Any prejudices while in the program towards the males?

ItsTheDude · Apr 4, 2010

sounds like that girly is in for a wake up call when she gets into the nursing workforce too, she'll be asking, "why did that guy get hired, promoted etc over me", ha.

when i was in nursing school, the top gpa belonged to a guy with other guys close behind, even though there were only a few of us dudes.

Anoetos, BSN, RN · Apr 4, 2010

I am expecting to be resented.

Hopefully it's rare but there are still women out there who think men in nursing are taking jobs from women.

The irony is that, from what I understand, the hospitals are driving the influx of men into nursing. They're asking for men. They want us.

art1stic · Apr 5, 2010

Awesome. Yeah i have a feeling i'm going to be an outcast for the next 2 years. I don't want to get mixed in with the girl drama.

Spring break just ended for me too. oh man it went by so fast.

Contractor2RN010 · Apr 5, 2010

I haven't yet been in a nursing class, but have been accepted on my one and only app to a very competitive school up here in NH. Well, I was sitting in the library the other day with some female classmates, and in walked a girl who had been denied on her second app at this school. So she asked the ladies if they had been accepted, and congratulated them, thrn proceeded to tell us how great a student she was, and that she was very qualified, and didn't understand the selection process. Well none of us understand it, but it IS HIGHLY competitive! So, in the meantime she never once spoke to or even looked at me. She then went on to suggest that the janitors had probably picked the roster. This is simply too funny, because there is one older janitor who does go out of his way to talk to me when he sees me... I don't think it once crossed her mind that I might have applied to the nursing program. And been accepted.

Anoetos, BSN, RN · Apr 5, 2010

Contractor,

I hear you.

At the risk of sounding like I'm all full of myself, I work very hard for my grades and am consistently the top scorer in every class I have taken. If I am accepted, I expect this to change a little, I'll be swimming with bigger fish, no doubt, but even as a pre-req student I've encountered women who seem annoyed by me, that I'm male is bad enough, that I get better grades than they do is even worse.

But really, such people are rare, the vast majority of other students and professors are friendly and supportive, that needs to be said. It's not a living hell by a long shot. I mean, really, I'm happily married and all but what's not to like about going to school every day with compassionate, intelligent women, most of whom are mature enough to like having men in classes with them?

Rednights · Apr 5, 2010

There are 8 dudes in my program. I'm going to speak up for them and say no. Any discrimination is established based on your personality (being late, being loud and obnoxious, and etc).

Anoetos, BSN, RN · Apr 6, 2010

Surely not "ANY" discrimination. I'm certain you meant to say "most", or even "the vast majority of", I agree with that.

That Guy, BSN, RN, EMT-B · Apr 6, 2010

Awesome. Yeah i have a feeling i'm going to be an outcast for the next 2 years. I don't want to get mixed in with the girl drama.

Just keep an ear open, you will learn a LOT!!!!

I have found that people thought teachers had prejudices towards me and that the clinical hospital we work at has them towards me. I like to think it is my good grades and hard work as a nursing student that I have got where I am.

Bob_N_VA · Apr 6, 2010

So far, no, haven't felt any resentment or prejudical feelings toward me. I am the only guy in my class and also the oldest as well. Probably pulling in the better grades too, at least in the top five. I do stand out, that's for sure, but so far it's all been positive. Time will tell, but I do try and get along with everybody. I have seen a bit of drama already, I chalk it up to the overabundance of estrogen. In those cases it is best to stay out of the fray.

leelake · Apr 7, 2010

Im about to graduate from a 4 year program, maybe 10-12 of us guys in a program with 120+. It was not too bad for me. We lost one guy quickly, because he thought he would be the pimp of nursing school. Other than that, its been fine. I personally discovered a problem with some guys not being professional to their cohorts, people at the clinical site, etc. This was a problem with some of the girls also, so nothing new.

Honestly, my biggest problem hasn't been being a male in nursing, but being a straight man in nursing. Some patients think this is the norm, and some of my cohorts aid in this with a "flamboyant" nature i do not consider professional. Not all of the gay men in my class are like that, thank goodness, but many of my patients are surprised to hear I do, indeed, have a GIRLfriend. I dont think it is wrong to be gay in nursing, that is YOUR choice. But I couldn't sound like Im showing my orientation in the hospital: it is not professional. I expect the same from everyone, and flamboyance doesn't cut it.

Therefore, I think this is the biggest problem; showing you do not have to compromise your masculinity to be a nurse. In fact, during our lamp of learning ceremony, it was meantioned that before Flo (Nightingale), in the middle ages, knights tended to care for the needy, sick, and wounded. Male nurses before there were male nurses. (dont know if that is valid, but I thought it was cool.) But most women are happy to work with men. Our strengths and weaknesses compliment each other. If those students have not gotten that idea, they will shortly. Or they will work in women's services.

Tiffany2023 · Apr 8, 2010

Men make great nurses. It's a fact I can say from the perspective of a patient. There are of course duds from both genders, but I have had the best patient experiences with male nurses. Don't let them get you down. It's just catty jealousy.