A little advice needed on male nursing

PacoUSA, BSN, RN · Aug 5, 2009

I just responded to a post that was waaaaaaaaay longer than yours, so by comparison yours was not long at all :) ... I think it is GREAT that you are considering going into the nursing profession @ 17 (I only WISH I was your age again, oh how I would do things so differently) ... I am not yet in nursing school, I am in the process of finishing my prerequisite coursework - so I will do my best to answer your questions based on this experience:

1) Is there a really bad Social stigma when you say oh I'm a nurse at XYZ? I don't know what you meant by this, a stigma by working at a particular hospital? There may be in some communities (one I could think of is Lincoln Hospital in New York's South Bronx which has a notorious reputation for being a bad hospital, and probably that's an understatement). Perhaps you meant a stigma for saying you're a nurse and you're a male? I'll let a male who is already a nurse answer that ... but in my case, telling people I am studying to be a nurse has been met with universal praise ... I'm happier to be pursuing this career than I have ever been.

2) What do you love/hate about nursing? Be brutally honest. Too early for me to answer this question, as I am in the honeymoon phase meaning everything I am doing to work towards my goal is all good :)

3) If you don't mind me asking: what was your rate from when you just graduated and what is it now (I was told RN nurses rates don't really change): Again, not a question for me, though I hear nurses make very good salaries especially in the major metropolitan areas. I am originally from NYC and intend on returning there soon enough.

4) What different places/jobs/departments have you worked as an RN and which did you like the best and why? I have not worked in a particular area, though I have identified that critical care (ICU and the like) is something that I would enjoy. Most men tend to gravitate towards these adrenaline-rush specialties but that does not mean you should too ... see what you like, and go with that!

5) Did you find it hard to find a nursing job? Pass. Don't know yet.

6) Do you find nursing work really hard in general? Pass. Don't know yet.

7) What got you into nursing? and did you major in something before you got into nursing? I have a BA in psychology and also have a law degree, so yes I am taking a big leap in career change. The funny thing is when I was your age I began college as a pre-med major and bombed my science classes my first semester. I then quickly changed my major thinking I lost all hope for a medical career. Little did I realize that my poor performance in those classes was not for lack of interest but because I just messed around a lot as an unfocused freshman. Now I know better (now aceing all my classes), and if I could go back 20 years I would do things very differently. Also, I did in fact have a passing desire for nursing back then, but not only was the science class experience a deterrent but during the time I started college (late 1980's) I felt very uncomfortable about going into a female-dominated profession and was afraid of how I was going to be perceived. That was stupid of course, but for that time I suppose it was something I was unable to overcome. These times are a bit different and in circumstances that arise similarly now, I am just a different person. I had always admired the health care field and wanted to get into it, it just took me a little longer to hear the calling.

Might I make one suggestion to you that I make to many others on here who want to enter nursing? Start volunteering @ a hospital! It's the best way for you to see nurses in action and figure out whether you will really like to do what they do. It also gets you into the hospital and interacting with patients, which is what you will be doing most of the time anyway. If you're not comfortable with patients, why be a nurse? I volunteer right now, and it's what I look forward to every week, more so than my non-nursing paid job (oh I am soooo dying to leave this field). You have to have a heart for nursing, don't be lured by the dollars -- that should be a benefit and not the main reason to enter the profession.

Good luck, my friend ... hope you end up making an informed decision either way!

P.S. OK, this response was longer than YOUR post ... I should be apologizing now :banghead: :chuckle

Mike A. Fungin RN · Aug 5, 2009

1) Is there a really bad Social stigma when you say oh I'm a nurse at XYZ?

I've only gotten positive responses when I introduce myself as a registered nurse. There are inaccurate and sometimes negative stereotypes about nurses and men in nursing, which I think has a lot to do with people not really knowing what we do, but it hasn't been an issue for me. If this is what you want to do, don't let a few narrow-minded people stop you.

2) What do you love/hate about nursing? Be brutally honest.

I love that I get to be a patient advocate. I get to coordinate care between myself, multiple physicians, and a collection of various other health professionals, while acting as the last line of defense/quality control to ensure patient safety. I also love that people trust me to help them through what are often some of the most difficult periods in their lives. It doesn't hurt either that I have a great schedule, work in a fast paced environment, work with technology, see something new almost everyday, and am pretty well compensated for doing it.

I don't "hate" anything about nursing, that is the truth. I think that the task complexity (caring for my patient while also completing various administrative tasks, interfacing with technology, and communicating with family and other providers) can be pretty daunting, especially as a new grad. Sometimes you just want to focus on the hands on and critical thinking with your patient, and that can be difficult at times.

3) If you don't mind me asking: what was your rate from when you just graduated and what is it now(I was told RN nurses rates don't really change)

The short answer is that I make just over $51 an hour.

Just so you can put that in context though, I'm a new graduate RN with less than a year of experience working 12-hour nights (that's 3 days a week) in the San Francisco Bay area. So, I earn a little extra for working nights (base salary is about $45) and also because nurses in the SF Bay area make more than they do in most parts of the country.

I get a salary hike pretty soon here too... so I'll end up making almost 100k before taxes in my first year as an RN. That's crazy.

4) What different places/jobs/departments have you worked as an RN and which did you like the best and why?

First let me tell you that you'll do rotations in various areas of nursing during school, so don't sweat it right now if you're not sure what you'd like to do. A lot of people end up changing their minds in school anyways, because they're exposed to something they like better.

That said, in nursing school I had exposure to mental health nursing, medical/surgical, critical care, pediatrics, oncology, labor/delivery/postpartum, and community health. I liked critical care the most because it's where I felt the most challenged and also where I thought I could make the biggest difference by working with the "sickest of the sick".

5) Did you find it hard to find a nursing job?

Most new grad RNs are having a profoundly difficult time finding work right now, especially here in the Bay Area, but that will change in time.

Because of that, I hesitate to say this... but I found it easy to find a nursing job. I only applied to one position, my first choice hospital/unit, and got the position. That had a lot to do though with my having precepted there and building a good reputation for myself with the right people.

6) Do you find nursing work really hard in general?

In my opinion it's even harder than firefighting... well, not wildland firefighting... but you get the idea. It's a challenge mentally, physically, and emotionally, but it's doable, and the rewards are incredible.

7) What got you into nursing? and did you major in something before you got into nursing?

I had a prior associate of science degree in fire technology and worked in that field (fire/rescue & EMS) for just over five years before deciding to pursue nursing. What initially drew me to nursing was a love of prehospital emergency care (I wanted to pursue flight nursing), the schedule, the salary, and also that there would be many different areas of nursing to change to if I ever got bored. If that's what got me into nursing though, what has kept me here has been the opportunity to be a patient advocate/coordinator of care (you don't really get that anywhere else), the interactions I have with patients and their loved ones, and an intense interest in critical care nursing.

Also any other constructive comments or advice that you could give me would be greatly appreciated. I really want to thank you for taking the time to read and respond to this post.

If you could volunteer at a hospital or find a nurse who would be willing/able to let you shadow him, I think that would be the best way for you to assess whether or not this is for you. Good luck, and don't let "being a guy" discourage you from pursuing nursing at all.

plowboy911 · Aug 5, 2009

1) Is there a really bad Social stigma when you say oh I'm a nurse at XYZ?

No, not really. Most people are surprised i'm doing it.

2) What do you love/hate about nursing? Be brutally honest.

Your rate/expense, whatever you want to call it, that the hospital bills the patient is included in the room cost, along with house cleaning. Punching the clock. Working weekends, holidays, etc. Dealing with families who take out their frustration on you because they missed the dr that comes in at 6am.

3) If you don't mind me asking: what was your rate from when you just graduated and what is it now(I was told RN nurses rates don't really change)

Low $20s per hour to low $30s per hour now. The only nurses I know making >$75K a year work A LOT more than 3 days a week.

4) What different places/jobs/departments have you worked as an RN and which did you like the best and why?

Tele, ER, PACU. I like PACU as it's just me and the patients. Many thank me when they are leaving because I helped make them comfortable.

5) Did you find it hard to find a nursing job?

Nope.

6) Do you find nursing work really hard in general?

Hardest job i've ever done on many levels. Bucking 1000 bales of hay in a day is cake compared to a busy day on the tele floor.

7) What got you into nursing? and did you major in something before you got into nursing?

Accounting to nursing. Wanted to do something that mattered at the end of the day.

I recommend that you and anyone considering nursing to shadow and talk to as many people as you can. It's not what a lot of people think it is. You are not practicing medicine. You follow orders and learn when to raise your hand (eg. when things are going bad). Weekends, holidays, long hours, thick skin and hard work are required for often little pay. Not trying to discourage you--I just like to be honest.

undergradevan · Aug 6, 2009

@Paco386: Yes I meant a stigma against male nurses but now actually most people that i've talked about it with seem to be pretty cool about it. I've also heard nyc/Westchester area treats it's nurses well in terms of pay and there are big amount of opportunities around there as well. So that sounds good to me. Oh and haha I guess you are right it your post was longer than mine.

@Mike A. Fungin RN: Yeah i loved what you said about what you loved about nursing. That sounds awesome. What really got me is the new exciting day everyday and that inspires me.

@plowboy911: thanks for that and no its not totally discouranging just more informative and something I do need to here...get all the facts. I'm talking with some nurses now and seeing if i can take a day and just see what goes on at the hospital.

Thanks for all the help. I got a lot of information here and from friends about this and I still have to look at everything before I do anything. I mean there was even something i've never heard about Nursing informatics that I was told about today that do nursing and write codes for hospitals systems etc. Which I also found pretty interesting. Haha my mind is buzzing with all these ideas and decisions I'm just going to go to bed now.