how many guys hear this?

MissJoRN, RN · Mar 16, 2006

Ha! Did you tell them to meet today's average female student? We had a few, FEW, young, available cuties but speaking from the standpoint of my circle of friends... We were (on average, all of us met a few of these criteria): middle aged, married, divorced, raising kids, pregnant, covered in pet hair, covered in baby spit up, working part/full time, wearing out-dated clothes, barely having time to brush our out-dated hair before class, hungry, and CRANKY! Yeah baby, you like this??

But we were there for the same reason we know you are!

Maybe some comment about "seems the women like to band together and compain about their hubbies during breaks, I'm not going there! (laugh) So the other guys and I hang-out and shoot the poop"

Points out that there are other men, that the guys aren't chasing women, and that the women didn't come there in the hope that there would be three men for everone to pass around.

Of course, it does give the idea that nursing school is one big leisurely cocktail party, guess I need to work on a new one! Or you could follow up with "Man! That remings me, Dave and I are getting together tonight to study for the big test on the oxy-hemoglobin dissociation curve and ABGs" Big words and acronyms will stump them every time!

RN34TX · Mar 16, 2006

Just about every time I tell someone that I'm trying to get into nursing school they say something about chasing women at school or it's a good way to meet women or I wish I was around all those women, ect.... Don't get me wrong I'm a normal guy and I do like women, but geez. I usually just laugh it off but it kinda gets old. Kinda like they don't take me seriously.I can't tell you how many times I've heard " You're going from being a pilot to being a male nurse, I know what you're after, haha" I tell them it's something I always wanted to learn, because I think it's a very nobel profession. Are there any good replies to these comments?

I honestly can be more understanding of those comments from the public on the outside of nursing because they still have a little ways to go in terms of understanding a lot of things about nursing and still have some stereotypes to let go of.

The only thing that bothers me is hearing my very own co-workers, and I've even seen it posted here by a few members, saying that they went into nursing to meet women.

Even if that is true for some men, I really wish that they'd just keep that to themselves because it's a bad reflection on all of us and it cheapens the idea of men going into nursing.

As if men have no other drive or career motive outside of our one track minds.

Personally, I think that if you need to alter your career plans to deliberately put yourself in a work setting surrounded by women in order to get a date or any attention from them, then there must be something wrong with you and your ability to initially attract and/or retain them in relationships.

Plenty of men who work with few or no women have no trouble in meeting them without having to find a job where women are literally forced to talk to them by default of a work relationship.

2dCareer · Mar 17, 2006

Maybe it's time you considered making new circle of friends.

From what you wrote, it sounds like they self-identify as a bunch of circle-jerks.

Either that, or they're jealous as hell.

Of course, I think the enemas part is kinda' funny.

On the sarcasm thing - Know what'd get their goat? Tell 'em that you learned how to give "high colonics" to prep for GI surgery, then ask 'em if they'd mind if you gave it a try on them, or if they'd let you help teach them how to do it. Tell 'em they can sign a waiver for educational video taping, and that it would never (wink, wink) end up on e-bay. Of course, if the liked it, they might have a future in certain underground Hollyweird films.

Finally, tell 'em you just wanted "the hat". (I do! *LOL*)

golf4fun · Mar 17, 2006

I used to get the same thing from my friends when I was in Nursing School. Once you get out of school things die down and you don't hear it so much. Most of my friends smarted up when I got a job right out of school making good money. I find that it is a blast working with women (most of the time), once your working and you all become friends they almost (almost) forget your a guy and their comments/interactions can be worse than the ones my buddies and I make when we are together watching basketball and drinking beer. Bottom line, it gets better when you are out of school.

danfif · Mar 17, 2006

Bell,

Just ask the fools one question, ask them, "When was the last time YOU helped save somebody's life?" That should shut them down pretty fast!

Ignorance is as they say bliss, some people just can't get past the stereo type of male nurses being gay. I know I'm sure not, but that does not change much at times.

I will say this much, I went from owning my own business to nursing, and it is the best thing that I have ever done! Bring on the worst of the worst patients, I do not care, for this is what I was ment to do! My one simple goal with any of my patients is one thing, make em smile, if only just once during the shift. If I can do this, I know I have made a difference in that patients life.

Hats off to you for wanting to make a difference!

Dan

Roy Fokker, BSN, RN · Mar 18, 2006

Ignorance is as they say bliss, some people just can't get past the stereo type of male nurses being gay. I know I'm sure not, but that does not change much at times.

The stupidest thing, IMHO, is how people go for the whole "gay" thing.

Naturally people "assume" that all those 'female nurses' are heterosexual. :rolleyes:

I mean really (though I'm not gay) even if I was.... so what? - How does that change things even on iota?

It doesn't. But naturally little details like that never seem to make it to their silly heads...

agent · Mar 18, 2006

I hear, " we need more male nurses" all the time.

I don't know what that is supposed to mean.

ReinventingMyselfAgain, MSN, RN · Mar 18, 2006

I hear, " we need more male nurses" all the time.
I don't know what that is supposed to mean.

It means that we women are sick of each other, hearing each other b@#$h. You guys are much more interesting to work with :)

RN34TX · Mar 19, 2006

The stupidest thing, IMHO, is how people go for the whole "gay" thing.
Naturally people "assume" that all those 'female nurses' are heterosexual.
I mean really (though I'm not gay) even if I was.... so what? - How does that change things even on iota?
It doesn't. But naturally little details like that never seem to make it to their silly heads...

It's because plenty of men are extremely paranoid of being labeled as gay, especially if insecurities about that subject already exist for them.

Men like that probably shouldn't enter nursing, because it will only feed on their already large insecurity and fear of it, but for some reason, some of them still do enter nursing and that's when you get someone who constantly has to advertise to everyone how straight and manly they are.

I'm never sure whether they are trying to convince their co-workers, the public, or themselves.

We might not like it, but the stereotype is still out there, even if mostly in more conservative and rural/small town circles.

And some guys just have a more difficult time dealing with it.

deaners · Mar 21, 2006

I am in my second semester of Nursing School, and I constantly here that. I also constantly hear that it is a good thing guys go into nursing so that we can do the heavy lifting. I thought I was going into nursing to care for people, not because of genetics. Also, as a side note, from someone who is openly gay, the gay line doesn't matter, because everyone already presumes you are... why else would you be going into nursing (a woman's job???)

JiffyGriff · Mar 21, 2006

I'm not gay, and people don't presume that I am whatsoever. I've never had that vibe from anyone.

Murse901, MSN, RN · Mar 21, 2006

Oh bell...DO it! You can come up with some nice comebacks if ya think about it. All genders are welcomed into nursing. I think the world will slowly get OVER IT...until then...Be strong!
Shelly

All genders? Are there really more than two?