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.

[Dave11, BSN, RN]

i tend to be called "doctor" more than "male nurse".

do i mind being called a nurse? no. if i did, perhaps i should have gotten into a different profession. changing the name of what we do is just semantics.

[malenurse1]

i tend to be called "doctor" more than "male nurse".

do i mind being called a nurse? no. if i did, perhaps i should have gotten into a different profession. changing the name of what we do is just semantics.

You said it Dave!!! I say be proud to be called a Nurse! I am!

[nursemike, ASN, RN]

i tend to be called "doctor" more than "male nurse".

do i mind being called a nurse? no. if i did, perhaps i should have gotten into a different profession. changing the name of what we do is just semantics.

I kind of think the point of the debate is that some male potential nurses are sufficiently put-off by the title to choose another profession. I think what we traditionalists are saying is essentially that if a little thing like that scares you off, the realities of the field are far more alarming than the name. I did my first ever straight-cath today. Touching a member was the least scary part of it.

I will concede that to be a male nurse, it helps to be sublimely confident in your masculinity. Or gay. Or both.

[jamch]

When faced with the "term" Male Nurse (which is most often used by older Women patients) I shoot back with "I'm a Nurse, I just happen to be a Male". I usually get a chuckle from the patient, or at least some sort of reaction which I turn into something positive. In the ED/Trauma setting, I have found that most patients are just thankful to have a competient care provider - especially in a major teaching hospital where so many residents are running around with their heads in the enema position.....

[jamch]

Traumahawk99 - just a warning from one who has been there and is already where you are headed - I gave up running with my EMS Squad after the Winter/Christmas break during my last year in Nursing School. I realized that I had too much invested in my education (let alone my student loans to Thomas Jefferson University) to blow it all on one potential case in the field. That decision was also critical in helping me to change my thinking regarding patient care.

Our scope of practice as RNs is so drastically different than our scope of practice as EMT-Ps. While taking the NREMT-P exam was by far the best preparation for the NCLEX-RN boards, what we do as Nurses is very different.

Just a caveat to a fellow prehosptial junkie - you may fine that changing your thinking about yourself - or not doing so - will impact on your professional practice.

[jasonglh]

You know I thought I was pretty secure about the whole thing but I suppose I usually tell people I am in RN school not nursing school. Part of that though would be to differentiate between LPN and RN. I think I will probably tell people I am an RN not a nurse though. Nurse leads you to think of a kind gentle caregiver which is not really me. I really like the technical knoweldge and skill side of nursing. I am really enjoying the challenge of Externing in the ICU I could see me staying there or working as a flight nurse err flight RN

I worked EMS for 7 years before and prehospital will always be my first love but it just doesnt pay well and will grind your lower spine into dust in the end.

[nursemike, ASN, RN]

When faced with the "term" Male Nurse (which is most often used by older Women patients) I shoot back with "I'm a Nurse, I just happen to be a Male". I usually get a chuckle from the patient, or at least some sort of reaction which I turn into something positive. In the ED/Trauma setting, I have found that most patients are just thankful to have a competient care provider - especially in a major teaching hospital where so many residents are running around with their heads in the enema position.....

I've seen a slogan on a couple of ball caps that said:"American by birth, West Virginian by choice."

I guess I could say Male by birth, Nurse by choice. I'd need a royal blue ball cap, to go with my uniform. Or a white one, I guess.

[rogramjet]

I've seen a slogan on a couple of ball caps that said:"American by birth, West Virginian by choice."

I guess I could say Male by birth, Nurse by choice. I'd need a royal blue ball cap, to go with my uniform. Or a white one, I guess.

You need to market that. I would buy one.

[MASSRN2B]

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.

I am a woman and I get bothered by the term "male nurse".

Of course a nurse is a nurse to most people, but I think there is a generational gap as far as the acceptance of men in female dominated occupations and women in male dominated occupations.

My dad is a frequent patient of the VA hospital, he is also one of those "Archie Bunker" types. To him, there are only nurses and orderlies. I have explained to him NUMEROUS times that when their id badge has an LPN or RN after their name they are a nurse...not a male nurse, not an orderly, and not gay. My dad also refers to women as "girl cops" and "female firefighters"...this all infuriates me to no end

[vortex72]

I'm male and I HATE the term "male nurse"

Regardless of what anyone says, that description carries the connotation that being a nurse and being male is a gender anomaly and needs a special description.

I have no problem being a male RN, but my problem is the way some people respond to it. Most girls I've dated find it pretty cool since many women have at one time wanted to be a nurse (like boys wanting to be doctors and firefighters) However, older people tend to have a preconceived notion about being a "male nurse"

In a social setting if someone asks me what I do I say "I'm an RN and I do acute dialysis" If they dont dont what RN means then I explain it. I NEVER use the term NURSE because unfortunately to society at large the term NURSE means anybody that cleans up poop and gives bedbaths. I've even met family members of patients who've told me they were a "nurse" and later I find out they are an assistant in a nursing home

I prefer the professional designation.

[danu3]

In my view, no use getting upset over "male-nurse". Might as well have some fun with it. I got this idea from another poster (forgot whom) when one of my friend went "so you are going to be a male-nurse?". I replied "Well, you don't know how hard it is to be a female nurse, I always seemed to fail the physical exam."

Or here is another reply (I have not try it) if a patient ask "You a male nurse?", you can answer "Yes, I am a male nurse. Oh look! Here is a female nurse! Hi Mary..." (as Mary walks in) You might want to warn Mary (your coworker) ahead of time about this.

-Dan

[gustercc]

I was at a wedding shower and the host's mother came up to me and asked me what I did for a living. I told her "I'm a Registered Nurse."

Honest to God she said "OOOH, Like Fokker!!"

I was dumbstruck and told her as dryly as I could "...yes exactly like fokker.."

she replied "so your a male nurse"

I told her "I like the name 'murse'. "

twit.haha

cheers,

rich