First Male Nurse Discrimination

Marie_LPN, RN, LPN, RN · May 25, 2005

The school superintendent has stated that they are not sure how I will "be received by our diverse student population, especially adolescent girls and female faculty members who count on the school clinic for various medical insights."

The odds of the student population would be better if the faculty weren't so apprehensive. I mean, if i were a student, i would think "well Principal So and SO sin't too wise on this idea, so should i be worried?"

It's not like you went to school and learned only male health issues.

I don't feel that the superintendent should be concerned about problems that do not exist. That's just me

pricklypear · May 25, 2005

I've never heard of a male school nurse. I've never thought about it before!! You are so right about who's there for the boys? I suppose the boys eventually build some kind of trust with the female nurse. Why shouldn't the girls develop the same kind of trust over time? In fact, I think girls would be more likely to open up to a "father figure" type male than boys would to a "mother figure" I know my boys don't talk to me about 'stuff'. My daughter isn't shy about it at all. I think you might be on to something!! Good luck with the job!

Jen

smk1, LPN · May 25, 2005

I've never really experienced any discrimination during my nursing career, at least that I know of. Sure, I've had a few women ask for a female to assist them with a bed pan but that's no real issue with me. I had posted in the School Nurse section about my wife being recruited to the American International School in Bangladesh and me being interviewed for a school nurse position there. I'm posting this here rather than in the School Nurse section just to get more feedback. My wife was the main person they wanted and I was ok with that. As they told us, my wife was the "big fish" and I was the "small fish!" I had told them that if my wife came over, I'd want a job also so they let me interview for the school nurse position. Now, I'd never ever even considered being a school nurse, however this interview process has brought up some interesting things. The school superintendent has stated that they are not sure how I will "be received by our diverse student population, especially adolescent girls and female faculty members who count on the school clinic for various medical insights."
I can see that some adolescent females might not want to discuss their "girly" problems with a big hunk like me but what about the boys...might they not want to discuss their male issues with a female nurse? Don't they need a role model for the nursing profession? By the way, I did go through a traumatic (for my daughter) initiation into periodhood when she started during a summer visit (and miles away from my nurse midwife exwife)!
It does look like they are going to offer us a one year contract instead of the usual two year one just to see how things work out. I guess that is ok since they should see that things will be ok. What do you guys think? Are all school nurses female? Am I going to be blazing another trail here?

i worked as a school health assistant for a few years and at our annual Nurse and Health assistant meetings there were a few males there that were school nurses. but the percentage was low. Either way it shouldn't matter, sounds like that principal is a bit behind the times.

Demonsthenes · May 25, 2005

I worked as a prison R.N. in a minimal security prison that housed both male and female inmates. A survey done by management of both male and female prisoners gave me higher marks from the same than any of the other nurses for the quality of care given. Management used objective data and came to the same conclusion.

The female prisoners were, therefore, not interested in my gender but on the quality of care given.

I suggest that the quality of care given to all patients should be based upon patient satisfaction and objective criteria rather than non-relevant criteria such as gender. :coollook:

labman · May 25, 2005

In our school we had a school nurse who was a male. He did well. I wish you the best of luck. Hope everything goes well.