Advantages to being a male nurse

TheSquire, DNP, APRN, NP · Jan 26, 2010

Just because we are on average stronger, or at least taller and have better leverage, does not mean we should act as human forklifts. I don't want to be an orthopedic patient by the time I'm 30.

Rednights · Jan 26, 2010

a. as stated above, my experience has been that employers prefer male nurses
why? it's basically all about money to employers

This is one stereotype I hope can land me a job even as a new grad ... well I wouldn't call it stereotype as more of discrimination o_O ...

Anoetos, BSN, RN · Jan 28, 2010

No question...this potential discrimination bothers me intellectually, but I am certainly going to take advantage of it if I can. Then again, I can reason myself through it. For a long time women didn't really become firefighters or police, and then, when they did, departments started establishing what I guess you'd have to call quotas for them. In some cases physical requirements in academies being relaxed for female cadets.

We're certainly not getting anything relaxed for us, but I certainly appreciate the leg up...or I will if I get it.

Dude, excellent, candid overview btw.

b0rea1is · Feb 23, 2010

I'm an STNA and a nursing student. The physical advantages are a huge benefit for me. I generally don't have problems ambulating residents nor do I worry at all about dropping them. However, they do stick me on more physically-demanding assignments, and help from female staff (esp Nurses) is hard to get. The 350 lb man who falls on the floor and is too heavy for the lift, is only ever going to be lifted by the few males who happen to be lurk about. However, there are some female nurses where I work who are much stronger than me. They are also on average a good 3 or 4 inches taller than me.

About the stereotypes, I have had my sexual preference called into question on a number of occasions. It is usually asked by angry and confused residents who don't particularly like healthcare professionals anyway. My way around this: don't talk with a lisp or wear tight-fitting scrubs or scrubs with decorations on them. I'll admit I'm not as smart as a doctor, even if I have a 3.9 GPA. I know lots of doctors personally, and us normal folk shouldn't even compare ourselves with them. Nursing is not a calling, it's a vocation! In recent years, Johnson & Johnson has done a great job promoting the nursing profession. It definitely takes a certain person to want to pursue a nursing career. However, I don't see it as some divine partnership with God to serve humanity nor would I even put it into the ministry category. Womanizing? I can certainly see how people could come up with that. But I don't think the womanizers would last long in the nursing profession. I know that the female nurses I work with would not put up with that crap at all.

Overall, I think we hold some advantages. But a lot of the innate nursing characteristics come naturally with the female nurses. On average, they are more caring and empathetic than I could ever hope to be.

313RN, BSN, RN · Feb 23, 2010

1. NURSING SCHOOL
a. some schools give males more ranking pts for admission, just because you're a guy (they want more guys)
c. you will see some female students really struggle with some of the physical demands (moving patients, etc), not as much of a problem for most guys (we are stronger). one less thing a guy student has to worry about during labs/clinicals
2. EMPLOYMENT
a. as stated above, my experience has been that employers prefer male nurses
why? it's basically all about money to employers
III. males in general are stronger, we can do more (aka the human forklift)
IV. relates to the strength thing again, less employee lifting/moving injuries and patient injuries (don't drop a patient)
3. STEREOTYPES OF MALE NURSES
a. gay, if you're gay great, if not get over it if someone thinks you're gay just because you're a nurse
I. most of the "are you gay" stuff i've run into, is either from a gay guy asking me or a women as her subtle way of saying i'm ok in her eyes, either way it's flattering
d. you're a doc (just because i'm a male taking care of patients doesn't mean i'm a doc, i just play one on tv, lol)

No offense taken at all Dude. But I thought I'd chime in on the stuff that I have experience with-

As far as I know my school had no preference for male applicants. MY class was about 20% male. However I was, for the first and probably last time, able to apply for and recieve a substantial minority student scholarship because I'm a white male.

I don't know if the female students I worked with struggled any more than I did. Of course they were mostly girls in their mid-20's and I'm 39.

Employment- I am not a human forklift and I don't impersonate one. Ever. I am unfortuante to have a couple of herniated lumbar disks, so I am very careful about lifts. I for darn sure won't pick somebody off the floor by myself and if I'm ever in a bind for moving someone I use a mechanical lift. Sure, it's tough on my button push9ing finger, but I can still gut it out for the rest of the day.

Frankly I see more of the female nurses trying to "muscle up" and lift pts the hard way.

Stereotypes

The only person who ever said anything about me being gay was the husband of an instructor. She and I were talking one day and she said her husband asked if there were any men in her clinical section. She said one. I then asked if he wondered if I was gay. She said yes, and that she didn't think so (what with wearing a wedding ring, talking about my wife and daughter from time to time). I didn't care one way or the other. The only person who really cares that I'm not gay is my wife. And she's the only person that I'd care about caring.

I'm not a Doc, although I sometimes get asked. Usually it's by older patients who are a little confused. No one has seemed to care that I'm not once they learn the truth.

Anyway, that's my two cents.

jason2234 · Nov 20, 2011

the girls my man. there's an endless amount of chicks you can pick to choose from as a male nurse.

EMT-newbie · Nov 21, 2011

I'm kind of looking forwards to being a human forklift if I live long enough to find a school. It's an easy way to help, doesn't take a lot of time like some other "you got a minute?" queries, plus I've got this great Lift Team t-shirt idea...

caliotter3 · Nov 21, 2011

You left one thing out in the employment category. I have seen employers look toward male employees for that sense of "in charge", "leadership", "emotional stability". At one place the male LVN was in charge of night shift as the house supervisor even though there was at least one RN on duty most of the time. At other times, I noticed a distinct way that men were sought out for hire and treated by those in administration. Hard to put a finger on, but you can notice it when you see it.

Martellis · Nov 21, 2011

need some help here

ImThatGuy, BSN, RN · Nov 23, 2011

Honestly, I think less is expected of me as a male student. It may just be because I've proved myself academically and with skills, but if I do get something wrong or fail to do something I'm never penalized like the females in class. Actually, I've never gotten in trouble for anything. I kid you not I've spent the majority of the clinical day and days sitting in conference rooms and lounges with clinical instructors or staff members rather than being out on the unit doing something and have still never been penalized for it. The girls in the class, however, get asked something like "How's your patient doing" or "What should you be working on?" Maybe being able to them laughing or engaged in a good conversation is the ticket. I don't know for certain, but if you think about work places you've been in the extra friendly, funny, social guy never is expected to do much. Fair? No. But males are generally getting the shaft these days in all respects so I'm totally ok with it.

Loque, BSN, RN · Nov 23, 2011

Honestly, I think less is expected of me as a male student. It may just be because I've proved myself academically and with skills, but if I do get something wrong or fail to do something I'm never penalized like the females in class. Actually, I've never gotten in trouble for anything. I kid you not I've spent the majority of the clinical day and days sitting in conference rooms and lounges with clinical instructors or staff members rather than being out on the unit doing something and have still never been penalized for it. The girls in the class, however, get asked something like "How's your patient doing" or "What should you be working on?" Maybe being able to them laughing or engaged in a good conversation is the ticket. I don't know for certain, but if you think about work places you've been in the extra friendly, funny, social guy never is expected to do much. Fair? No. But males are generally getting the shaft these days in all respects so I'm totally ok with it.

This is a true story in my experience as well. I've had several jobs in the past (HS and college) where I have been caught being someplace I probably shouldn't be, and as long as you are fun and friendly, the repercussions are minimal.

I've never really thought about it until now. I agree that it's unfair, but hey... it happens.