Male + Nurse = Murse

Published

Hello everyone. I was wanting to get all of your perceptions on the word MURSE. All of my high school friends and life-long friends always refer to me as a murse. This does not offend me in anyway, shape or form. I have; however, encountered some nurses that think this term is negative. Can I get your feedback?

Specializes in Telemetry, OR, ICU.
i think if your a nurse not matter what sex you are you should be called a nurse. females and males go throught the same training and tkae the same exam.

Agreed, and you raise a very valid point. Nonetheless, until society [more than not] accepts the nursing profession as a universal calling, regardless of gender, for those that wish to provide health care I will continue to be proud to be called a Male RN.

:twocents:

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Critical Care.

I agree that most people do not view the nursing profession as a universal calling. Hey if women want to be in the senate, why can't men be nurses? I worked at WalMart during my schooling and it felt like all the people who worked there felt sorry for em because I wanted to be a male nurse. It was almost as if they looked down an me and thought I was a p**sy because I wanted a "woman's" job. It is rediculous.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Telemetry, OR, ICU.
I agree that most people do not view the nursing profession as a universal calling. Hey if women want to be in the senate, why can't men be nurses? I worked at WalMart during my schooling and it felt like all the people who worked there felt sorry for me because I wanted to be a male nurse. It was almost as if they looked down on me and thought I was a p**sy because I wanted a "woman's" job. It is ridiculous.

No put down meant towards WalMart employees, but I was shopping at a WalMart Super Store last night and the staff there did not look super intelligent to me, if you get my drift. ;)

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Critical Care.

The first nurses in history were the equivalent of what you would think of as a 'field medic' in war. And when you think of a 'field medic', what sex comes to mind?

The reason why nursing has traditionally been a "woman's" job has to do with stereotypes in pay and servant status.

Before the 1980's you just couldn't support a family as a nurse. They were '2nd income' jobs. And our society holds the view that men should be the 'breadwinners'. The biggest pave way into men in nursing is that there is now enough pay to be a nurse AND a primary financial supporter for a family.

The second issue is that nurses have been functionaries of doctors: servant roles. As the technology rapidly changes, that just isn't the case and that fact will become more pronounced as time goes on.

Just the other day, I was talking to a CV surgeon about a balloon pump and it was obvious that, while he knew all about what a balloon pump DOES, his knowledge was very limited on HOW it does it. I'm not talking about the theory behind it, but the technical parameters that make the theory work. He didn't know how to use the equipment. Why would he, all he has ever had to do was to say what he wanted the machine to do, and a high-tech operator (me) 'made it so.' So when I was trying to point out why the problem was in a difficulty in tweaking the waveform to match the goal of therapy, what I got was a blank stare.

The point being is that the days when nurses just did what the doctor would do if he/she had the time are long since gone. Very few docs have the aptitude and base of knowledge and experience to be a nurse. That's not a put down on docs. I'm not saying they COULDN'T learn it, but that their training is down other paths and so they HAVEN'T learned it.

And AS THAT AUTONOMY is more pronounced and public, more men will be drawn to nursing.

As an aside, one of my biggest gripes about nursing is the over-willingness to be servants. Our language, nursing dx, etc. is tied to servant status. How dare if we actually made a real diagnosis. How many times do you call a doc and hint around what you know is the problem until he/she 'gets it' and orders appropriate tx?

"Sats are dropping, lungs sound wet, etc. etc." Really, what is the crime in saying "This pt is in CHF, I want to go with a non-rebreather, give some lasix and get a chest xray." But, while there ARE some doctors that would take offense, you'd be surprise maybe to know that more NURSES are offended by such directness.

Our whole charting setup is shrowded in this language that is supposedly designed to be our own 'base of knowledge'. The result is that it's greek. Instead of interfacing w/ our peers, we alienate ourselves.

And then we wonder why the only thing about our charting the doctors want to see is the information a tech can get: vital signs and I&Os.

But, I think I strayed off topic.

~faith,

Timothy.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Critical Care.

Timothy,

WOW!!!!! That was brilliant! I agree with you 100% I hate NANDA. I hate that doctors don't read what we write. Can I quote you? We oughtta make a whole new forum somwhere and have what you just worte be the topic.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Critical Care.
Timothy,

WOW!!!!! That was brilliant! I agree with you 100% I hate NANDA. I hate that doctors don't read what we write. Can I quote you? We oughtta make a whole new forum somwhere and have what you just worte be the topic.

I said a lot more about that in this thread:

https://allnurses.com/forums/f223/i-do-recognize-need-nursing-theory-127743.html?highlight=jean+watson

(Sorry if you looked at this before I linked the right thread)

Want a homework assignment to prove the point in my last post in THIS thread?

Next time you're at work, go up to a doctor you respect and call him by his first name. Chances are overwhelming that he/she will not be offended by it. Mildly surprised maybe, if he/she isn't used to hearing you say that. But I doubt offended.

But, and here's the assignment: look at the faces and reactions of your co-workers.

Are we such servants that calling the master by his first name is such an offense?

~faith,

Timothy.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Trauma/ED.

First time I heard the term "Murse" was in the movie Meet the Parents. To me it is funny not offensive but I refer to myself as a "nurse" and never as an "RN" unless asked.

When a nurse describes him or herself as an "RN" instead of a "nurse" I think it sounds like a they are trying to prove something or afraid that someone might think they are "only" an LPN...whatever...How often do you here docs say they are an "MD"...lol

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Critical Care.
First time I heard the term "Murse" was in the movie Meet the Parents. To me it is funny not offensive but I refer to myself as a "nurse" and never as an "RN" unless asked.

When a nurse describes him or herself as an "RN" instead of a "nurse" I think it sounds like a they are trying to prove something or afraid that someone might think they are "only" an LPN...whatever...How often do you here docs say they are an "MD"...lol

I introduce myself to pts by my full name, say I'm an "RN", and then say, "But you can call me Tim or Timothy."

I'm not trying to prove I'm an RN. I AM an RN.

~faith,

Timothy.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Timothy - you've made some excelent points in this thread! I thought that said "You can call me Timmy," but then I read it again. ;) lol

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Hospice, Med/Surg, ICU, ER.
Also, don't you kind of hate it that everytime someone talks about you that they refer to you as a male nurse. I don't know if anyone else has ever noticed this. My father, when he speaks of me to his friends, says that his son is a Male Nurse. They know I am male. Oh well.

This bothers me already....

When I pass the NCLEX, I will be a "nurse" that happens to be a male. A "Male nurse" sounds like like a nurse that works with male pts only. Is a "baby nurse" a nurse that works with infants, or one that is less than 24 months old????

A teacher is a teacher... a soldier is a soldier... a cop is a cop. Why should our profession have an unnecessary gender-modifier attached to it?

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Hospice, Med/Surg, ICU, ER.
As an aside, one of my biggest gripes about nursing is the over-willingness to be servants. Our language, nursing dx, etc. is tied to servant status. How dare if we actually made a real diagnosis. How many times do you call a doc and hint around what you know is the problem until he/she 'gets it' and orders appropriate tx?

"Sats are dropping, lungs sound wet, etc. etc." Really, what is the crime in saying "This pt is in CHF, I want to go with a non-rebreather, give some lasix and get a chest xray." But, while there ARE some doctors that would take offense, you'd be surprise maybe to know that more NURSES are offended by such directness.

Our whole charting setup is shrowded in this language that is supposedly designed to be our own 'base of knowledge'. The result is that it's greek. Instead of interfacing w/ our peers, we alienate ourselves.

And then we wonder why the only thing about our charting the doctors want to see is the information a tech can get: vital signs and I&Os.

:yeahthat:

Bingo! Why is it that I get the feeling I'm going to offend lots of docs and/or nurses?

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Critical Care.

I've never been bothered by the term 'male nurse'. That is, in fact, what I am. the adjective is there because society still thinks of male nurses as a severe enough minority to be recognized as such. And point of fact, we are.

But that will change.

Or as my Grand pa used to say: call me anything you like except late to dinner.

(but let me add, anything but late to dinner - or murse.)

~faith,

Timothy.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Join the Discussion