Anyone else feel this way?

[young33]

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.

[ajmclean]

I'm new here and saw this thread. I start nursing school next week. During my interview to get in, as well as comments from nursing instructors along the way (during orientation days, etc.) was told that "more men are needed to lower the estrogen level!" As a retired Navy guy, this doesn't bother me. I like that kind of humor. But all in all,sex doesn't make a difference.

And yes I have bee told repeatedly that I am practically guaranteed a job after graduating. If so, works for me.

[hgwalter91]

I was told constantly as a student male nurse that I would have a job so easily I could basically pick the job I wanted towards the end of school. Guess what?! This was totally true, I had managers interviewing me two at a time fighting over me to work for their unit. I do have a lot of experience from being a phlebotomist to working as a lab assistant for about a year and working on a telemetry unit for a couple of months before graduation. At least where I live male nurses are looked up to and definitely get the job over the female if they both have the same credentials. Also I just passed the nclex so I chose progressive care :) (tele unit)!

This is just my point of view from where I live though. Not trying to be sexist, I love working in the nursing field with both genders :)

[Conqueror+, BSN, RN]

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.

I don't consider it whining when women earn 77 cents for every dollar that a man earns for doing the same job TODAY. It may not have stood in your way but you are paid less. If that doesn't bother you or your daughter then fine. That doesn't make the rest of us out of touch whiners beating a drum.

[MedicalPartisan]

I don't mind it. It's advantageous in more ways than one. We are still at a point where people 'love to see men in nursing' so, in my opinion, it's not a bad thing.

[ixchel]

I don't consider it whining when women earn 77 cents for every dollar that a man earns for doing the same job TODAY. It may not have stood in your way but you are paid less. If that doesn't bother you or your daughter then fine. That doesn't make the rest of us out of touch whiners beating a drum.

If you really want to feel your temper boil, you should check out the anti feminism movement that some women are getting into recently. Not to hijack the thread, so forgive me, but it's infuriating.

Anyway, back to topic!

As with all diversity, it changes the dynamic of the unit.

With certain patients, it's often helpful to have men who can assume the assignment. This is typically with male patients who are sexually inappropriate or with the misogynist types.

And the truth is, when patients become combative, it's nice to have several large, male nurses who can help pin them down while the gals apply the restraints and hit 'em with the meds.

In terms of just regular old nursing, gender makes no difference whatsoever.

[Y-chromosome]

Nurses serve communities that are diverse so I think diversity among the nursing staff enhances the work environment and by extension, patient care. There's a different "vibe" when you're working with a diverse group. Men, women and people from different races/cultures often bring different perspectives. I think it's more enjoyable. That assumes of course that everyone is competent and likes their job.

[neurodude, MSN, NP]

Pardon the mis-posting; I had multiple tabs open and I copied and pasted into the wrong one!

Now, I feel that the gender-thing is rather irrelevant. It's just a side-effect of our society and the perceptions from way-back-when persisting in our decade.

[cd365c]

I think there is a need for more men in nursing. Diversity is actually quite a good thing in my opinion. This profession is still female dominated (roughly 10 percent male nurses). There are going to be biases of stereotypes regardless of what anyone thinks.

An example would be a job interview. Say you walk into an ER department with one open position, but five different interviewees. Well, chances are, the person that is taller, more confident, and athletic will be considered more based on natural selection.

[kitkats4breakfs]

Honestly, I prefer being called a "male nurse". For me, being in the patient position, if a health care worker told me my nurse was coming. And in walked a man, I'd be mind boggled. I wouldn't be psychologically prepared. I'd be expecting a nice woman to come in.Had I been told my male nurse or nurse ____ is coming, he's very good, I'd be much more prepared and accepting.

And as men, whether it be MD, RN, tech, we are at a handicap. There needs to be a dialog that needs to happen.

For example: I'm sure many of us have noticed how male MDs have a female staff member accompanying them when examining a female patient. That is to protect them from false accusations or claims of inappropriate behavior. In my RN program, I had an LPN student tell me that he had a psych patient in his rehab facilityv that accused him off an inappropriate act. Good thing he had another nurse in there with him. The patients claim was canceled out by the 2 nurses documentation. Because of this, I do not give any female pants baths. And upon my initial head to toe assessment, I am accompanied by a female. I even did this in nursing school. This should be accounted for.

In nursing school they say a nurse is a nurse despite gender, I do not see it that way. You shouldn't either.

I also feel the title nurse should be changed to a non femine title. . . any suggestions guys?

I wonder, if at least 29% of the nurse population was lale for the past 20 years there would be more laws protecting nurses. Such as a regulated nurse patient ratio, example California. Legal action against physical assault against a nurse should bring fear to perpetrators. Here in NYC assaulting a bus driver is an automatic feloney charge, I think nurses deserve such a law as well. Nurses are at an increase risk for occupational violence. LPNs would be included and advocated for under prominent nursing organizations. ANA wouldn't be counter productive. We would have better representation from ANA. . . Ana sucks in general right :-)

I know how I may be coming off right now. But, I hope Hilary Clinton win 2016 election .

How do you guys feel?

[C0deNurse]

I personally see this fading out. If anything it is an advantage to be a male because we can move patients easier or help them ambulate but thats about it. I do not notice the stigmatism as much in the Bay Area

[spudster]

I have been in healthcare for 16 years now. I can honestly say that I have interviewed for jobs where I was "unofficially" informed that they are looking for a male. They may have been doing this to pander to me since I am a man. I don't know. There may have been others that wanted to hire a woman but they wouldn't have told me that. However, I do believe that there are some administrators out there who want to hire some positions based on gender still. Is it right? No, but it is a reality in some circles still.