I find the term "Male Nurse" discriminatory. If you were stopped by the police for speeding, would you call the police officer "Oh, you are a female police officer!" In taking an order would you identify the attending as a "Female Doctor!" Would you refer to a firefighter or paramedic as a female medic or Firefighter. Try it and see what happens, that is mysoginist.
Lets take it a step further. Oh, you are a nurse of color. Is it ok to call a nurse the "African American Nurse or Asian Nurse etc."
We are all brothers and sisters in the profession.
Homophobia affects EVERYONE--not just gay people. Homophobia affects the heterosexual male hairdresser and heterosexual female police officer and heterosexual male nurse. It also affects the heterosexual man who with a higher pitched voice, fluid arm and hand movements and whatever it is that homophobes think defines gay people. Absurdly, homophobia affects the heterosexual man who wears a pink shirt--can people get anymore idiotic?
Gay men can be just as attracted to masculine men and feminine men. Gay women can also be attracted to feminine women and masculine women.
I wish people would worry less about what private behaviors other people might engage in and worry more about whether someone is a good hairdresser/nurse/cop/flutist!
Fortunately times are changing both in people's acceptance of others orientation as well as male nurses. In my facility everyone pretty much agrees that NURSE= Big bucks! and have nothing but respect for all of the nurses.
My point being when an individual is in a career field that is predominantly opposite of such individual's gender it is very appropriate for clarities sake to give recognition of one's gender, i.e. a female police officer, a female firefighter, a male nurse.
We don't do that with race - why do it with gender?
For example:
Let us assume 20% of all engineers in the US are Black.
When a black man builds a famous bridge, we don't say "the Engineer, XYZ, a black man, built this bridge". We just say "The engineeer, XYZ, built this bridge".
You have every right to feel pride in being called a "Male Nurse".
We don't do that with race - why do it with gender?
For example:
Let us assume 20% of all engineers in the US are Black.
When a black man builds a famous bridge, we don't say "the Engineer, XYZ, a black man, built this bridge". We just say "The engineeer, XYZ, built this bridge".
You have every right to feel pride in being called a "Male Nurse".
To me it's just pointless/needless.
To each his own :)
I must disagree... we do in fact do such with race, too. Very few NFL coaches are minority, especially Black. Everytime a coaching vacancy comes up a lot of publicity takes place on how many Black candidate coaches are available. I've heard many times on ESPN made reference to how many Black coaches are in the NFL.
It is human nature to categorize based on gender, race, etc. I'm not saying it is right, or wrong but to say it is needless, pointless, and does not exist is inaccurate, IMHO.
WHEN i graduate (may 2007) i just want to be called NURSE....you can call me male nurse, man nurse...i don't care just call me NURSE! it does not bother me to be called nurse. to me "male nurse" seems kinda obvious. if i'm talking to someone and they say oh your a male nurse..i mean you see me obviously i am a male...can't you just say oh your a nurse.
i don't really like the whole male nurse = gay male thing, but society is what it is.....until it changes! and it will as more men are secure enough to enter a female dominated profession. personally nursing offers me everything that i want from a profession, becoming a doctor would not!!! the choice was simple.
thanks to all nurses,
jay
p.s. if i go into travel nursing, on my resume, instead of "male nurse" can i just say "jay R.N., have balls will travel!!!":lol2:
Specializes in I got hurt and went to the ER once.
Being called a Nurse doesn't bug me. I think I would dislike being called a "Head Nurse" of a unit. There's just something about this term that leaves a bad taste in my mouth...no pun intended.
it doesnt bother me at all. male nurse = nurse. most people like the idea that i had the nerve to go into a "womans field."
When I hear talk of nursing as a womans field I cringe. My distaste for such talk is certainly not against my fellow sisters in nursing, nor against you [Kevin0507]. The correlation between nursing as a handmaiden profession & as a woman's field is where I'm going with this dislike. I'm not dissing you [Kevin0507] at all but I hate the idea that the nursing profession has long been considered a "woman's field". This outdated Nightingale conception does harm to both men & women in the profession. Nursing stopped being a handmaiden profession decades ago. The public needs to be educated in the importance nurses play in the collaboration team effort of patient health care. The autonomy bestowed upon the many varied areas of nursing specialties lends creedence to the fact nurses are no longer handmaidens.
BTW, I realize may ramble may be slightly off topic nor was directed specifically to Kevin0507.
When I hear talk of nursing as a womans field I cringe. My distaste for such talk is certainly not against my fellow sisters in nursing, nor against you [Kevin0507]. The correlation between nursing as a handmaiden profession & as a woman's field is where I'm going with this dislike. I'm not dissing you [Kevin0507] at all but I hate the idea that the nursing profession has long been considered a "woman's field". This outdated Nightingale conception does harm to both men & women in the profession. Nursing stopped being a handmaiden profession decades ago. The public needs to be educated in the importance nurses play in the collaboration team effort of patient health care. The autonomy bestowed upon the many varied areas of nursing specialties lends creedence to the fact nurses are no longer handmaidens.
BTW, I realize may ramble may be slightly off topic nor was directed specifically to Kevin0507.
i agree, but it is still considered a "woman's field" by most of America
an interesting point, though not very relevant. Ever heard of anyone saying "Male florist?".....there are far less male florists...but it just seems normal to call them florist no matter what the gender.
This argument hasn't produced any alternatives to the title of nurse. Does anybody have any ideas?
romie
387 Posts
Homophobia affects EVERYONE--not just gay people. Homophobia affects the heterosexual male hairdresser and heterosexual female police officer and heterosexual male nurse. It also affects the heterosexual man who with a higher pitched voice, fluid arm and hand movements and whatever it is that homophobes think defines gay people. Absurdly, homophobia affects the heterosexual man who wears a pink shirt--can people get anymore idiotic?
Gay men can be just as attracted to masculine men and feminine men. Gay women can also be attracted to feminine women and masculine women.
I wish people would worry less about what private behaviors other people might engage in and worry more about whether someone is a good hairdresser/nurse/cop/flutist!
Fortunately times are changing both in people's acceptance of others orientation as well as male nurses. In my facility everyone pretty much agrees that NURSE= Big bucks! and have nothing but respect for all of the nurses.