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.
Personally I like both. I think both sexes conplement each other in the workplace.
As do I. And I certainly would not go on a nursing forum (or anywhere else for that matter) and exclaim how much better it is to work with/be around a certain sex, race, sexual orientation, ethnicity, or religious group! That is the epitome of discrimination... I would never make a colleague feel like less of a person because of those factors. I would never say one is better than the other. This thread is absolutely pathetic.
The OP obviously has something to prove.
And to wonder why one of the few female dominated professions may want to keep it that way.
Personally I like both. I think both sexes conplement each other in the workplace.
That was not directed towards you but towards the OP. I only quoted you because I think your feelings match those of the majority of nurses on this forum. However, we are not going to lie down and taking a bashing from someone who wishes to belittle us simply because we are female.
I worked an all male shift in the ER during peak Fantasy Football season, it was awesome. Now I listen to wedding planning, scrub top matching and what everyone's kids are doing. Congrats man, you might never have a shift like that again.
You can expect hate on a nursing forum where the posters are going to be mostly female but it is odd they are lurking so hard on the male section.
Being a WASP male I don't ever get to be a minority but in nursing I am and being a minority is awesome. So many perks.
I have come in contact with a high ratio of male nurses on a floor, but then the same floor had mostly females the next day. I saw little difference in my experience either way. Some of the best nurses I noticed are not necessarily males (this is coming from a dude). It depends on the person and how they treat their patients.
I worked an all male shift in the ER during peak Fantasy Football season, it was awesome. Now I listen to wedding planning, scrub top matching and what everyone's kids are doing. Congrats man, you might never have a shift like that again.
You can expect hate on a nursing forum where the posters are going to be mostly female but it is odd they are lurking so hard on the male section.
Being a WASP male I don't ever get to be a minority but in nursing I am and being a minority is awesome. So many perks.
Somehow, I don't exactly get the impression that your post is an attempt to pour oil on troubled waters
As for the "lurking" part, I think there's usually about 10.000 persons online here on AN. There's now a grand total of 42 comments (wow) on this thread, quite a few of those seem to be made by men. (Not that we can be sure exactly who's male or female on an anonymous message board). This thread has been displayed in the most comments/replies thingie, it will obviously attract people's attention. I believe that this "hard lurking" theory of yours might need some revision.
About the "hate". If you state like OP did, that half the population is superior (much better) to the other half, you don't think it's logical to expect a reaction? I do.
By the way, why is it your opinion that it's the natural order of things to "expect hate" just because a man writes something and a woman reads it? I'm genuinely curious about that. Why is this so called hate absent in the vast majority of threads where male nurses post but present in this one. Could it have something to do with the content of this specific thread, pray tell?
If OP wanted to share what a great shift he had with the guys it would have been totally possible to do so, without calling half the world's population hysterical, screaming fit throwers with irrational cleaning fetishes to boot.
You are I'm sure, well aware that traditionally minorities haven't exactly been associated with having "perks", but rather with discrimination and persecution. Given that fact, your comment sounds like you're gloating. Especially in this thread where things have already gotten a bit err, adversarial.
Regarding your stereotyping of "female conversation topics". Do you realize that there are many, many women get bored out of their minds by talk of weddings, fashion (if you can call scrubs that) and detailed reports on junior's latest accomplishments?
I think that most of us would agree that our world would be a pretty dull place (and have drastically reduced longevity, but that's a different topic) if it was populated by 100% males or 100% females. I don't understand this ridiculous "battle of the sexes", it's truly asinine.
I work with several male nurses, but "Joe" has come to mind as I continue to read these posts.
He's funny and fun loving. Sometimes he makes blatant sexist comments just to get a rise out the "girls". It's impossible to take offense, because we all know what he's doing. Usually the outrageous statement is accompanied by a smirk.
Is it possible that "Joe" is sitting at his computer somewhere smirking at us?
I work with several male nurses, but "Joe" has come to mind as I continue to read these posts.
He's funny and fun loving. Sometimes he makes blatant sexist comments just to get a rise out the "girls". It's impossible to take offense, because we all know what he's doing. Usually the outrageous statement is accompanied by a smirk.
Is it possible that "Joe" is sitting at his computer somewhere smirking at us?
You are I’m sure, well aware that traditionally minorities haven’t exactly been associated with having “perks”, but rather with discrimination and persecution. Given that fact, your comment sounds like you’re gloating. Especially in this thread where things have already gotten a bit err, adversarial.
Let's not pretend we all don't know the perks assigned to be minority in modern society. Whether it be affirmative action, preferential hiring to meet "culture" numbers or general empathy from media and political system there ARE some great positives to being a minority in modern society. I have seen it in the MILITARY and in previous JOBS THAT AREN"T NURSING. Are there downsides? Sure, but there are always negative no matter what camp you sit in. There are 6-7% males in nursing and I won't deny there are unfair accolades and sentiments given out just because of being a gender minority.
Now on the flip side being a white male in the normal world you are constantly bombarded by media and people who try to vilify you for privilege and alleged eons of persecution on everyone else. I was born in 1988, I haven't persecuted anyone. I worked for everything I have as does the poor white farmer living in the Appalachians. If a guy wants to come on here and say how much he enjoyed his all male shift then so be it. He's not hurting anyone. You know how many times I have had female co-workers state they wish there were more males on our shift? Countless times. I am not saying males are better at nursing at all seeing as 90+% of nurses are still female there is a just a different dynamic that is very evident when you work with all males.
Specializes in Oncology; medical specialty website.
I worked an all male shift in the ER during peak Fantasy Football season, it was awesome. Now I listen to wedding planning, scrub top matching and what everyone's kids are doing. Congrats man, you might never have a shift like that again.
You can expect hate on a nursing forum where the posters are going to be mostly female but it is odd they are lurking so hard on the male section.
Being a WASP male I don't ever get to be a minority but in nursing I am and being a minority is awesome. So many perks.
I must have missed the armed watch towers, guard dogs, concertina wire, and signs saying, "WOMEN: KEEP OUT!" surrounding this thread. Men are free to post on any and every forum here; why should it be any different for us? Men in the nursing workplace affect us too.
Not to mention that this is a male dominated world, so sorry if this happens to be one of the few places where the world doesn't revolve around you. As a PP said, there are times I think it may not be such a bad thing that nursing is dominated by women. It's one of the few areas where women have half a chance at advancement.
Specializes in burn ICU, SICU, ER, Trauma Rapid Response.
Let's not pretend we all don't know the perks assigned to be minority in modern society. Whether it be affirmative action, preferential hiring to meet "culture" numbers or general empathy from media and political system there ARE some great positives to being a minority in modern society. I have seen it in the MILITARY
I also thought it was particularly bad (for white males) in the military.
nocturncal
31 Posts
Personally I like both. I think both sexes conplement each other in the workplace.