Double standard for men?

[grpman]

Has anyone else noticed that situations or topics deemed "innapropriate for women" are fair game for men in nursing school? For instance, and I could write for hours, in clinicals the women jokingly asked to try catheter insertion on me in the presence of the instructor who smiled. I've also been asked in class, also in the presence of an instructor, whether I "could hurt the baby" due to being well endowed. It doesn't really bother me because it's a joke and the offense doesn't really get under my skin. However, it's a blatant double standard that might get a man kicked out of nursing school (or any other school for that matter) and yet instructors and students alike laugh innocently as if all is normative.

This does cause me to ask a few questions. Do you think that in women dominated fields that a blatant double standard exists or is this peculiar to nursing? Do you think that instructors in nursing are less likely to see the normal boundaries that would be readily apparent in male dominated career paths? Am I the lone guy that has had this happen or is this systemic? Oh yeah, does it bother any of you?

I'm really not going anywhere with this other than I'm really curious what you think. Let me know.

[plumbtrician]

Be very careful!!! I have worked as a paramedic and know that one coworker or fellow student can be telling the whole station a graphic story about anal sex or being punched in the face during intercourse and its OK by the company present. Others might threaten a write-up...

You just never know. Who cares about the double standard? If your skin is thin enough to let something like that bother you, you might just have the wrong career. I have worked in construction for the last 12 years and know alot about hostile workplaces, harassment, etc. Be strong, be smart, don't screw up your career because you want to make a lewd comment to counter the ladies.

Don't forget your wit.

[HM-8404, BSN, RN]

A very close female friend of mine was a nurse educator at a local community college. She advised me not to apply to their nursing program because there are a couple of instructors that are very anti-male. She said they felt like men were invading their territory. She said several of the instructors would talk about how they were going to get rid of certain students they didn't like. Not just male students. She said the main reason she left and took a nurse educator job at a local hospital was because she didn't want to get mixed-up in a lawsuit down the road.

Perhaps one reason there is a double standard is because for years male dominated jobs have implemented sexual harassment training, where female dominated professions have not as much.

[Brett.Siglow]

I honestly do sense a bit of a double standard in nursing. I work on the Labor & Delivery floor at our local hospital, as a Nursing Support while I get my degree. Like pretty much I'm just a janitor, but still, its a job.. I'm constantly getting jokes from the nurses, about being the only male, or others will purposely cone in and say stuff like "Morning ladies" then look for me to react negatively. There was one nurse who asked me not to take my break in the nursing lounge (which is a completely different room from the locker room) because I made her "uncomfortable." Like I don't really let it bother me, I got way worse crap when I was in the Army, it just kinda blind sided me that people were so narrow minded. Just had to kinda share my experience, but I definitely won't let it deter me from what I want to do with my life..

[caliotter3]

I don't think the types of remarks you have described are fair. I work with male nurses and haven't witnessed these types of remarks in the work place but I think they are certainly inappropriate and if it was men singling out a woman in class there would be a stink made.Is the instructor approachable? I would certainly speak to her if she was.

I agree with this. It is not fair to you. You are bothered by it or you would not bring up the subject. This should be discussed with the instructor or her supervisor. You have as much right to attend school in a non-threatening atmosphere as the women do, should the "joking" be reversed. Speak up for yourself.

[DocTwana]

In my opinion there seems generally to be an immaturity amongst nurses, particularly younger ones, bordering almost on an obsession with the male genitals. How do nurses expect to be treated respectfully and as professionals when this behavior prevails? It does not matter whether the patient hears or sees this happen. There is a saying ' that true ethics are shown when someone thinks no one can see'. Thanks, from a female doctor of 27 years experience. Twana.

[RangerRn2B]

I'm a second year RN student, retired Army Equal Opportunity/Sexual Harassment representative, and I'm 46 y/o. I have been the only male in my clinical groups, and one of maybe 15 males out of 120 students. I find that most of the horsing around happens with the younger girls. The older girls and women with life experience are usually pretty professional. The younger girls don't have the experience interacting professionally with men, so I think they overcompensate by being overly open in the presence of male colleagues. I think it's their way of letting you know they accept you. I'd like to think that the majority of them mean no harm, and just like with any profession, or really any area of life, you get some good apples and some bad ones. As long as you are professional in everything you do, you will be OK. Even if an accusation is made against you, it will be unfounded due to no evidence. I find it hard to believe that if you conduct yourself in a professional manner at all times there will be more than one bad apple willing to swear under oath that you harassed them, or another in their presence.