How do people feel about male nurses?

MYSTICOOKIEBEAR · Feb 3, 2016

You will fit right in, DO IT!!!! :yes:

barcode120x, RN, NP · Feb 4, 2016

Quickly browsing through some of the posts in this thread, one post caught my eye in regards to physicians seeming to treat male nurses "better." I believe this is true. In training/orientation, I made an effort to ask fellow nurses what physicians to be careful around; however, all those that I've encountered have been pretty chill with me. I too believe it's in part due to me being a male. Aside from that, I like working with both genders. Other males because there's something in common to talk about (usually), and it doesn't always have to be nurses, could be male techs or monitor techs. Working with females is great as well, well because they're female and bring a different aspect to life in general as well as nursing (can go into a whole other topic but no need).

Dcarterrn · Mar 5, 2016

I decided to enter nursing when males were a small number and programs that would accept you were few. As many have said there are many stereotypes of male nurses and many false concepts. I started to be a bedside nurse and spent many a happy year doing that. My peers have often been the ones who placed me in a box they created. After 45 years as an RN I have been a night shift nurse, a nurse supervisor, DON, and 20 years as a military nurse. These were jobs I worked to get and was proud to do them to the best of my ability. When I entered the profession(I am proud to call nursing a profession) we were extra muscle and at times felt used but gained status by proving our skills and knowledge. My response to you is if you are interested then get into a program and get going. You can ask for more information but only you can decide. Are there problems, difficult situations, problematic people, welcome to the job market and the real world.

BriNurse2B · Mar 5, 2016

I have a lot of support from freinds and family with my career choice endeavor. Something weird I have noticed though, as a male in a classroom taught by a female teacher I feel like I am held to higher expectations. The teacher will be bubbley and laugh with female students, but when I ask a question or for help the teacher becomes straight faced and monotone. Almost gives me the impression that I am intruding in a field of work that is traditionally for females. Before I decided to go to nursing school, I was a mechanic for 10 years; we had a female technician come work with us in the garage and the guys put up a defensive tone with her as well. I am not saying all female nurses are like that to me. I have had a lot of nurses warn me that female nurses try to get male nurses to do a lot of their physical work. Of course I could always just be paranoid about the teacher.

Alnitak7 · Mar 5, 2016

He said he wan't sure about nursing. I suggested LPN as a starting point, to test the waters. No point in wasting years on academic preparation only to find you don't really want nursing.

For that matter, try being a C.N.A. first.

downsouthlaff, LPN · Mar 5, 2016

I'm an LPN. I work shift work in a long term care nursing home. Been a Nurse since I was 19. I'm 21 now. I met my girlfriend who is also an LPN at the facility at work. I never really had to deal with any stereotypes of any kind. In my area your starting to see young males of every background, enter the profession from 4 wheel drive truck deer hunters, to sports finactics, more feminine guys, it doesn't matter. I was told when I became a nurse that male nurses are stereotyped as homosexuals (Wich nothing at all against homosexuals most are great people and great friends) but that never once happened to me not even by peers. Everyone pretty much respects my career choice.

sherri64 · Mar 5, 2016

The growing trend is to get your CNA or whatever the credential is in your state for state tested nursing assistants and work for a year, prior to being accepted in to nursing school. I have personally seen the results of this requirement and it is amazing. People find out quickly that nursing is not for them when they work in this field and it weeds them out of nursing programs. Those that go on to become a nurse have a lot more respect for their assistants and what they do. And that in turn causes the assistants to respect the nurses. In addition, there are a lot less nurses afraid to get their hands dirty or help with lifting, etc. when they have worked as an aide first. Creates a much better and more positive working environment and is a definite win for the patients. I highly recommend it to anyone considering a nursing career. The life lessons you learn giving one to one personal care can't be taught in any classroom and will follow you wherever you go.

ChicagoNative · Mar 6, 2016

The thing with nursing is I have no idea how to accurately describe what it really is to people. It's so completely underrated. Public opinion seems to have changed a lot in recent years for the better, though. Even that show Chicago Med, while holding the tradition of medical dramas being insanely inaccurate, does not frown on nursing at all, and the characters aren't treated as dummies.

I'm all for more men entering the field and my school has a pretty diverse group of students. It does get annoying to read how much more respected by physicians they are because they are men and how they're less dramatic, though. I've seen male classmates throw some epic tantrums. My campus has a fb page where a lot of students go to whine (poor place to do it), and it's pretty evenly split in poster's gender. The profession is heavily based in science, which has some irony because women stereotypically are not as good in the area of math and the sciences as men. It definitely requires some grit. You're going to see some awful things and you have to cope with it being your job to do so. It's also very rewarding. It's a very unique profession. I think it's a noble choice for you, most could not handle it. Having some military background might make you well suited.

I would try not think much about being a male in this field as much as if this is the right field for you. Maybe a large part of it is where you live and what not, but there are plenty of men and patients don't seem to regard my classmates differently. There was one comment made by a patient my male classmate and I would both be working with. I had happened to meet the patient before my classmate, and I don't even know how the comment came up, but I was quick to explain (professionally) that nursing has changed a lot and a male student is assigned to him that day as well. Those instances aren't all that common in my area. Some expectant mothers have been hesitant of them in OB, but it won't necessarily be a given.

My mother is a nurse and sorta grew up with that culture as a result. I thought this gave me a better impression of what a nurse is than others might have. Though I always regarded my mothers job as critical to someone's life, I wouldn't find out until nursing school how much is actually involved (and I'm still learning). For one, I didn't know nurses were legally liable for carrying out the orders made by the physician. Meaning, if we think it is harmful to the patient or contraindicated, we are responsible for stopping it. In fact, many questions on my exams give a patient scenario followed by "the nurse should question which order?" So, the amount of information we need is vast because we have to understand why we're doing what we're doing. Never follow orders blindly. As far as clinicals go, don't do anything a physician tells you on the basis they are physicians. They will get you expelled haha. I've been asked to give meds by myself to patients who were not mine and also if I could translate. Not all doctors are arrogant, and you're not on their radar as a student a lot of the time. They don't know why you're there or what your limitations are. Always get your instructor in the event.

It's challenging, for sure. But it's the greatest thing I've ever done for myself. The things we get to be a part of on a personal and grand scale is pretty cool.

I can't say for sure what your experience will be. But you're going to learn pretty quickly that it's not solely a soft profession, and I think you'll know how to handle it if friends or family think it's funny or inferior. No one talks down about nurses in my presence without regretting it (although there are considerations for this in direct patient care).

For now, I would look into the program's you're interested in and the pre req and gen ed requirements for each (most are standard for all programs, but there can be minor variations you'll want to be aware of). I did mine at a community college and transferred out. Manage your time to maximize your success in them. A&P, micro, etc are going to follow you throughout your career and nursing courses keep building off it, so it's best to take them seriously. Maintain good relationships with your professors as best you can and participate. Often they'll jump at the chance to help you if need be if you had a good presence.

Best of luck to you!

RNator · Mar 6, 2016

The growing trend is to get your CNA or whatever the credential is in your state for state tested nursing assistants and work for a year, prior to being accepted in to nursing school. I have personally seen the results of this requirement and it is amazing. People find out quickly that nursing is not for them when they work in this field and it weeds them out of nursing programs. Those that go on to become a nurse have a lot more respect for their assistants and what they do. And that in turn causes the assistants to respect the nurses. In addition, there are a lot less nurses afraid to get their hands dirty or help with lifting, etc. when they have worked as an aide first. Creates a much better and more positive working environment and is a definite win for the patients. I highly recommend it to anyone considering a nursing career. The life lessons you learn giving one to one personal care can't be taught in any classroom and will follow you wherever you go.

I've always said "it should be a requirement to be a CNA for X amount of time before being a Nurse." This way, the lazy, averse to getting dirty, would be weeded out. This would make the herd stronger [emoji4].

Jensmom7, BSN, RN · Mar 6, 2016

How do I feel about male nurses?

I think they're wonderful.

For lunch. With some fava beans and a nice Chianti. [emoji56]

Seriously though, as long as you know what you're doing, don't panic during a situation, and aren't a total Snowflake, I could care less whether you have indoor or outdoor plumbing.

downsouthlaff, LPN · Mar 6, 2016

For that matter, try being a C.N.A. first.

With all due respect to CNAs and there important role in nursing, sometimes being a CNA may give a false picture of what it likes being a Nurse. For example when I was a CNA I was responsible for bed changes, cleaning patients, feeding patients and V/S. I always told myself I wanna become a Nurse so I can pass pills and just sit all day. Well when I became an LPN it was a shock to me how much Nurses really are responsible for. And it's also possible to love being a Nurse and not so much a CNA. Had co workers like that.

yhl1975 · Mar 7, 2016

He in carrying profession( MD/DO/NP/PA/RN/LPN/Social worker/psychotherapist/technician/ ambulance driver OTHER ), needs to be gentle , soft hearted responsive, kind-hearted, outgoing, understanding and caring .If I am a patient, I do not care if my practitioner is male or female.

I just want to be treated.