Gay male nurse stereotype?

paganoid · May 6, 2009

when a man identified himself as a nurse, many people interpreted that in the context of the larger stereotype of the "naughty nurse," and made their perceptions more concordant with their prejudices by regarding the man as gay (an extension of the fantasy of women in nursing as prostitutes, or at least, promiscuous).

:angryfire:angryfire:angryfire

that "naughty nurse" characterization really gets me steamed! my friends have asked if i'll be in their gay internet Mediao video as the "naughty nurse" once i get out of school. which is an even bigger "joke" when you consider i'm fat, bald, and forty. i know they're just giving me a hard time, but still it really winds me up.

i'd like to have a word with whoever thought that up! (biff, sock, owwww!)

but to return to the original thread, i think this idea is just as valid as any of the others.

what we need to do is show that, gay or straight, men belong in nursing right alongside women doctors.

gender bias is so twentieth century! :lol2:

CountyRat · May 7, 2009

Paganoid wrote, "That "naughty nurse" characterization really gets me steamed!" Me too, bro. Being thought of as gay never bothered me. It just made me laugh and shrug my shoulders. However, the representation of my women colleagues as whores really gets me steamed. I lived with a couple hundred women in the dorm during nursing school (yeah, big classes) and got to know many of them very well. The woman RNs I came to know earned my respect, and when I see them protrayed as toys for the pleasure of grubby little men, it ****** me off. Kind of a brotherly protective thing I guess (though most of the ladies in nursing that I know can take care of themselves without any help from the boys, thank you very much!)

CountyRat · May 7, 2009

Paganoid writes, "That "naughty nurse" characterization really gets me steamed" Same by me, bro. Being thought of as gay never bothered me, it just made me chuckle. However, seeing my colleagues portrayed as whores in tight white uniforms really torks me of. In nursing school I lived in a dorm with a couple hundred women and a couple dozen men (yeah, big classes at my school). I got to be close to several of the ladies in my class, and they earned my respect. When I see these exceptional women being portrayed as toys for grubby little men to get off on, it really torks me off. Kind of a protective brotherly thing, I guess, although the nurses that I know do not need my protection, they can put slobbering males in their place very skillfully, without any help from their male colleagues, thank you very much!

ZanatuBelmont · May 7, 2009

This line of action may initiate conflict with patients who are uncomfortable/scared of homosexuals... is my line in this mater kosher? How does providing the utmost care and compassion work when you would have to compromise your morals and values in order to make a patient comfortable?

That's an interesting question! I think it would entirely depend on the situation you're in. If the patient asks personal questions, answer them as far as you're comfortable, gay or straight. Draw the line but be respectful about it. If lying to the patient about your sexual orientation will make your day go better, just go with it. If it were me I would answer honestly, but to each their own.

Note: If you decide to reveal your orientation, and assume your supervisor will reassign you and treat you no differently than before, make sure your state protects you from workplace discrimination based on sexual orientation. In those states I think lying about your sexual orientation to a patient would be the lesser of two evils. Just my thoughts, though.

nursenow · Aug 27, 2009

So, a question has arisen in my mind since I have been in CNA class waiting for nursing school to start.
There are only 2 guys in my class of 25, and the other guy is married and I'm gay. After doing clinicals in the hospital, I have yet to see another gay male CNA or nurse.
Where does this stereotype come from? I am not seeing it at all.

You expected male nurses to be gay? Thats intersting. A gay guy stereotyping gay guys? Or straight guys? Or nurses? Man! I just confused myself! I think that stereotype comes from when society considered nursing to be a womans job. Only men with female ways would want to be a nurse? Don't know the answer for sure but I have never run into that stereotye personaly unless people keep it to themselves when I am around.

Bug Out, BSN · Aug 28, 2009

I personally have only come across 1 gay CNA, all the other male Nurses I know were married etc and straight (although I do know gay men who were in the past or currently married to women lol).

The stereotype I come across is the male Nurse who is attempting to become a Doctor. People can't seem to understand that a man would look at Nursing as a goal rather than a stepping stone. Every other day I am asked by patients and their families if I am studying to be a Dr. :banghead:

RN34TX · Aug 28, 2009

I personally have only come across 1 gay CNA, all the other male Nurses I know were married etc and straight (although I do know gay men who were in the past or currently married to women lol).

Thank you for saying that because it concerns me seeing the number of comments here like "Well there are 5 guys in my class but we're all married" or something along those lines.

Being married or even having an opposite sex partner means nothing folks in terms of sexuality.

Ask any gay person and they will tell you that either they themselves were married at one time or they were with someone who was married at one time or another.

I've lived in different cities around the country and seeing men married with children in gay bars picking up other men is a very,very common activity everywhere I've lived or visited.

I say that because I've seen people in nursing assume so much about men on both sides. I've seen many colleagues just assume that if the new guy isn't married or doesn't have a girlfriend, then he's probably gay.

Some men just don't want to be married or attached, plain and simple. It doesn't make them gay.

RN34TX · Aug 28, 2009

The stereotype I come across is the male Nurse who is attempting to become a Doctor. People can't seem to understand that a man would look at Nursing as a goal rather than a stepping stone. Every other day I am asked by patients and their families if I am studying to be a Dr.

Now this I run into very frequently. Either I'm studying to be a doctor or I failed medical school and became a nurse instead because I couldn't cut it as a doctor. As if...............Every nurse knows plenty of doctors who can't cut it as a doctor yet they still are one.

Ric31 · Sep 3, 2009

i just started nursing school this week. there are 8 males in my class. out of all of us i know for sure that the 5 black male students are gay; only know because they are flamboyant and not at all trying to hide it. the other 3 white males and we are all straight.

polter · Sep 3, 2009

i just started nursing school this week. there are 8 males in my class. out of all of us i know for sure that the 5 black male students are gay; only know because they are flamboyant and not at all trying to hide it. the other 3 white males and we are all straight.

i fail to realize how the students' skin tone was relevant to your claim.

Dave 48103 · Sep 3, 2009

i just started nursing school this week. there are 8 males in my class. out of all of us i know for sure that the 5 black male students are gay; only know because they are flamboyant and not at all trying to hide it. the other 3 white males and we are all straight.

how do you know the other three white guys are straight? was there some kind of weird introductions the first day of class?

rn/writer, RN · Sep 4, 2009

i just started nursing school this week. there are 8 males in my class. out of all of us i know for sure that the 5 black male students are gay; only know because they are flamboyant and not at all trying to hide it. the other 3 white males and we are all straight.

not sure what your point is.