So I'm a young, single, heterosexual male nurse, and I'm well aware that I'm somewhat of a minority, as most nurses are female, and the ones that aren't, are often gay (yes, I know that is just a silly stereotype, and there's nothing wrong with being gay, but that's beside my point).
Thing is, I'm not even remotely feminine- I have a beard, I listen to heavy metal, I climb mountains, I work out, etcetera. But I get paranoid that most people probably perceive me as a little "girly" or "possibly homosexual", when I talk about being a nurse. I feel especially insecure about my masculinity when I'm walking home wearing my uniform past some heavy set dudes doing roadworks or construction or something "manly". Sometimes, I've even lied about studying nursing at uni- I've sometimes said I'm studying engineering, to seem more masculine.
I'm not ashamed of being a nurse- I'm damn proud! But I feel a little insecure due to the silly non-masculine stereotypes associated with my career choice. I'm also single and looking for a girlfriend, but I sense that women might think I'm gay, or unmanly, due to my profession. Maybe I'm just being paranoid.
Anyway, my main question is- ladies, do you find male nurses attractive? Do you like the idea of a man taking care of you? Or does it seem unmanly and unattractive?
On the contrary. I understand exactly where you're coming from with the exact words and questions that OP used. I am interpreting the questions a little differently based on the impression that OP communicated his meaning poorly, because human beings often say words that convey a message a little different from what they intended to say. He didn't say anything about being attracted to patients, but to women. If what he really meant was along the lines of "Do you get hot under the collar when a male nurse takes care of you as a patient?" then yes, that's really frickin disgusting. If he meant "Would women in general find a man who is a nurse attractive?" that's an innocent question. OP hasn't come back to clarify, so I'm not going to bother thinking it over any harder because my interpretation of his words doesn't change anything.
Communication is complicated, and multiple people with equally strong critical thinking skills can each interpret a statement differently.
I have no need to hear tone on this one. Those sequential questions add up to a sexual thought process, regardless of a possible mitigating tone.
And BTW, "hot under the collar" implies anger, not lust.
Dude I would forget those stereotypes, male nurses are like any other group of guys. I'm a nurse, happily married for four years, and prior to that had several girlfriends, went on a whole bunch of dates and no woman ever gave it a second thought. In fact my wife thinks it's kind of cool that I help people heal and that I have medical knowledge. And besides, your career has nothing to do with your gender anyway. My dad was a nurse for years, I knew early on that I wanted to be a nurse, and the fact that I'm a guy has always been totally irrelevant. Nursing has been a challenging, rewarding profession, and I chose it over medicine because I like doing more hands on care, I like the flexibility to work any kind of schedule I want and to work in all different areas rather than specialize in one thing and stay there.
Women find male nurses attractive if they are attractive.
One good way to be an attractive male nurse is to have future goals of becoming an NP (As all nurses should, be they male or female). I like female nurses who want to advance as well for example.
Some female/gay male clients will love the attention and may flirt with you. You are taking care of them and therefore some will love it and hit on you. It's part of the job to stay professional.
In conclusion, yes, female clients (and some male clients) will hit on you. Female coworkers and random females will find you attractive if you meet their fancy. Nothing you can do there. Just be yourself. A female may pick up on any insecurities that you have about being a nurse, which is definitely unattractive.
I have no need to hear tone on this one. Those sequential questions add up to a sexual thought process, regardless of a possible mitigating tone.
And BTW, "hot under the collar" implies anger, not lust.
You just made a rant post about how people here can't handle bluntly delivered truths, but here you didn't say "I disagree with other interpretations of this post," you basically said anyone who disagrees with you is deficient in critical thinking skills. Thank you, also, for correcting my use of language, despite the fact that the phrase has been used with both meanings, and which one I meant was perfectly obvious.
You just made a rant post about how people here can't handle bluntly delivered truths, but here you didn't say "I disagree with other interpretations of this post," you basically said anyone who disagrees with you is deficient in critical thinking skills. Thank you, also, for correcting my use of language, despite the fact that the phrase has been used with both meanings, and which one I meant was perfectly obvious.
Yeesh, this thread is a circus.
Sigh. I don't do rants. Your imagination has gone rampant.
Please show me a reference in which "hot under the collar" implies sexual arousal. You are quite wrong.
Women find male nurses attractive if they are attractive.
One good way to be an attractive male nurse is to have future goals of becoming an NP (As all nurses should, be they male or female). I like female nurses who want to advance as well for example.
Some female/gay male clients will love the attention and may flirt with you. You are taking care of them and therefore some will love it and hit on you. It's part of the job to stay professional.
In conclusion, yes, female clients (and some male clients) will hit on you. Female coworkers and random females will find you attractive if you meet their fancy. Nothing you can do there. Just be yourself. A female may pick up on any insecurities that you have about being a nurse, which is definitely unattractive.
What's wrong with being "just" a nurse, out of curiosity?
Don't feel insecure. 7/7 male nurses I work with are married heterosexuals. They don't act feminine in any way and have the respect of their coworkers and the general public seems to show them the same respect as us female nurses. Things are changing--- nursing is a job for either sex! So is doctoring!
I get what you're saying OP. I was chilling at my son's peewee football practice in my scrubs and a burly looking older guy in coveralls sat next to me. "You a doctor or something?" he said, spitting tobacco off to his right. Now I knew this guy had probably grown up his entire life in the fields, working hard to provide for his family. Given the small community we lived in it wouldn't have surprised me if he thought nursing was "girly"- hell I did before I got into it. I told him I was a nurse. He sat there for a minute, started laughing, and said "You probably pull so much a**" I flashed my wedding ring and he started laughing so hard I thought I'd have to put my nursing skills to use.
Just have fun with it. Be confident. As my brother in here said (the former Ranger) you know what you are- be yourself.
I'm an openly gay male nurse, and my dad is a straight male nurse. I became a nurse more recently, and he became a nurse almost 40 years ago when there were very few male nurses. There are so many of us today that even us gay men don't assume that because a nurse is male, he must be gay. In fact, I work with 5 other male.nurses and they're all straight. Try to get over your insecurity with this because the rest of the nurses probably aren't looking at it they way you think they are. Best of luck to you!
I've been a A&E nurse for the last 12 years in several countries across Europe...
it is a matter of fact that people in general, think that male nurses are either gay or not men enough, but also this "idea" comes from a conservative background of a rather elderly society...
insecure people might think that for us, also jealousy might make them a bit "sarcastic" to a male (straight) nurse...
I wouldn't worry for that at all, you need to stand up for your profession and for your masculinity as well...
it is all a matter of confidence after all...
think what, all them "men", outside our profession, would do in front of a major trauma patient or even in a cardiac arrest situation...
I've seen them, passing out in the sight of a needle, or even if a drop of blood is seen in their iv giving set...so man up and realize that we are indeed in a traditionally women's profession, but that doesn't at all mean that our masculinity has been in any way compromised or altered...
And think it like I was As newly qualified some years ago..."who gives a ... About what they think or say"...we know who and what we are and they can think of whatever they choose to...
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roser13, ASN, RN
6,504 Posts
I have no need to hear tone on this one. Those sequential questions add up to a sexual thought process, regardless of a possible mitigating tone.
And BTW, "hot under the collar" implies anger, not lust.