I noticed a huge difference in the past month in regards to the unit culture when we had an all male shift this past month. When working with all males, the shift just seems way way better.
The environment was so pleasant because no one was flipping out because the floors weren't mopped on our shift, no one was throwing a fit because there were not enough small sized gloves in the isolation cart, we focused on RN life saving interventions. I mean two patients coded, both were brought back. During the code everyone was calm, positive, people were laughing, and just all around positive.
I actually left work thinking wow this is a great team to work with.
However, when its a mostly female shift the focus is completely different. I remember a code when women were screaming for atropine, and not wanting to do chest compression because their back hurt. I remember getting talked down to because the room was a mess after the code. I remember the day time supervisor throwing a fit because the pt closet was unorganized.
I really like working with an all male shift. My god it is so much better.
I have had two male supervisors. One was an absolute nightmare, the other one of the best nurses I will probably ever know. It isn't fair to lump "you men" into a category. It sounds like your unit is negative and contributes to a poor work environment. It also sounds like not all of those guys normally work on that unit, so they don't have to deal with the same stresses and lateral violence you're referring to.
That's an excellent point about the men being relief workers. It's easy to be light-hearted (and tempting to be judgmental) when you're sailing in and out. (I work float so it is WAY easier for me to stay positive on an understaffed, difficult unit when I know I'll be outta there in a few days than it is for my coworkers who struggle to move the same mountain day after day after day.)
I am not sure where you work, but I can tell you that we don't that problem on our unit, no matter what gendered people are working. We all work as a team and we all pull our weight and we don't complain about little things because it's the big things that are more important. Me and my 98 pound partner were single-handedly turning and positioning at 72kg total care patient Q2H and not a single complaint from either of us.
Haha! Thanks Jess! I'll work on that cloning machine, and once completed, I'll send as many of "me" as I can nationwide.:) I've noticed that when people are looking for differences, sooner or later, they'll find them, no matter how insignificant those differences may be. We just need to "rub some dirt on it", put on our "big girl/boy" pants, and take care of what matters...the patients.
Specializes in ED, Telemetry,Hospice, ICU, Supervisor.
Oh my god, I just wanted to share some good news about having a great day at work with an all male crew. All of a sudden it turns into a "med suck or women suck thread".
Seriously I wanted to share with other men how great of a day i had working with an all male crew. That is why I posted in the men in nursing forum. There may be a some male nurses who have never gotten the chance to have such an experience.
How hard is it to share good news on AN? Jesus, people take it way way out of proportion making a mountain out of a mole hill.
Oh my god, I just wanted to share some good news about having a great day at work with an all male crew. All of a sudden it turns into a "med suck or women suck thread".
Seriously I wanted to share with other men how great of a day i had working with an all male crew. That is why I posted in the men in nursing forum. There may be a some male nurses who have never gotten the chance to have such an experience.
How hard is it to share good news on AN? Jesus, people take it way way out of proportion making a mountain out of a mole hill.
I noticed a huge difference in the past month in regards to the unit culture when we had an all female shift this past month. When working with all females, the shift just seems way way better.
The environment was so pleasant because no one was freaking out because they "always are asked to help lift", no one's panties were in a wad because there were no XXL sized gloves in the rooms, we focused on RN life saving interventions. I mean two patients coded, both were brought back. During the code everyone was calm, positive, people were laughing, and just all around positive.
I actually left work thinking I have a great team to work with.
However, when it's a mostly male-dominated shift, the focus is completely different. I remember a code when men were yelling for atropine, and not wanting to do chest compressions because their arms hurt. I remember getting talked down to because the room was a mess after the code. I remember the day time supervisor throwing a fit because the patient closet was unorganized.
I really like working with an all female shift. My god it is so much better.
SeattleJess
843 Posts
That's an excellent point about the men being relief workers. It's easy to be light-hearted (and tempting to be judgmental) when you're sailing in and out. (I work float so it is WAY easier for me to stay positive on an understaffed, difficult unit when I know I'll be outta there in a few days than it is for my coworkers who struggle to move the same mountain day after day after day.)