CLARIFICATION

[oseibonsu]

Why do people think that nursing is for females only. Even in most nursing books it is always she. Why are they not using he since we also give care to the sick. Give me your answers

[Mike A. Fungin RN]

Fewer than 6% of the 2.9 million RNs in the US are male (AACN, 2002).

The more recent numbers are 6.8% or above nationwide, depending on the source.

California's doing even better. I was at a conference a couple months ago where Ruth Ann Terry, the California BRN's executive officer, let us know that the latest numbers for California are 10% of RNs are male and 18% of nursing students are male.

[nerdtonurse?, BSN, RN]

The reason they use the female pronoun is the same reason they used the male pronoun on everything when I was working in computers. If I had a dime for everytime someone thought I was the secretary instead of the analyst, I'd be rich. By the time I left the cube farms, it was more balanced, but back in the 80's, I was often the only woman on the project. I got used to it, and pretty soon, didn't even notice it anymore -- except when I was moving equipment that was designed for someone with upper body strength that women usually don't have (like putting 50 pound computers on computer racks higher than your ears).

You really will get "deaf" to it over time.

[RNKPCE]

Until the number of men in the profession increase you will most like see "she " used most of the time. I also find "he/she" cumbersome if I have to read that each time.

The males nurses I work with frequently are assumed to be "doctors" by some of the patients. This happened just recently while I was working. A new admission came and she was assigned to one of our male nurses, as charge I went in to help and the patient stated in answer to a question " I just gave that tall doctor in the blue scrubs my medication history".