Looking for fellow male pre nurses that are big guys feeling discouraged

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I'm a 22 year old male taking my prerequites right now. I work at the Arizona State hospital as a BHT. I have a fiance and a infant son. I'm a big guy about 6'4 and 300+ pounds and I'm currently trying to lose weight. I can say I have been in the medical field most of my life. I was raised in my GF doctors office and worked mostly in medical jobs. I have wanted to be a nurse since about the age of 15. I found it fasinating to be a nurse and contribute to the well being and good health of someone. I get discouraged sometimes when I tell people I want to be a nurse. They laugh and say I don't look like I could be a nurse or should be a nurse. I want this so badly and I can't wait to work on the floor, it's just that I want to be taken seriously as a nurse because I take that job seriously. Any advice anyone.? Just looking for someone in the same boat or have stories or knows someone that can relate. PLEASE HELP

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I am in NS right now and my best buddy in class is 5'10" and 350 lbs.

Never listen to the naysayers! If you know that you will be a good nurse, size is pretty much irrelevant! I say go for it and ignore the doubters!

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Specializes in N/A.

What "exactly" does a nurse look like? Don't listen to negative people! Follow your heart, follow your dream. As a birth doula I've seen that some of the most compasionate nurses for my clients have been men. (Nothing against women nurses, I'm going to be one) Size is irrelevant. Good luck! :D

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Specializes in SDU, Tele.

I'm not a male prenurse but I can tell you that there are always going to be people trying to push you down. If you want to be a nurse so much, you are going to hear it a lot but you need to push that out of your head! People always try pushing me down--even the people most important to me! But guess what? It is YOUR dream and you can get there no matter what! :) :) :) On another note, I am trying to lose weight, too lol it never hurts to shed a few, especially because I tend to gain when I stress out(I know I am going to be having 3am snacks during NS study sessions!!!) So I think it would be good if you did lose weight but not because they tell you, but just for your own health, comfort, and well being. So look at it as two, no, THREE goals. You want to be a nurse, you want to shed some weight, and you are going to overcome people's bullying! :) Good luck, buddy!

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Thanks a lot for the encouraging words. Too bad I don't know someone like you here that I could be going to school with. THANKS

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I have wanted to be a nurse since about the age of 15. I found it fasinating to be a nurse and contribute to the well being and good health of someone.I want this so badly and I can't wait to work on the floor,

That.

Advice? Study hard, get good grades on pre-reqs. Get into a nursing program.

In other words, the exact same advice I'd give to any pre-nurse who expressed the level of interest you have shown here.

Your weight is your own business. I am not so naive that I won't acknowledge that you may face discrimination in admittance to school or eventual employment. I can only say that there will be nursing faculty and nursing administrators who will value your enthusiasm, ability, and empathy.

And as an aside, once you are in nursing school, don't let your physical stature define your area of nursing. If you want to do rehab and hoist around heavy, immobile patients, that's your choice. I am a 5'11 230lb guy working with patients weighed in grams, not pounds (NICU), and that could be you as well, if you so desire.

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Specializes in ICU / PCU / Telemetry / Oncology.

If nursing is your passion, don't let anything get in your way to your goal. Surround yourself with support and distance yourself from the negativity. Believe in yourself, dude ... you will succeed!

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I'm a pre nursing student in SC and am a very big guy as well. Honestly, I've never even given any consideration to peoples thoughts, responses or body language when I told them I wanted to be a nurse. Thats what I want to do and that is what I'm GOING to do!

Follow your dream, work your @$$ off and never let the judgemental skinny-mini's get you down. They are just jealous because we are better insulated and have a hermetic protective coating for our rock hard abs! ;-)

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AWWWWW...that made me so sad reading your post. Shame on those people that make you feel that way! :nono: You sound like such a nice, caring young man. Don't let negative people bring you down. Keep your dream of becoming a nurse close to your heart and you will succeed. Good luck and please let us know how things are going. :redbeathe---Angie

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Where I use to live I saw 1 male nurse my whole life. No joke. I moved across country and here there are more males than females. In my pre-reqs classes almost everyone is doing nursing, tall, short, guy, girl, fat, thin, different colors, religions, and origins. I really think it doesn't matter any more.

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