Inwhich department and why ?

I am personally looking for "what is hardcore" in a job... ICU / ER for male nurses are pretty exciting for me.. I get real life actions... Nephrology nursing though is something we should explore

Well, this is something that baffles me. I have been thinking that nursing should be a job that sees no gender issues but it does!!!

My first job was in ER - where I was posted there. Since I wanted a job at that time, I didn't care much and get into anything. Then the Nurse Manager hinted of pulling me into OR, which I refuse. Then I was assigned the Risk Co-ordinator of the Hospital, and being told that Occupational Safety and Health is a good deal.

But I said, No, No, No!!! I've done with people thinking what's right for a nurse who is a male, where they should work.

Quit that job, with three (yes) responsibility titles and revert back to a plain old nurse doing Haemodialysis. It's one routine job that gets boring fast, but at least it is not really too pressing on the gender issues. Now, I have quit that job and will take up a job in Renal/Nephrology Unit - doing PD and caring for transplant patients. Excited as hell.

I was discussing a career route in Critical care with a friend who works in ICU and she told me, "Yeah, we do really need males here you know!" And I asked back "Why? Because you need people to lift the patients?" She smiled back and people around me who were there laughed loud. It was casual talk but with deep meaning.

In this recent interview that I went for, I was labelled as applying for the post of 'Male Nurse' in the HD unit. Of course it was for a Saudi Arabia, but there's no need to be that specific.

And yes, most male nurses that I knew either go into Critical care, ER or Psychiatric.

We really need to break this pattern.

I'm working on an oncology/medsurg unit. I'm the 'token male' on my shift at least. I guess I took this job because I wanted to get the traditional medsurg experience and work with some very sick patients with a lot of psychosocial/family interaction. I felt it was a good, well rounded first nursing job. I have secret ambitions to go on to ICU in the next year but not because it's a 'male' job. I just want the challenge and autonomy ICU offers.

Cheers,

Dave

I'm a pediatric nurse and have been for 13 years. I'm rather proud of the fact that I have trained almost every female nurse that works my shift. As a nurse and a dad, I can say that I'm proficient at what I do and I help heal my babies and kids without ever having had a "mother's instinct". To me, that excitement far outweighs any techo gadgets used by other departments!