Does the term 'Nurse' bother you?

[Ekklesia]

I've been on the receiving end of quite a number of male "nurse" jokes ever since I started college for my BSN. I have not been phased one iota, but now that I'm in school and am around other men, they seem to want to change the terminology to something other than "Male Nurse" (something like "masculine health care technologist" or whatever).

Anyway, I thought I'd do a little research and poll the fine folks here. What do you think: Are you bothered by being called a nurse?

For the record, I am not.

[wtbcrna, MSN, DNP, CRNA]

There is always that stigma about being guy and a nurse. Someone always assumes you're probably gay (which I am not;no offense meant) or a wuss etc. Personally though since I joined the Air Force I love it we are almost a 50/50 split male/female nurses in the Air Force, and the ICU where I work now is more like a 80%male/20%female split. We have a running joke where we are called the boy nurses.

We still have what is called the old guard in Air Force. Which is pretty much female, and there is definitely some of them that don't like male nurses...lol ( they are old and retiring fast,though). I believe in general male nurses tend to do better because of the stigma. We try harder.

My first preceptor after I graduated from LVN school on my first day told me she didn't really like male nurses. I just grinned did what I needed to do and went on. A week later she told me she had changed her mind and really liked working with me.

[mwbeah]

the first nursing school in the world was started in india in about 250 bc. it was attended by only men (they were pretty harsh to women at that time). our history in nursing runs deep, be proud of being a nurse and throw this bit of trivia to the next person who gives you a hard time.

mike

[mwbeah]

the first nursing school in the world was started in india in about 250 bc. it was attended by only men (they were pretty harsh to women at that time). our history in nursing runs deep, be proud of being a nurse and throw this bit of trivia to the next person who gives you a hard time.

mike

this is some background on that first nursing course in india.

the charaka (vol i, section xv) states these men should be, "of good behavior, distinguished for purity, possessed of cleverness and skill, imbued with kindness, skilled in every service a patient may require, competent to cook food, skilled in bathing and washing the patient, rubbing and massaging the limbs, lifting and assisting him to walk about, well skilled in making and cleansing of beds, readying the patient and skillful in waiting upon one that is ailing and never unwilling to do anything that may be ordered."

during the byzantine empire nursing was a separate occupation practiced primarily by men. in the new testament, the good samaritan paid the innkeeper to provide care for an injured man. no one thought it odd that a man should by paid to provide nursing care.

in every plague that swept europe men risked their lives to provide nursing care. a group of men, the parabolani, in 300 ad started a hospital and provided nursing care during the black plague epidemic.

here is the site for that history:

http://www.geocities.com/athens/forum/6011/index.html

mike

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[nursemike, ASN, RN]

I have no problem at all with "nurse," and I'm not offended by "male nurse." I don't refer to myself as a male nurse, since I'm way too ugly to be mistaken for a female, but most of the time I hear it used descriptively, much as another nurse might be the "red-haired nurse" or the "older nurse." On some shifts, I'm the short, fat, male nurse with a moustache, but usually "male" narrows the field considerably. If a patient asks, "Are you a male nurse?" I generally answer, "Yes, I'm a nurse."

I'm a new nurse, so I don't feel comfortable calling doctors by their first names, but some nurses do with some doctors. I don't see a problem with that, but I don't see a problem if a doctor prefers to be adressed as "Doctor," either. It's interesting, though, that only doctors go by titles--our CEO is Bruce, and there are many co-workers whose last names I don't even know (they're on our badges, but in smaller print.) We used to have an older, Asian nurse whom everyone addressed as Mrs. xxxxx, but that may just have been due to difficulty pronouncing her first name. (I never asked. Actually, the veneration seemed appropriate--she was very old, and very dignified.)

[CarlJ]

No, I don't mind being called a nurse. I've worked very hard to earn that title. But the word is very feminine. To me, the act of nursing (i.e. breast feeding) will never allow the title of nuse to be netural, so I wouldn't mind if another term is found. I wonder what they were called before women took over the role? Was it nurse?

Carl

[Ekklesia]

This is some background on that first nursing course in India.

http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Forum/6011/index.html

mwbeah, thanks for the history lesson. Very interesting, I had no idea.

[nursemike, ASN, RN]

No, I don't mind being called a nurse. I've worked very hard to earn that title. But the word is very feminine. To me, the act of nursing (i.e. breast feeding) will never allow the title of nuse to be netural, so I wouldn't mind if another term is found. I wonder what they were called before women took over the role? Was it nurse?

Carl

I believe I read somewhere that the word comes from the Latin for nurturing, which could include breastfeeding, but wouldn't necessarily be limited to it. I noticed in maternity class that breastfeeding was always referred to as breast-feeding, not nursing, I suppose to avoid confusion. Anyone can breastfeed (well, it sounds really hard for guys) but you need a license to nurse.

I suppose we could call ourselves nurserymen, if it wasn't already taken. At any rate, I think it sounds a whole lot more respectable than animal husbandry.

[traumahawk99]

i think it definitely perpetuates an image problem that keeps males out of the profession. i wish the profession had enough sense to change it. the word has alternative meanings are feminine in nature. as such, this will always attach a stigma to males.

i'm becoming an rn, but in my heart, i'll always think of myself as a medic.

[DMR1]

the word "nurse" bothers a lot of men because it's stereotyped. I have to admit, when I first went into nursing, it bugged me a lot. Now...not so much. It's funny to see the reactions from people when they ask what program I'm enrolled in at university. As soon as I say "nursing", they usually raise their eyebrows and give me that 'oh really' kind of look. funny :chuckle

nowadays i'm not bothered by it. "nurse" "male nurse" "RN", whatever.

[nursemike, ASN, RN]

i think it definitely perpetuates an image problem that keeps males out of the profession. i wish the profession had enough sense to change it. the word has alternative meanings are feminine in nature. as such, this will always attach a stigma to males.

i'm becoming an rn, but in my heart, i'll always think of myself as a medic.

Did you start as a paramedic? I wouldn't feel right about any title that seemed to claim that credential--I'm not trained to do extractions or to work with quite the same level of autonomy as a paramedic in the field. That's not to say I feel my training is inferior to a paramedic, but it is definitely different. Nursing school doesn't qualify me to be a dental hygenist, either (from what I've read on some other threads, that's too bad, though in my heart of hearts, I have to admit I do feel my job is more important than a dental hygenists--not that healthy teeth aren't important, too.)

Honestly, I think nursing is heading toward what most of us seem to want: a gender-neutral profession rather than a pink-collar trade. I think it's a slower process than we might wish, but a lot of my patients and co-workers seem to get it. On my unit, I'm rarely the male nurse.

[traumahawk99]

i'm an nretm-p. working on an asn thru excelsior college. being a paramedic is a blast, but the dollar difference in becoming an rn is substantial enough for me to do it.

i'm also working on an mba, which is the ultimate goal.

[nursemike, ASN, RN]

i'm an nretm-p. working on an asn thru excelsior college. being a paramedic is a blast, but the dollar difference in becoming an rn is substantial enough for me to do it.

i'm also working on an mba, which is the ultimate goal.

pay for paramedics is pretty sad around here, too. I was making more as an orderly/housekeeper than some places offer medics to start. lots of VFDs in our area, I guess. but if I were a younger man, I have to admit it looks pretty exciting.

Oh, well. One thing you don't get from nurses on tv shows is that it really is quite a lot of fun. I suppose it will be more boring, by the time I'm getting good at it, but for now a twelve-hour shift just flies by. Well, the first ten, anyway.

Good luck with school. Sounds like you'll be managing an ED, someday.