Male Nurses.

Nurses General Nursing

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SO as a Male looking to become a Nurse one day... Is what they say true?

Can a Male Nurse really find better jobs with better pay much easier than most Women Nurses?

Are the amount of Men in Nursing rising significantly, by chance?

Any other Men/Nursing tidbits would be nice to hear. To stroke the ego, if nothing else.:D

Specializes in Med-Surg, Trauma, Ortho, Neuro, Cardiac.
Originally posted by RN_MIKE

I believe there were 60 students in my nursing class. I was 1 out of 6 guys. I enjoyed every bit of nursing school. I don't think I could've had a better time in any other major.

Wish I could say I loved nursing school. It was a tremendous challenge.

We had about 60 students as well, with two males. I reached out to him in friendship a couple of times and was met with a cold shoulder. It's a shame, we could have bonded and been good friends, but no. Don't know why he was like that, but he is str8 and I'm gay, perhaps he was homophobic. Did the males in your class bond, or just mix with the rest of the class, or both.

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Tweety . . . .probably just a case of people not "clicking".

How could anyone not like you though? :)

I was gonna "hit the hay" a few posts ago . . . my daughter's softball game went into overtime and we got home late, no dinner so we all scrambled . . . and I have to get up at 1:45 a.m so really, I've got to get this sleeping child off my chest and get to bed. I do love it when my toddler falls asleep like this though.

. . still trying to get that song out of my head . . . "burning down the house". . . .

Thanks for making me smile. . . :kiss steph

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Specializes in Med-Surg, Trauma, Ortho, Neuro, Cardiac.
Originally posted by stevielynn

Tweety . . . .probably just a case of people not "clicking".

How could anyone not like you though? :)

I was gonna "hit the hay" a few posts ago . . . my daughter's softball game went into overtime and we got home late, no dinner so we all scrambled . . . and I have to get up at 1:45 a.m so really, I've got to get this sleeping child off my chest and get to bed. I do love it when my toddler falls asleep like this though.

. . still trying to get that song out of my head . . . "burning down the house". . . .

Thanks for making me smile. . . :kiss steph

True enough, I could have had bad breath or something. :chuckle

Go to bed now!

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:p I am not a Male Nurse; I am a Registered Nurse who happens to be male. My wife, thankfully, happens to be a Registered Nurse who is female.

I see the old furphy about males in nursing all being Gay is still about; that's great but don't tell my kids.

;) The original point was about better pay and promotion; I am no longer the only (Token) male in my department, the new boss is a man and he did not get the job because of his gender - the interview panel thought he was the best Nurse for the job. One factor that does make promotion more certain is that men do not take maternity leave so are often around when opportunities come up. It depends if you ladies wish to care for your own offspring or have some-one else do this while you work. My wife chose to raise our two kids ; others do not.

In Oz, at least, most responsible organisations promote on merit not sex.

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Specializes in Step down, ICU, ER, PACU, Amb. Surg.

I found in the civilian world that male RNs were a novelty of sorts, however in the military hospital, that is not the case. But now that I have worked 2 different worlds, so to speak, I definitely see where the male RNs in the civilian society had to work harder to gain the respect of others. It was like they had to prove themselves. Now, military wise....all are equal and if you do good, you do good....no bones about it...male or female. The different thing that I see working military is that the civilians are not always treated with the respect due any good professional, maybe it's because we are not in the "in group" so to speak. But I am trailing off here...back to topic.....I have worked with several RNs that happened to be male and I have only come across 3 that have been a disgrace to the profession and 1 that needed to take a hiatus because of burn out. I don't care what your gender is.....all I ask is that you be professional, show compassion and do your job to the very best of your ability and always look for opportunities to improve the quality of your care.

Christie

PS: I had 3 men in my nursing class...and we all had a grand time with them, Tweety......I would say t hat you either forgot to brush your teeth that day or the fella just did not appreciate your fine sense of humor :D :chuckle

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EXCELLENT POST DAYRAY!!!!!

SMILINGBLUEYES-- as usual i have to agree with your posts they are excellent as always:)

back to the topic at hand, as a male you can be assured of no preferential treatment, i know a lot of nurses may feel this way,but it is not true at all. I think it is just another escuse they use for why they may not have advanced, it does not have to be true it is just their opinion.

I can tell you I work with a couple of nurses that insist the only reason patients remember me and not the other nurses is because I am male. well let me tell you I find that very offending, because it demeans an my nursing skils,ability,kindness and compassion. and for what? Just so they can feel better about theirselves! why do nurses find ways to belittle others and their accomplishments instead of looking at theirselves? I can assure you My patients remember me for the care I provide,which is done with kindness ,compassion and to the best of my ability no matter what! they do not seem to realize that i will stay at a patients bedside even if it means i will have to stay late to finish paperwork, or the fact that i will sit with a patient after i am off the clock if that what it takes to make them feel better. none of this has to do with gender it has all to do with me providing care from my heart ,I believe my patients deserve to be treated as i Would want my wife or kids treated and this is how i measure the care i provide. If I do not provide care for my patients atleast as good as I would for my family then I feel as though I failed as a nurse.

I to have experienced the same things dayray has, I have had everyone of my patients interviewed about me, All of my charts auditted for a few months, even each one of my coworkers were questioned about me and the care i provide. But through it all no one could find a bad thing to say. no matter how hard they tried to find it. I have been denied jobs and even interviews. no matter what my qualifications or references were, i was not even allowed to interview for certain jobs, and was told flat out that "a male will not work here not now not ever" and that was just 2 1/ 2yrs ago.

thankfully I have a great job now, an excellent nurse manager who is very supportive of me. even or DON and CEO were i am at now stand behind me. you would not think that in theses times gender would be an issue, but sadly it is.

and gender will continue to be an issue as long as people want to hang on to preconcieved ideas and ignore the truth!

gender does not make a good judge of a nurse, it is what is in the persons heart that determines it.

If i could only SHOW you how sick I am of hearing males can not be nurses, all male nurses or gay, OR WOMEN WILL NOT ALLOW YOU TO CARE FOR THEM. IT ALL MAKES ME VERY ILL! over the years I have had maybe 4 patients refuse my care and one was a male who thought i was gay because i am a nurse:( [ just for the record I am not gay, and think a persons preference should be left out at home]. But I can tell you this I have patients who request me, Or will only allow me to be their nurse when they deliver. I think I have disproven most of the male nurse myths in the hospitals I have worked at.

men have to be much more vigilant obout things in nursing, what and how they say things are often taken the wrong way. I have personally been held to a higher standard than my coworkers at the majority of places I have worked. how ever unfair this may have been.

oh and did I mention how much I HATE the term MALE nurse!!! I am a nurse that just happens to be male. I am NOT a MALE nurse!!

we need to get over the gender issues in this country especially in nursing.

it is ok for males to provide care for females, it is no different than females providing care to males:))

now lets all just try to be open minded and get along:)

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Specializes in midwifery, ophthalmics, general practice.

ouch!!

sometimes I think patient remember the nurses who happen to men because they do stand out!! no offense meant.....used to work on gynea ward with a nurse called Moses. He could have been a model, he was stunnning.....also one of the best nurses I have worked with! The women on the ward knew his shift pattern better than he did,and used to make sure they were all dolled up when he came on duty!! I guess if you are on bedrest for weeks, then any distraction helps! he did play up to them!! Moses is now a senior nurse at Great Ormond street- cos the babies dont answer back!!

so whether you like it or not- gender does have a part to play! I get remembered for my accent- not because I am good nurse! people need something to remember you by, sometimes accent, hair colour etc. my patients refer to me as the short cuddly nurse.............not sure if i like that!!

and I have had male patients refuse care from me because I am female.......thats fine, I dont have a problem with that- especially when they think they have genitial warts- dont even go there!!

we are all nurses. end of story!!

Karen

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Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.
Originally posted by Token Male

:p I am not a Male Nurse; I am a Registered Nurse who happens to be male. My wife, thankfully, happens to be a Registered Nurse who is female.

I see the old furphy about males in nursing all being Gay is still about; that's great but don't tell my kids.

;) The original point was about better pay and promotion; I am no longer the only (Token) male in my department, the new boss is a man and he did not get the job because of his gender - the interview panel thought he was the best Nurse for the job. One factor that does make promotion more certain is that men do not take maternity leave so are often around when opportunities come up. It depends if you ladies wish to care for your own offspring or have some-one else do this while you work. My wife chose to raise our two kids ; others do not.

In Oz, at least, most responsible organisations promote on merit not sex.

EXCELLENT POST......You are a man after my own heart. A nurse who is MALE, I like the sound of that so much better than "male nurse". And I agree with you; If I am not promoted or moving up quickly it is because my FAMILY does come first. My husband is military; HIS CAREER comes first by demand of the US Gov't. But I resent anyone saying a man will advance faster in nursing based on gender alone. If he does, it may be due to MERIT, no? Oh well, in my unionized environment, it does not happen anyhow. I put my kids first, job second so I dont' expect to rise in the ranks too fast. More power to those who do, be they male or female.

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I just accepted a baylor plan (2 days per week) so my wife AND I can stay home to raise our kids...It's both of our responsibilities - male AND female...

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Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.

yes it is both parents' responsiblity but not all have the option of a baylor plan and the military does not really put family first, IFKWIM........it's a way of life and it works for us. When he retires in 3 years, it will be "my turn"...and our kids will have been raised by BOTH of us since they are still quite young and will be when he retires.

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Originally posted by Token Male

:p It depends if you ladies wish to care for your own offspring or have some-one else do this while you work. My wife chose to raise our two kids ; others do not.

smilingblue...

my most recent post was in reference to this post...that's all...nothing more...

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KARENG-- YOU ARE VERY MISTAKEN ABOUT GENDER PLAYING A ROLE. i CAN PROMISE YOU THAT IS NOT THE REASON THEY REMBER ME! i AM NO MODEL OR ANYTHING SPECIAL TO LOOK AT. BUT I CAN TELL YOU ONE THING THE CARE i PROVIDE IS SECOND TO NONE.AND THAT IS WHY I AM REMEMBERED.

LIKE I SAID IN PREVOIUS POST WHICH YOU OBVIOUSLY READ I FIND THAT VERY INSULTING TO INSINUATE THAT IS THE ONLY REASON A PATIENT WILL REMEMBER A MALE NURSE:(

THAT IS JUST SOME MORE OF THE SMALL MINDEDNESS SHOWING ITS UGLY HEAD! JMHO.

NO OFFENSE MEANT:)

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