Gay male nurse stereotype?

nursenow · Sep 24, 2009

Why should we change the name of male nurses? Isn't that kind of discriminatory? It would still be pointing out the fact that we are different. How about if everone just accepts the fact that some nurses are male and some are female. Then the word nurse would not have anything to do with ones' sex.

Anoetos, BSN, RN · Sep 25, 2009

I have no problem with that. The remark came out of a discussion on male nurse stereotypes and it was mentioned that they nearly all devolve upon the identification of the role as feminine. Which would seem to imply that, right, wrong, or indifferent, the word "nurse" carries a lingering feminine connotation that may never go away. The verb "to nurse" has the meaning of "to suckle" but also to nurture and succor. Men can certainly do the latter, but despite having nipples are hopeless at the former.

My friend was floating the suggestion that the name, at least in the case of males in the profession, be changed, her suggestion was medic, which as I mentioned, has a military connection that has little to do with what most nurses do.

As I see it, there are three real problems:

1. Nomenclature is notoriously difficult to alter, especially when established expressions have been in use for as long as the word "nurse". I would not be hopeful that any effort to change it would be successful.

2. Any word, unless it is is an entire neologism, will carry its own connotations.

3. Except for the fact that Health Care Nurses do not suckle their patients, the word is an excellent descriptor of what Nurses actually do, regardless of gender.

So, I agree, the name should not be changed. I was just mentioning it for the sake of conversation.

I apologize for derailing the thread.

nursenow · Sep 25, 2009

I think it is an interesting thought. Having spent alot of years in the military, I do know the military has medics, but they also have nurses, two different animals.

That Guy, BSN, RN, EMT-B · Sep 25, 2009

The only people that ever call me a male nurse are some pts and my grandma. I dont give a flying fornication that they preface it with male because their generation is not used to guys in the field. A female doctor is still a doctor, a female paramedic is still a paramedic. So why should the male nurse be any different?

Bug Out, BSN · Sep 29, 2009

This is a very interesting subject to someone who is just beginning the journey to become a nurse.
I was speaking with someone recently who floated the idea that the name for the profession should be changed to something less fraught with sexual stereotypes generally. Her suggestion was that we call them medics. Or at least that male nurses be called that. I told her I thought the military connotation problematic.
Has anyone else given this any thought?
As for male nurses being gay, well, the stereotype is interesting and I guess it's not too hard to track but none of the male nurses I know are gay, not that I know a lot, but the ones I do know are all heterosexual family men.

To be honest I am proud to call myself a Nurse, actually I am proud to call myself a Registered Nurse (just to rub it in the nose of the LPNs lol).

We need to change the stereotype, not change our title to avoid the stereotype. That would be like an Asian man changing his ethnic title of "Asian" to "BetterAtMathThanYouan" to avoid any negative stereotyping.

I think the stereotype is changing considering more men are entering the Nursing field. I don't find offense in the stereotype that Nursing is a "woman's job" considering it is vastly dominated by women, at the same time I would hope a female construction worker would not be offended by the stereotype that construction is a "man's job"

Now I do have a HUGE problem with male Nurse's being stereotyped as Med School dropouts or Med students just because it brings the connotation that Nursing is somehow below or less desirable than being a MD.

SteveNNP, MSN, NP · Sep 30, 2009

Seems to me this whole problem would disappear if people stopped caring so much about whether others perceived them as gay being a male nurse.

Tozz · Oct 1, 2009

Hear, hear.

At some time in the near future, could someone drive a stake in this thread and give it a dignified death? It's been bobbing to the top ever since I've been a member. I don't object to the discussion per se, but according to message count, is this really the number one issue everyone wants to talk about?!

Seems to me this whole problem would disappear if people stopped caring so much about whether others perceived them as gay being a male nurse.

nursenow · Oct 1, 2009

I actu

Bug Out, BSN · Oct 1, 2009

Seems to me this whole problem would disappear if people stopped caring so much about whether others perceived them as gay being a male nurse.

Very insightful. If you stop caring about the problem then there won't be a problem. Reminds me of some of my patients, if they don't allow the chest pain to bother them then eventually it will go away right?

I don't think most of the male Nurses here care too much that they are being stereotyped as gay, I think the problem is that they are being stereotyped in the first place.

K.P.A. · Oct 2, 2009

Never mind a bit of whimpy stereotyping...how about some downright discrimination.

Moderator DUDE!!..fork a new topic if you wish...just don't forget the pointer.

I was pretty ticked off to learn that I'm too old for the public health service. Cutoff is age 44. What gives? If I was still running the business and decided that I wanted to hire hot Slovenian chicks with big tatas, cute accents, and only 33 birthdays under their thongs, I'd catch all sorts of $hit...Yet, the Feds can say..."screw you, you're too old" with impunity... Something is seriously wrong with this picture...

I can climb 10 flights of stairs in under 3 minutes, swim 2 miles in an hour, read backwards and upside down, and make any baby smile. But I can't be a public health service (cute uniforms they have) nurse because I'm too old.

your friend K.P.A.

Anoetos, BSN, RN · Dec 6, 2009

I don't think most of the male Nurses here care too much that they are being stereotyped as gay, I think the problem is that they are being stereotyped in the first place.

Exactly...

I could really care less if someone thinks I'm gay. Anyway, personal experience pretty much defeats the stereotype anyway. There may have been a time when nursing was, for men, like the priesthood, a gay career track, but I really don't think that's the case anymore.

What does this say about me anyway? At one time I was a Jesuit candidate too...lol

Murse-Man · Dec 11, 2009

I'm not against a name change; i think we should be called "murses". It's funny (albeit sometimes derogatory, at least how I have heard it used), but that's the best way to change a negative label. Make it your own, then take pride in it.