Anyone else feel this way?

Published

Anyone else feel the whole "men in nursing" or "male nurse" thing is kind of annoying to constantly hear about? I always seem to hear "oh, we need more male nurses" and yadayada. But, really why does it matter? What makes a guy so special besides a girl? We just have the hang low, they don't.

Now, I am not complaining about the fact that sometimes men can have an advantage hiring wise and such, but that does not make it right. In nursing, should anyone really give a **** if your a male or a female?

Im just curious if any of you guys feel the same way.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in hospice.

Count me in. I care a whole lot more if you're competent and compassionate than what junk you're sporting.

As a female, I get tired of the lament that nursing won't be taken seriously, get pay raises, or gain professional respect until we get more men because society values men more than women. Honestly? Maybe 100 years ago. If you're still beating that drum these days, I think you're just whining. Being a woman had never stood in my way, won't stand in my daughters' way, and just isn't a legitimate complaint anymore. Not in the western world.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in L&D, infusion, urology.

I am a female, but I agree, it's very irritating. There are few fields where this is a factor anymore, and I think it's sad when men feel the need to add the word MALE to their title as a nurse. Few women say they are a FEMALE ANYTHING.

One of the nurses I had when I was in L&D having my son was a man. He was awesome! Didn't think anything of it. I truly don't care about the gender of nurses, only the quality.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Prior military RN/current ICU RN..

I have been a nurse who happens to be a man 8 years. I cannot remember the last time I heard one word about being a male nurse. I do not know where they are saying this because I have worked in three different hospitals and have not heard "male nurse" anything ever. As far as Men have an advantage hiring wise? What data do you have to support that? Beware of rumors and people who "know" things. I have never seen real data supporting anything saying men are more likely to get hired as nurses.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Med nurse in med-surg., float, HH, and PDN.

It seems like by now this should be a moot point; In 1971 at my very first job, the Head Nurse was a guy. Back then the only folks who were dubious about having a male nurse assigned to them were little old ladies of rather a Victorian mien. However, once they got through one shift with a male nurse assigned to them, they didn't want anyone else! It was really rather annoying to be told, "But, I want Joe to be my nurse!"

:yes:

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Critical Care & Acute Care.

No it does not matter who your nurse it, but being a Male Nurse ROCKS!!! I mean where else can you go to work and see someone bash in a TV with a trash can, chase someone down a hall, run a CODE while the DOC is coming, and hear all the gossip in the world. I love my job and that is why when someone asks why I became a Nurse I tell them it was to have a good time because 99% of the time I do have a good time.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Med nurse in med-surg., float, HH, and PDN.

When I was first married (at age 40), my husband-the-amateur-photographer would attend Harley Rallies and take pix of women doing the strangest and most suggestive poses, along with the obligatory 'free shots'. His work buddies would not believe his wife KNEW about this and didn't mind. I told him to tell them that I'd seen more nakedness than they'd ever dreamed about, and I got to TOUCH!​. (My theory was that a man with three cameras around his neck was way too busy with photographing to get in to trouble.)

I can't imagine a male nurse saying something like that without horrifying listeners into reporting him!

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in critical care.
When I was first married (at age 40), my husband-the-amateur-photographer would attend Harley Rallies and take pix of women doing the strangest and most suggestive poses, along with the obligatory 'free shots'. His work buddies would not believe his wife KNEW about this and didn't mind. I told him to tell them that I'd seen more nakedness than they'd ever dreamed about, and I got to TOUCH!​. (My theory was that a man with three cameras around his neck was way too busy with photographing to get in to trouble.)

I can't imagine a male nurse saying something like that without horrifying listeners into reporting him!

Isn't that the truth?! I see the saying, "I've seen more memberes than a prostitute," and I just cringe. First of all, way to compare nursing to prostitution, but could you ever imagine a man getting away with saying that about lady partss?

Back to topic, I've felt that whole "why does it matter" thing about a few demographics in various situations and the only thing I can come up with it, for some reason it matters only because it just does. I get frustrated when topics become genderized, racialized, sexually orientation-ized (I did just make all that up) because it absurd in most cases to put differences in demographic at the center of a topic like that. Men in nursing? It's been happening for so long that it's just weird people are still talking about it.

Anyway! Rambly way of saying I agree.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
I have been a nurse who happens to be a man 8 years. I cannot remember the last time I heard one word about being a male nurse. I do not know where they are saying this because I have worked in three different hospitals and have not heard "male nurse" anything ever. As far as Men have an advantage hiring wise? What data do you have to support that? Beware of rumors and people who "know" things. I have never seen real data supporting anything saying men are more likely to get hired as nurses.

By the hiring thing, I simply mean by scarcity. I know some places because they don't have any men really want to hire them. But, I find it interesting you say you don't hear about the men in nursing thing. Maybe it is because I am in still in school that I hear about it more. I dunno.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Psych/Mental Health.

It's not about men being more special, but creating a more diverse workforce for a diverse population. Science and business schools & companies have been actively attracting women for years now, if nursing wants to improve its diversity I don't really have a problem with it. Think about it, female engineering students now make up almost 20% of total student body and engineering is probably the most male-dominated field. Business/med schools now have 40-50% women. Men makes up about 10% of nurses.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
By the hiring thing, I simply mean by scarcity. I know some places because they don't have any men really want to hire them. But, I find it interesting you say you don't hear about the men in nursing thing. Maybe it is because I am in still in school that I hear about it more. I dunno.

Possible that because you're in school, other males around you are younger and need the ego and self esteem differential?

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I am a male Nursing student who is on course to graduate in May of 2015. During my BSN program I have heard the phrase "Good for you, we need more males in Nursing." from patients and other nurses more times than I can count. I Personally I like hearing that phrase though, since I had a very sexist instructor that flat out told me that men have no appreciation for Nursing, and I shoot for the bar because I am a male, so hearing that reinforces my decision to become a nurse. That being said I agree that it doesnt matter if you are male or female, as long as you are a good nurse.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Add a Comment