Male Nursing Students

kim93079 · Nov 23, 2004

My hubby just switched his major to nursing and he has gotten mixed reactions from everyone. I think there is such a stigma associated with male nurses. It obviously isn't correct but most ppl assume that nursing is not a "masculine" field. I totally disagree and think that more and more men should become nurses.

Thunderwolf, MSN, RN · Nov 23, 2004

I think, in many ways, we need to make the field a little more "gender neutral".

akcarmean, LPN · Nov 23, 2004

I think for so long it has just been female nurses and male doctors. IT's time for a change. Male and females are just the same in each field. As long as they are qualified for the job who cares what gender they are. Hopefully society will change the way they view things.

Chad_KY_SRNA · Nov 23, 2004

I was drawn into nursing as a profession because I think emergency medicine is a very interesting profession, I want to help people and I am intrigued and amazed by all of the things people do to themselves and aquantences. My only demands are 8 hour shifts, a 15 minute lunch break, decent benefits, appropriate pay, maybe a sign on bonus and a reasonable pt. load. I am thinking tiny country hospitals might be a good place to start looking for that. Probably won't find it all at first, I can dream. Right now I am working 8 days straight, 6 eight hour shifts and two 16 hour doubles. I would like to avoid eight day stretches like that after I get my RN.

Robb1978 · Nov 24, 2004

I am a pre-nursing student excited and nervous all at the same time. My passion has always been nursing so if there are people out there that have a problem with males in the nursing field I guess there really isn't much they can do about it. I ask would you rather have a female that hates her choice of being a nurse or a male that has a true passion for the feild (wich goes the same with any field) I would rather have someone with the passion and desire to be there and to help other rather than someone that would rather not be there at all.

Rep · Nov 24, 2004

I am male and I don't have any problem as a nurse.

Fiona59 · Nov 24, 2004

My oldest son has decided to become a nurse. Honour Roll throughout High School (ok, I'm bragging). He told me he'd rather be a good nurse than a mediocre doctor. He likes people and enjoys being with them.

He's just brought home the paperwork for the military. Free education appeals to him and the time served isn't out of line in his eyes.

A few of his buddies tried to question his "female career choice" but at 6'3" and 190lbs and kind of looking like Val Kilmer in Top Gun, they decided it "be a cool thing for a guy". Their attitude also changed when he pointed out the Forces were going to pay him to get his degree...

nikonos · Nov 26, 2004

I'm starting clinical rotations in January for my RN program. I'm 6'2" 185lbs and there are 4 other males in my ADN class of 30. The whole "This is woman's work" mentality is utter BS. If you are a male RN you have so many employment opportunities available to you that your counterparts majoring in other areas may never have. There is a nursing surplus in the state of Kentucky, and yet employment recruiters from the major hospitals have been in contact with me on a steady basis. The best nurses that I have ever associated with were guys and they were extremely professional and seemed very satisfied with their chosen career field. The social stigma is on the way out, but it is not going ot happen overnight. Night shift in the Louisville ED I tech in already has a 60/40 ratio of women to men nurses and I see that gap shortening more and more in the near future.

Alexandra s · Nov 26, 2004

:o I would like to get some opinions on why its so difficult to recruit males into entering the nursing field! Alright mens! It's not just for womens!

Pity you are not in the UK. I am currently in my 2nd year at Uni, studying adult nursing and 38 out of the 65 in my cohort are male....There's definately something to be said for having more men in nursing, lets face it, nearly half the general population are male, so more male nurses are needed to balance things up. I find personally that many male patients seem much more comfortable have "intimate" procedures carried out by male nurses and there are currently not enough of them out in practice, but it's changing....slowly but surely:) !!

polaris2000uk · Nov 26, 2004

What a ratio, alexandria!

My uni Cohort stands at about 90, with only 8 of us men.

The career of Nurse was never presented to me at any career day, talk or discussion, the NHS careers people, if they existed 14 years ago (showing my age) did not visit my school. There was never (until casualty on bbc1) any general idea about male nursing in my head.

I only entered by chance, when I saw an NHS careers poster and enquired a little further. None of the Men on my course wanted initially to become anurse, whereas most of the 18-20bracket ladies did.

The Bob the Builder article in Nursing Standard is good, but in order to recruit across the board, there needs to be not just a Nina the Nurse, but maybe a Nigel the Nurse too.

Paul. :coollook:

tropicbound · Dec 17, 2004

I'm 43 and just finishing my pre-nursing classes (just microB to go). After years in the corporate world and that last 10 in Dot Coms, I got tired of helping businesses as opposed to helping people. When I decided to pursue my RN, the reactions were mixed, but mostly supportative. I DO think it helps that I'm in California where there are fewer stigmas associated with ... everything.

My wife was mixed, but supportative. In-laws wonder why I need a new career and don't just "get a normal job". My son (15) was concerned with the the gay image. My daughter (21) was totally supportative. My sister thought it was great.

But most importantly, I think it's fantastic!