Gay male nurse stereotype?

NewMexicoJohn · Nov 26, 2008

"straight shooters?" :banghead:

What's your point here brother? Why do you care what other dudes are in to? Focus on being the best you can in your career and why ARE YOU EVEN THINKING about the other dudes in your class???????

You need to "shoot straight" and focus on your studies and stop thinking about the sexuality of the other men in your class. That's just WRONG dude. Totally WRONG.

NursingStudent2222 · Nov 26, 2008

The reason I say this is because from my experience there seems to be more gay male nurses than straight male nurses. What is it about Nursing that attracts homosexual males so much?

And the reason why I say straight shooters is because if we had more heterosexual males in nursing there would not be a stereotype that every male nurse in Nursing is Gay.

NewMexicoJohn · Nov 27, 2008

Brother.....why do you care what other people think about nurses, male of female. Hold your head up high and dare others to go where you have gone! Bravo for following your dreams. Be proud of who YOU are, whatever that is, and live a genuine life. Everything else is someone else's hangup, not yours! Meantime, ENJOY all of the eligible females surrounding you. More straight dudes would mean more competition! Go for it!

RN34TX · Nov 27, 2008

The reason I say this is because from my experience there seems to be more gay male nurses than straight male nurses. What is it about Nursing that attracts homosexual males so much?
And the reason why I say straight shooters is because if we had more heterosexual males in nursing there would not be a stereotype that every male nurse in Nursing is Gay.

I read these comments here from time to time and I still don't get it.

Just where are these straight guys working or going to school where they are supposedly so outnumbered and surrounded by gay men in their class or work setting?

Greenwich Village in NYC? Key West? West Hollywood?

I'm gay and have been a nurse for nearly 12 years in different parts of the country and almost every place I've ever worked I have been either the only gay man or maybe one other gay man on my unit.

Right now, there are 19 nurses on my unit. 7 are men and I'm the only gay one. I'm far outnumbered and that has been the norm for me throughout my career.

So I'm inclined to believe that those of you who complain about so many gay male nurses must be working or going to school in more densely gay populated areas of the country.

Either that or it's a strange coincidence that I just happened to have ended up always working at the very few hospitals where gay men were always outnumbered by straight men for 12 years in multiple cities and states.

Roy Fokker, BSN, RN · Nov 27, 2008

I read these comments here from time to time and I still don't get it.
Just where are these straight guys working or going to school where they are supposedly so outnumbered and surrounded by gay men in their class or work setting?
Greenwich Village in NYC? Key West? West Hollywood?
I'm gay and have been a nurse for nearly 12 years in different parts of the country and almost every place I've ever worked I have been either the only gay man or maybe one other gay man on my unit.
Right now, there are 19 nurses on my unit. 7 are men and I'm the only gay one. I'm far outnumbered and that has been the norm for me throughout my career.
So I'm inclined to believe that those of you who complain about so many gay male nurses must be working or going to school in more densely gay populated areas of the country.
Either that or it's a strange coincidence that I just happened to have ended up always working at the very few hospitals where gay men were always outnumbered by straight men for 12 years in multiple cities and states.

*snort* You got that right!

Just take my last job and my current one for example:

Last job: I worked in the heart of the midwest. There were only three male nurses on our floor - myself, my good friend (ex-special forces medic) and the other dude (ex-Marines). Neither one of us is gay.

Current job: North east. 3 male nurses (and about 6 male techs. We do have 3 more male nurses joining by around year's end - so that makes a total of 6 male nurses and 6 male techs). Not one of us is gay.

The difference in the amount of males could be attributed to the fact that my old job was on a regular floor and my current one is in the ER/ED.

But it doesn't distract from RN34TX's post - because I happen to agree with him. If there are more "gay male nurses" than "hetero male nurses", I certainly haven't come across such disparity from personal experience.

Which also leads me to believe that like many stereotypes - this "phenomenon" is merely that... a s-t-e-r-e-o-t-y-p-e. It's akin to saying "most whites are racist"or "most blacks are thugs" or "most minorities live on welfare" or whathaveyou....

Stereotypes are dumb.

To put it mildly.

I wonder if folks would be "this curious" if the genders were switched and it was hetero males talking about lesbian nurses?

cheers,

Roy (who is often left wondering as to how or why should the sexual orientation of other nurses - be they male or female - be a matter of consequence at all??)

Miwila · Nov 27, 2008

I also wonder where it is you're working that you're surrounded by gay male nurses. I have yet to encounter another gay male nurse. The men I have worked with have always been real "straight shooters". I wouldn't even think about admitting to any of them I was gay.

SteveNNP, MSN, NP · Nov 29, 2008

May all of us guys who are nurses be the kind that our coworkers and patients can look at and say, "What a great nurse. I want HIM taking care of me..." instead of wishing more of us were "straight shooters"

greygooseuria · Nov 29, 2008

I actually had a weird response to a straight coworker finding out I was gay tonight.

He's a meathead and asked a nurse if he should flex for me and take off his shirt and try to turn me on. Apparently this would have been doing me a favor and he "knows how to turn gay guys on".

I had to hold back from choking on my vomit.

SteveNNP, MSN, NP · Nov 29, 2008

I actually had a weird response to a straight coworker finding out I was gay tonight.
He's a meathead and asked a nurse if he should flex for me and take off his shirt and try to turn me on. Apparently this would have been doing me a favor and he "knows how to turn gay guys on".
I had to hold back from choking on my vomit.

Sounds like someone needs to be taken down a peg or two.

Speed Freak · Nov 30, 2008

If I got out more, I could single handedly bust that sterotype. No one would ever percieve me as gay. I am built like a powerlifter, goatee, scarred face, tattoos, no neck and pretty much baby scaring, dog howling, clock stopping ugly! I ride a motorcycle and wear a full face helmet, not so much for safety but because I would probably affect traffic without it with this face. I am not saying that gay guys that are built like and look like me do not exist, but who would believe it?

jon1989 · Mar 22, 2009

Well,

I am a gay male nursing student and I wear a band as my partner (Army guy) and I have been together for 3 years, and I personally have gotten so many comments regarding my sexuality, although I have a higher than normal voice other than that I do not tend to be too "flamboyant", one of the girls in my nursing class even refused to sit with me during lab because she was afraid of gay men, but anyway the point of my post is this, NO MATTER the color, creed, religion, sexuality, height, weight, gender should matter as long as the pts are getting the care they deserve, any nurse/student worried about any of those things should consider another profession because it could lead to sub-par care when dealing with patients.

Just Dave Will Do · Mar 22, 2009

this is the shortest best answer i have heard. from my experience i have met more gay women in nursing than men. the couple gay men i have met in nursing were very openly gay. stereotyped images...think of the male secretary image too.

peace