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?
I hate to tell you this but nursing is looked down upon and not treated with the respect that it deserves because the majority are women and as crazy as it sounds even in the year 2005 we are not looked upon as equal to men. You can argue with me if you want but the same goes for the teaching profession. It primarly started out as a field dominated dominated by women and that is why they are under paid for what they do. Maybe some day things will change but I doubt it. Just an example, if a man is in a white lab coat the patients will automatically call you Dr. if it was a woman they will call her nurse....or whatever but Dr. wouldn't be the first thing to come to mind....
I can see where being called a "male nurse" vs being called just a nurse may upset some people. I think that this can apply to anything tho. Nationality, ethniticity....job title...I guess I don't feel it as much since I'm in with the majority, a female nurse...or just a plain ole' nurse. When I was a cop, I was often referred to as the "female cop," or just plain ole' metermaid (which I wasn't...I was a cop)...especially by the drunks that didn't like a FEMALE cop taking them to jail.
I constantly have to remind patients that I am a nurse anesthetist, not an anesthesiologist. I am very proud to be a nurse, trained long and hard to be one and have fed my family well being one. Guys that don't introduce them selves as nurses lose my respect immediately. Male nurse, is another thing. It offends me to be refered to by my gender. I politely respond "nurse" not "male nurse".
Thanks, Craig in Montana where it is currently snowing at my house.
A Nursing Journal I read once asked the readership in general, if the term "Nurse" was out dated. If so, what would they like to be called?
I don't see how any new term could be as prestigious or as descriptive of what we as a group do for our patients, clients, residents and others we serve. We have so many specialties and different ways to be a nurse. No new title could do it all. In my experience, most descriptive titles are covers for lee desirable jobs such as Custodial Engineer or Environmental Specialist for housekeeping or janitorial staff.
Should a CNA, LPN, RN, NP all be called nurse? I think not. There needs to be some brain power to decide how to divide and label the many levels of nursing. And while they are at it, why not come up with a label that isn't so ambiguous as nurse.
Doctor comes from a latin term for "to teach." I suggest a similar nurse latin designation that describes "to care, heal, or treat." For the professional nursing level, I'm fond of the name "curator," for one who cures! :)
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'm not sure about English, but in Czech (and probably in most Slav languages) a female nurse is called a "Health Sister" and a male nurse is called a "Health Brother". This comes from over a thousand years ago when Catholic Religious Sisters (nuns) and Brothers (monks) ran all of the hospitals in Europe and nursed the sick. Czechs and all other Slav nations that I know of in Central and Eastern Europe have totally different words for feeding an infant at the breast and the act of tending to sick patients. There is no connection between these two words. I would also like to know what the term would have been say 700 years ago in England.
This is my problem: the term, nurse, is a description as opposed to doctor, which is a title.
This site has alot of insight into why nurses aren't treated like 'professionals'. Maybe part of it is because 'Dr.' Smith refers to the bedside nurse as 'Kelly', or 'Amanda', or in my case, 'Tim'.
I used to know a little bit of Russian, and like many languages, Spanish included, Russian conjugates verbs into 6 forms: I, you (informal), we, they, you (formal), us. You talk to peers and those above you in the formal 'you'. You talk to friends, children and subordinates in the informal 'you'.
DR. is a formal 'you' address. Referring to you by your first name is a very informal 'you' address. While I will submit that this arrangement between doctor and nurse is the evolutionary model of nursing's past, it is not a recipe for 'professionalism' in the future.
I do not object in the least to being referred to as a nurse. I object to the fact that my training and experience are just so many useless letters AFTER my name instead of a key address IN FRONT OF my name. And even then, my objection is only because, that isn't very 'professional'.
~faith,
Timothy.
Well said! I was just thinking about this today, as I too am a linguist. I agree that the Russian 'Vyi' and Spanish 'Usted' is a good analogy for the lack of title we have. Well done!!
Specializes in Med-Surg, Geriatric, Behavioral Health.
Should a CNA, LPN, RN, NP all be called nurse? I think not. There needs to be some brain power to decide how to divide and label the many levels of nursing. And while they are at it, why not come up with a label that isn't so ambiguous as nurse.
Doctor comes from a latin term for "to teach." I suggest a similar nurse latin designation that describes "to care, heal, or treat." For the professional nursing level, I'm fond of the name "curator," for one who cures! :)
I like your concept and your way of thinking. Good points.
I went through the insanity of school to become a NURSE. I am a NURSE. I am not a "patient care specialist." I am a NURSE.
I am not a MALE nurse. I am a NURSE. I wonder how well it would go over if I referred a patient to that LADY doctor.
When my dad went to nursing school in the 1970s I was ridiculed endlessly- mostly by girls. "What does your mommy do- drive a bulldozer?" Being the sarcastic little monster that I was, I would answer, "No, my mom is a construction foreman who moonlights as a martial arts instructor."
stefanitenzi
32 Posts
I hate to tell you this but nursing is looked down upon and not treated with the respect that it deserves because the majority are women and as crazy as it sounds even in the year 2005 we are not looked upon as equal to men. You can argue with me if you want but the same goes for the teaching profession. It primarly started out as a field dominated dominated by women and that is why they are under paid for what they do. Maybe some day things will change but I doubt it. Just an example, if a man is in a white lab coat the patients will automatically call you Dr. if it was a woman they will call her nurse....or whatever but Dr. wouldn't be the first thing to come to mind....