Being "Da Man"(or "That Man") In A Overwhelmingly Female Classroom

locolorenzo22, BSN, RN

To get there, first you must go through at least 2 years of education about the entire process and your responsibilities in the said field could mean life and death for others...some of them would still say "ok". Now, mention that it's nursing. "Whoa, man, not for me! Didn't you see Ben Stiller in Meet the Parents?"

The trend is reversing, though. Many males are now realizing that there are countless benefits to having a job where you can set yourself apart from the rest simply by being a caring individual. Plus the idea of gaining some insight into the female dynamics of the mindset can be applied to the rest of our relationships. However, many men wind up being left behind simply because of the massive mindset of (cue for Indiana Jones theme music) "Nursing School!"

So for those guys who think they could become nurses (and you ladies who are trying to convince your guy friends to be nurses), here are a few tips from a fellow male who's almost all the way done.

Don't Fall Into The Mindset Of Impressing Everyone You Meet

Unfortunately, there are plenty of guys who fall into this category. A professor of mine summed it up best "Women are about emotions and feelings. Men are about facts and the concrete." Don't be "That Man" who's always putting his stories about life or family into the lecture. Ask questions when appropriate for understanding, but don't try to ask a question to put your tidbit in there. Your fellow classmates will thank you for not taking the class on a 20 minute tangent about the time you started an IV after 3 cups of coffee, and your hands shook so bad...

Be Organized

Ok, I'm gonna be honest. Personally, I can't find stuff about 25 percent of the time. The day of a test, I'm usually asking friends for a pencil, or an eraser or something simple(I make sure to return it though!). The night before class, however, I'm packing my bag with all the books I know I might want to look at during lecture, putting water and a snack in there, and making sure my assignment is neat and in my binder. Before clinical, my bag's packed with my clipboard, drug book, penlight, name badge, stethoscope, pens(Black only, people!), a five dollar bill, and some hard candy(for those looonngg days before lunch comes). Be "Da Man" and always seem prepared for what's coming....even if you aren't.

Taking Care Of Patients Is Exactly What It Sounds Like

Most men are unprepared for the actual face to face contact that nursing entails. It's not simply walking in with pills, saying "here you go." and walking out. It means listening to your patient, finding out if anything is different today, helping them with any "personal" needs they may have, and being caring! There is no more frustrating feeling to a patient or their family than not talking about what you are doing, not having a conversation to distract them from the fact you're cleaning their bottom, or checking in once and not going back for another 2 hours(personal experience when I was the first week). Being "Da Man" means exactly that. Be the one who people seek out when they need a hand. Don't ignore everyone, but set limits on what you have time to do and never be above answering a call light on a patient who isn't yours.

Have A Good Time - Within Limits

There are plenty of classmates who will stress constantly about the actual grade they're getting. Two points from an A, they spend all their time studying and don't make time to see those friends during a weekend. Forget to take their kids to the park, cause they need that extra 45 minutes. Don't be "that man" who ignores everyone else. Crack a smile, make a joke once in a while and get to know everyone who you want to. You'll have bad days and want that life raft to call when you need a lift. However, this is not an excuse to miss class, party all weekend and expect others to hand over their notes so you can pass the test. You get in what you put in.

Finally, Make Sure To KNOW Your Professors ... Not Their Reputations

I'll never forget it. There I was, the first week in the nursing home, and the professor who supposedly "hated" everyone was bearing down the hall towards me. I looked around, hoping there was another figure all in white who was preparing to take the lecture she was ready to give....nope. So, I breathed deep, steadied my nerves, and faced her head-on. "Where's your patient?" she asked. I replied, "Well, Mr. X is in his activity group for some one on one attention at the moment, he just got done with services in the chapel, and I believe his wife will be back around 11:30 to eat lunch with him." "Oh....well, I'm glad to see you're on top of things today, everyone else seems to be running around like crazy!" (Good thing I'd just got done with running around the unit trying to find out where he was supposed to go.)

Will you have your share of horrible professors? Probably. As long as you're prepared, and ready to answer anything from them without fear(ok, less than total fear) you'll go far. My professors have all been (with one exception) caring and remarkable individuals able to counsel adults from 18-58 about life in nursing, and not making nursing your life. I've learned so much from all of them and there's not a moment that I would trade so far.

Finally, my last piece of advice is this. Don't go into nursing already thinking you're "Da Man". That's a title you have to earn. You'll be "that man" until you prove to the women that you can be just as compassionate as they are. Always view patients as people and you can't go wrong. It's a long, strange journey, but in the end, you get to call yourself what many other people can't: a nurse.