Any male NP's out there?

Specialties NP

Published

I saw that there was a question in a thread about a week ago regarding the experiences of male NP's and no one responded to it.

As a man in the process of applying to a RN-MSN-FNP program I would love to get some feedback from male NP's. Any advice, experiences, or problems would be helpful. Any regrets or things you would do differently?

Also, any female NP's who work alongside male NP's could contribute to the discussion as well.

Thanks in advance,

Serpico

If you are still in the process of looking at schools I would HIGHLY recommend looking at PA programs. from what i have seen they focus much more completely on medicine and less on some of the BS of the "nursing" approach. I didn't come to this realization until i had a year left of NP school. I was lucky and I was able to take PA classes for free to build on my medical knowledge.

good luck in school!

And to think I wanted to focus on something different and more effective than medicine...:lol2:

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Specializes in ER; CCT.
If you are still in the process of looking at schools I would HIGHLY recommend looking at PA programs. from what i have seen they focus much more completely on medicine and less on some of the BS of the "nursing" approach.

Who needs all that nursing crap in a nursing program? Someone might get the idea we're nurses or something.

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As a male who is looking into either an md/do program or FNP (want to do primary care), I have thought about this a lot.

I think one of the biggest things males (read: me, at least) will face is their own internalized notions of nursing and the sexist messages of subservience that have been propagated from within and outside of the nursing profession. I like much of the nursing education model (though i also like aspects of the medical model), but I am struggling with the idea of introducing myself as a nurse. And this comes from someone who has done lots of radical political education work! amazing how thorough that socialization is!

On the plus side I've always assumed being male would be a big perk for applying to schools.

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Specializes in Emergency,.

WOW, isn't it funny the responses over my little comment.

I think my aversion to the nursing model of care is that I don't see the use for it.

When i am treating a patient in the ED for an UTI, I am going to treat the same way my fellow PA/MD/DOs - a nursing model does not come into play at all.

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That's a valuable point. Since NPs function as providers instead of support it is true that their role is fairly similar to doctors, etc. Certainly in many settings. I guess the question is: is the approach to that role different?

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Specializes in Trauma/Critical Care.

SkibumNP Wrote: "If you are still in the process of looking at schools I would HIGHLY recommend looking at PA programs. from what i have seen they focus much more completely on medicine and less on some of the BS of the "nursing" approach. I didn't come to this realization until i had a year left of NP school. I was lucky and I was able to take PA classes for free to build on my medical knowledge.

good luck in school!"

Wow...I am speechless....unbelievable....:smackingf

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Specializes in Emergency, MCCU, Surgical/ENT, Hep Trans.

I have a member.

The male NP has a great job, just like the FEmale NPs. Of course, I too believe we have a slight advantage, just like when I was an ED RN. Odd I know, but its there and probably some guys relish it. Now this has a lot to do with where/who you work with. For the most part, I believe a lot of the females enjoy having a guy around and vice versa. You know, personality has a lot to do with this.

I've worked with high strung and lazy guys that I'd like to take to Mr. Trump and some of our best ladies can run circles around those boys. In general though, the boys are not as dramatic, have less sick leave and just seem to let things roll vs a "select few" of the ladies, but in reality, I've seen this in other settings as well, so I wouldn't generalize to healthcare. We are from Mars you know.

As far as a male NP, not sure of any real tangibles. I work for the .gov, so the pay is not an issue. As mentioned, a pelvic to me is like a prostate exam, only more thorough and the patient seems to appreciate my efforts to help them, regardless of my long-standing gender, or the additional hour or two wait for a *rare* FEmale MD in the ER. Once the mask is on, I seem to look, act and come to the same conclusions/treatments as their FEmale GYN (if they have one).

The only complaints that have made it to my superMD is not enough Oxycodone in the bottle (darn).

I wish you luck in school. Looking back, my only regret has been not attending grad school earlier in my RN career. The job is really different, challenging and for the most part, rewarding. You will earn your additional pay, believe me. As far as the PA comments, you have a choice, this is a great country, knock yourself out (and I work along side some of the best PAs). Honestly, I can't see much of a difference, other than most love Cephalosporins.

Go get'em tiger :up:

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Specializes in Emergency,.

Wow...I am speechless....unbelievable....:smackingf

I would love to hear your thoughts.

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Specializes in ER, HH, CTICU, corrections, cardiology, hospice.

For those that do not believe we practice medicine let me ask you this.

Have you ever made the the diagnosis of "altered comfort level" and prescribed a narcotic as the nursing plan? HUM? I certainly have not, nor have any of the other NP's I come behind as I review the patient's chart. I have yet to see a single solitary nursing diagnosis in NP practice.

For the intellectual bullies that might like to threaten my license (it's happened before) bring it, but make sure you "nursing practice" is perfect. We practice medicine folks, sorry but the king really does not have any clothes.

BTW, two things, 1) they tried to kick me out of NP school not once but twice 2) I did not like being a nurse at all AND I am not alone in that feeling. I do, however love what I do now.

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Specializes in Emergency,.
For those that do not believe we practice medicine let me ask you this.

Have you ever made the the diagnosis of "altered comfort level" and prescribed a narcotic as the nursing plan? HUM? I certainly have not, nor have any of the other NP's I come behind as I review the patient's chart. I have yet to see a single solitary nursing diagnosis in NP practice.

For the intellectual bullies that might like to threaten my license (it's happened before) bring it, but make sure you "nursing practice" is perfect. We practice medicine folks, sorry but the king really does not have any clothes.

BTW, two things, 1) they tried to kick me out of NP school not once but twice 2) I did not like being a nurse at all AND I am not alone in that feeling. I do, however love what I do now.

Tim, i hear ya, and i'm right there with you. I got into many arguments with my NP school over my schooling and ended up taking additional PA classes. They now are inviting me back to teach and develop an Emergency NP program. WE CAN change the future of NPs.

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sorry to chime in...i am a female NP student.

When this topic of education PA vs. NP comes....people become too offended quickly. I have realized it on both sides....as a offendee and defendee...LOL

It wouldn't be too bad if NP school did not waste 2 semesters (= 1 yr) on roles, ethics, community health, research, policy classes. They could make 1 semester by combining several of those classes in one....I mean we spent "3 credits on Advance practice roles" thats 6 hrs/week X 4.5 months. So unnecessary...It could have been woven into research / policy. Likewise we spent "3 credits" on community health project. Now, if I wanted to pursue public health I would have gone that route...Again that community health class could have been woven into policy/roles/ethics/community health together. We had epidemiology 3 credits + community health 3 credits..now doesn't this seem like public health route to you.

Besides, advanced research class (which is imp as a healthcare to do research and interpret research)...I felt like I was on a hybrid version of MPA/MPH program with healthcare concentration until the end of first year (of course we had patho,pharm,assessment during 1st year together with those classes I mentioned). our program is 2.5 yrs. NP education can definitely be improved and more clinical hours can be added to it. I thought MSN-FNP was bad enough..I just cant understand why DNP would be more paralled to longer version of FNP.

In the end, we learn from work experience and learning mistakes. I had MD, NP, CNM as preceptor and now I have PA as a preceptor for this semester. They all tell me first couple of years after school is learning stage. They were all fab and knowledgeable. I see NP and CNM doing the MD/PA job + education. MD/PA leave out the patient education but in the end they all treat their patient. That makes me not regret the choice of NP school but we definitely need more clinical hours. Everytime, I see pt with derm problems ( besides common eczema, hives, acne etc)...I wish I could have spent 4-5 weeks in derm clinic (not cosmetic clinics)/ ER/ Jail instead of writing pages and pages of papers on what is the role of APRNs.

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I am a FNP and a guy!!!

HA!

I agree it helps at times being a guy, sometimes it helps being a women:idea:

sometimes it helps being nice!

For me the nursing bit is always a bit in my background but yes I do practice medicine here in the state of WA, we are independent providers period.

I think though its personality, not much based on male or female. I am not really type A, and do like to "talk" with my patients, I even learn from them! I wonder if more providers that went the medical school route have a different personality mix? I have been ED type stuff my whole life as medic/airlift/RN/FNP and as someone said earlier people just want you to step up, be safe and do it. I love what I do, and as someone said before I wish I had become a FNP 10 yrs ago and not 3.

YMMV

a

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