I'm a fairly new nurse, been working for about 18 months now as an RN I work in the ER, and I must say I do like the ER, I like the fact that there is a lot of different things going on, and I like the faster pace.
I'm fairly small, though, I'm 5'3" and are an XS in scrubs, and I swear when people see me, they don't take me seriously, OK, I'm young (just turned 25) and I have been told my my CN and a few others that I am soft spoken. I am always getting a hard time from patients, I would say more than most of the other nurses. It doesn't bother me per say, I shrug it off and go about my day.
There is another RN that works withe me, he's a guy, and not much older than I, but he's about 6'7" and built like a freight train, and nobody gives him a hard time. Do you guys find that Male nurses get more respect or do you think its the fact that he just looks like someone you would not want to mess with? Or both?
I'm hearing "commanding" respect. Exuding confidence. No nonsense attitude. I'm not saying these aren't part of the picture. But we're talking about respect here, right? It's one thing to get people to do what you want them to do. Exuding confidence and a no nonsense attitude can do that. But how you present yourself with those traits determines whether people obey you out of fear or whether they really respect you. Now, if the bottom line is to get the job done, then it doesn't really matter. But if you want respect, you need to look at yourself from the outside when you exude the confidence to see how it appears to others. It may make you feel good and get the job done, but whether it gains you respect is another question.
Yes, male nurses get more respect - from doctors, from patients, and from family. Hey, I've seen male CNAs get more respect that female RNs. Frustrating but true.
Like some of the above poster, I think there is also a bias in age. I am 34 but most people take me for 22-25 y/o. While this is flattering in most instances, I work psych, and patients, families, and other RNs often assume that I lack real world experiences.
Cul2
242 Posts
I'm hearing "commanding" respect. Exuding confidence. No nonsense attitude. I'm not saying these aren't part of the picture. But we're talking about respect here, right? It's one thing to get people to do what you want them to do. Exuding confidence and a no nonsense attitude can do that. But how you present yourself with those traits determines whether people obey you out of fear or whether they really respect you. Now, if the bottom line is to get the job done, then it doesn't really matter. But if you want respect, you need to look at yourself from the outside when you exude the confidence to see how it appears to others. It may make you feel good and get the job done, but whether it gains you respect is another question.