I wanna a be male nurse?

laxxrickLPN · Jul 12, 2008

Just tell them your want to be a nurse!

There's tons of us here, and this anti-male stigma is getting old. In my area, there's tons of male nurses, and several males in the nursing program.

Sounds like your still a little reserved and not too confident when you say licensure, and that your in school, etc. Say, "I'm working on my NCLEX licensure", or that your enrolled in an ADN, BSN, MSN, etc. Best to just say it up front than have someone assume your in a program you're not. Deal with it and move on but if they question your deicision to go into nursing, here's a few things I've used when people ask me why I don't just go and be a doctor:

I don't have the time and energy to go to school for eight years.
I don't see why I should go into medicine since I want to help people, not just make a diagnosis.
When I specialize, I will be like a doctor, and I can work while I'm in school.
When I was in the hospital, the nurses made much more of an impact on my recovery than the doctor, and after much thought, I decided that is the way I wanted to go.

I'm a first year nursing student myself so I get many of those questions as well! Good luck! Don't worry about what they say; if you're like me, there's nothing manly about sitting in an office all day...

SteveNNP, MSN, NP · Jul 12, 2008

When I specialize, I will be like a doctor, and I can work while I'm in school.
..

When you specialize, you will NOT be like a doctor. That is a misconception about the advanced practice nursing role. You are a midlevel provider that provides primary care with the collaboration/supervision of a physician in most states.

In any case, you will never be "like a doctor" unless you graduate medical school.

Just wanted to clear that up before the flames descend....

hypocaffeinemia, BSN, RN · Jul 12, 2008

I don't see why I should go into medicine since I want to help people, not just make a diagnosis.

While we're clearing things up, what's what this implication that physicians don't help people?

You seriously need to rethink your rationale.

laxxrickLPN · Jul 12, 2008

In any case, you will never be "like a doctor" unless you graduate medical school.

I realize that, but its a good argument for those not in the medical field. Would that be a good statement to say to a female RN that's your proctor in clinicals? No.

Would it be an appropriate, albeit very dumbed-down response to your truck driver uncle? Sure, I think its fine.

laxxrickLPN · Jul 12, 2008

While we're clearing things up, what's what this implication that physicians don't help people?

Now your just nit-picking. Perhaps, "I prefer caring for patients than focusing primarily on the diagnosis," would have been a better way of conveying what I was really trying to say. I didn't mean to imply in any way shape or form that doctors are not crucial.

hypocaffeinemia, BSN, RN · Jul 12, 2008

I realize that, but its a good argument for those not in the medical field.

No, it's misleading to those not in the medical field.

Anyone with a standard deviation intelligence of -2 or higher living on Earth knows what a nurse is. You don't have to concoct some equivocation fallacy to explain away what it is you do or are learning to do.

SteveNNP, MSN, NP · Jul 12, 2008

I realize that, but its a good argument for those not in the medical field. Would that be a good statement to say to a female RN that's your proctor in clinicals? No.
Would it be an appropriate, albeit very dumbed-down response to your truck driver uncle? Sure, I think its fine.

I don't think it's a dumbed down response at all.... NPs and Advanced Practice nurses are in the fight of their lives with the medical community right now with the introduction of the DNP requirement by 2015. Physicians are using the tactic of saying that NPs pursuing the DNP believe they are the same as physicians. It's simply not true, and any NP who knows what's going on knows that. It's important for Midlevel Providers to identify themselves and begin educating the public, who still believes that once you're a nurse, you're always a nurse until you go to med school...

Of course I wouldn't walk up to my preceptor and say "You'll never be a doctor unless you go to medical school.." Phrased as an insult it sounds terrible. It's also obvious.

I think it's great that you have a list of reasons to become a nurse. I just wanted to clear up a misconception before someone thinks people really believe that and you step in it with both feet.:uhoh21:

laxxrickLPN · Jul 12, 2008

You don't have to concoct some equivocation fallacy to explain away what it is you do or are learning to do.

If you want to get technical, some specializations do not require physician supervision. CRNAs, in 29 states, do not require any sort of physician collaboration, supervision, etc. So can a FNP in many states. So how is the statement misleading? Perhaps you live in one of the states which requires physician supervision, in which case it could be construed as "misleading", I suppose.

SteveNNP, MSN, NP · Jul 12, 2008

If you want to get technical, some specializations do not require physician supervision. CRNAs, in 29 states, do not require any sort of physician collaboration, supervision, etc. So can a FNP in many states.

Not requiring physician supervision still does not make you "like a doctor".....

Again, not attacking your reasons, just trying to set things straight...

hypocaffeinemia, BSN, RN · Jul 12, 2008

If you want to get technical, some specializations do not require physician supervision. CRNAs, in 29 states, do not require any sort of physician collaboration, supervision, etc. So can a FNP in many states. So how is the statement misleading? Perhaps you live in one of the states which requires physician supervision, in which case it could be construed as "misleading", I suppose.

You said you were a first year nursing student. How did this become about APNs?

SteveNNP, MSN, NP · Jul 12, 2008

When always asked I am in the medical field and am working on my Licensure exam, people assume that I am in Medicine instead of nursing. How can I overcome this by telling them that I am a male nurse. I believe people think that nurses are still females.

You answered this in your own post...

Many people mistake men in nursing as physicians. Simply correct them and tell them you are a RN! There's no stigma in it. I get more gushing praise once they know I'm an RN than when they thought I was an MD...