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.
All those little boys play all those team sports. It makes a difference in the long run. If all little girls played a lot of team sports, we'd probably behave differently in groups also. But hey, viva la difference. The sexes ARE different because that's the way we're born and our parents inflict these stereotypical roles on us that are just the parent's fantasy. I HATE pink bedrooms:)
I grew up when girls didn't participate much in team sports; but from observations, girls today tend to drop out of sports as they get older and the large majority of girls don't even participate when they were younger. I wish all students would have the opportunity to problem-solve as a team because it's such an important social skill. Probably more important than the offerings on the usual academic plate. If a nursing unit is miserable it's because a lot of reasons, the main one being that hospital leadership doesn't think that it's important enough to keep their employees happy. P.S. I hated team sports after grade school. I was small and the opposing team always wanted to hurt me:). I don't find working with men any different than working with women - just a different set of problems.
Sadly, the male RNs on my unit are slowly moving on to other opportunities, and within a couple of months the unit will be all-female RNs (except for a handful of male CNAs). The environment there is not conducive to embracing this kind of gender diversity, no one seems to care so why should we? We will move on to places where we will be wanted.
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Where do you think male RN's are more likely to be accepted at?
All male shift, aka the dream team! We use to occasionally have an all guy shift when I worked the ICU and it was the best. Our intensivists use to round and then go hide in the doctor's lounge, but when it was an all guy unit they hung around, cut up, and was like we need to do this more often. Nothing against the ladies but there is less drama in an all guy unit, and lets face it--it is a lot more fun!
Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.
Just to be devils advocate....as a supervisor I have seen many staffing patterns. I have not found all male shifts all that easy. You get strong males in a close environment and all that testosterone and they are all jockeying to be IN CHARGE" it can get aggressive pretty quick.
subee, MSN, CRNA
1 Article; 6,127 Posts
All those little boys play all those team sports. It makes a difference in the long run. If all little girls played a lot of team sports, we'd probably behave differently in groups also. But hey, viva la difference. The sexes ARE different because that's the way we're born and our parents inflict these stereotypical roles on us that are just the parent's fantasy. I HATE pink bedrooms:)