accept it today if 95 percent of doctors were men, would we? Why should we accept that 95 percent of nurses are women.
If, as Roy says, our chromosomes don't matter, then let's spread the chromosomes around a little.
Because fair is fair. Women in male dominated work forces have added so much good to society. Males will do the same thing in female dominated workforces like nursing.
These comments are in no way mean to disparage the wonderful female nurses (and male nurse) in the field. But the data is in. Diverse workforces, gender-wise, are a good thing. Single-gender workforces tend to promote single-gender thinking, biases, prejudices, etc. Women and men have their differences. Let the differences work together to produce better solutions to the many problems healthcare is facing today.

great points. Male or female, a person should be judged on skill, period. Same hurdles goes for women in male-dominated professions, such as the military. The struggle will always be there for women, in my honest opinion. I personally dealt with that in the military, and it's a tough struggle. It's a fact that judgment is passed based on appearance and gender, and unfortunately, the image is still out there of a female with her hat and in a white dress. Ala Florence Nightengale. Sad, but true. I say we change the word "nurse" to something more neutral...... don't know what - maybe "RN," but sometimes people need an explanation of that - something easily identifiable. Who knows.

Re: Male Nurse Demand?

On a lighter note, anywhere there is a 400 lb patient in need of lifting, there will be a demand for said "male" nurse(s) lol!

Re: Male Nurse Demand?

lol, i bet

Re: Male Nurse Demand?

At my hospital the DON is a male, the ICU NM is a male, there are male nurses in the ICU and ER and my night charge nurse is male. I am liking this hospital better and better everyday!

Re: Male Nurse Demand?

I think nursing needs more male nurses, especially when it comes down to salary. In the UK, police officers, fire fighters, and even prison officers, that have never stepped into any sort of college, start off at a higher salary than Registered Nurses that have obtained a 3 year diploma or higher. The only reason that I can of why that is such, is that there are not enough men in nursing.

Re: Male Nurse Demand?

The comment above about needing a heavy patient lifted made me chuckle. I have heard that from so many nurses "Oh they are gonnaa love you...when a bariatric patient comes in". lol I just hope my back holds out since that seems to be my one defining quality to many of my instructors. One other ace in the hole we men have are the asinine, sexist, jerk Doctors. There are not as many out there as there once were but enough still are. On the unit I was a tech a Doctor would come up to our unit and completely ignore all the female nurses request, questions, and statements. I would go over, call the doctor by his first name (and yes I did this as a point of derision for how he treated the team I worked with) and say the exact same thing the nurses said to him...and now he is all interested and taking notes and writting out orders for tx...becuase a lowly male tech spoke to him in a familier fashion. Now this is not par for the course..i have seen many many strong willed female nurses advocate for their patients so forcefully I have seen Doctors leave the floor shaking and pale...but Since men in nursing are still a bit of a novelty I think some Doctors don't know what to think of us...they are abit slower to dismiss us and a bit quicker to listen. Please note..I am not advocating this behavior on the part of doctors...and i dont care if he see's me as a "man"...I want to be seen as a competent nurse who is to be listened to if I say a patient is in need.

Re: Male Nurse Demand?

I live in a primarily Rural State and right now most of our major hospitals will take male RN's over the females for the simple fact is that most of the older patints will not give a male nurse as much "guff" as they will a female. This is not intended to mean that the females can't do the job just that most of the old "farmers" know enough to harrass the girls.

Re: Male Nurse Demand?

I can understand that.

Re: Male Nurse Demand?

Originally Posted by pinfinity

On a lighter note, anywhere there is a 400 lb patient in need of lifting, there will be a demand for said "male" nurse(s) lol!

Which is why I am looking to enter neonatal, no heavy lifting there ... of course, that's not the only reason I am going into that specialty, though granted it's a nice bonus!