My friend was asked to tell some advantages of male nurses over female ones

teesquared · Aug 13, 2015

A male nurse may have an advantage when it comes to the more labor intensive parts of nursing, but that's about it. Males and females are equal aside for men being stronger than some women. That would've been my response.

elkpark · Aug 13, 2015

Usually, the point of that kind of question is simply to evaluate how well someone "thinks on her/his feet." The question is intended to catch you off guard and make you uncomfortable, and there isn't a right or wrong answer that they are looking for, they are looking for how you respond to being put in that awkward situation, and see if you can pull it together and continue to think when you are feeling panicky, or does your mind just go blank.

If he came up with twelve reasons, even if some of them were "silly," I would think that would be considered doing pretty well. A response like teesquared's would have been good, also. Most any kind of answer would be okay, as opposed to, "Uh.... Uh .... Uh ...." :). Best wishes!

GuEsT78 · Aug 13, 2015

Size and upper-body strength is perhaps the only differences that matter.

When I worked on an adolescent unit, some of our patients were huge high school athletes in to get a mangled knee fixed. As a 5' 10' guy, I was nervous walking them to the toilet. I coped by being ready to stop their fall the instant it started. Once they were going down there was no way I could stop them. I can't imagine managing that as a 5' 2" and 110-pound nurse.

That and perhaps embarrassment issues with some male patients.

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Why were these interviewers asking this question anyway, much less expecting him to talk for 10 minutes on the topic? I can't imagine a guy who hates women choosing nursing as a profession. It'd be like someone who hates chocolate getting a job in a chocolate factory. I can imagine the opposite though. Were they looking for reasons to reject him?

RNsRWe, ASN, RN · Aug 13, 2015

Yeah.....I think he had a case of diarrhea of the mouth towards the end of that list... :blink:

If he were to come up against it again (or if anyone else is looking for how to answer this), I'm thinking that teesquared NAILED it. For pretty much anything else said, it can very easily read "sexist" or "misogynist" even if not intended, or not true. Interviews are, after all, about impressions and the 'vibes' we give off during those interviews. Perhaps an interviewer is looking to see if the applicant is going to HIMSELF be a problem when working with the rest of the (female) staff, and it was just his/her way of getting a reading on your friend.

Hope it works out!

direw0lf, BSN · Aug 13, 2015

I don't think he can get in the nursing school because of his biased opinions.
What would you tell the interviewers or would you do if you are asked to answer a question like that?
Thank you.
Kitty

Not meaning to be rude but what you or I think doesn't matter we didn't interview him and note all of his positives and negatives and I'd be shocked if only those 2 points (11 and 12) are the reasons he wouldn't get into nursing school.

I (a female) would probably have tried to say how it's not black and white but there are examples of male nurses who are physically stronger in their upper bodies that can do patient lifting easier. I guess you could make a case that more males in nursing will help its professionalism because the more males the less stigma of it being thought of as a "women's work".

Farawyn · Aug 13, 2015

What were the first 10?

Jensmom7, BSN, RN · Aug 13, 2015

Ok, you have started other topics touching on ageism and how to do a "Why I want to go to this school" question.

Are we doing your home work for you, or have you actually done some thinking and research on your own?

If you have, please share your thoughts so we can have a true discussion.

llg, PhD, RN · Aug 13, 2015

I would not emphasize the physical strength aspect of the different genders because it could be discriminatory to expect men to do all the "heavy lifting" in nursing when their backs are just as valuable as the backs of the women. Also, there are a lot of physically fit women who are stronger than less fit men.

When reading the OP, my mind went immediately towards stressing the value of diversity within nursing -- that having people of both genders and people from a variety of races, ethnic groups, and backgrounds within nursing strengthens our group as a whole. For example, as a NICU nurse, our male staff members provide a fine example to new fathers in role modeling the ability to hold, diaper, bathe, the newborn, etc. Sometimes male patients and/or fathers, brothers, etc. of patients may relate better to a man and/or prefer to discuss their feelings with someone of their own gender. For lots of situations, a male perspective adds to the overall analysis of a situation. It's good to have some men around ... just as it is good to have all other kinds of people on the staff.

GuEsT78 · Aug 13, 2015

I would not emphasize the physical strength aspect of the different genders because it could be discriminatory to expect men to do all the "heavy lifting" in nursing when their backs are just as valuable as the backs of the women.

Sorry, but good sense isn't discriminatory and any of us can spot the exceptional situation when a male nurse is a weakling and female nurse is strong. And if it's that easy, why walk on tippy-toes? Why regard being chosen for a job because you're best suited for it as bad? Why regard when someone else is chosen for that reason as bad? Why be blind to such obvious realities?

When I worked nights at a children's hospital, the night supervisor would sometimes get me for a transport to the hospital's morgue. They were larger children, now wrapped in a shroud. She was six-inches shorter than me and had back issues. I didn't relish the actual task, but I was happy to help her. Lifting would put her back at risk. I could easily lift a child without straining. It didn't bother me in the slightest that she'd picked me because I was the only guy on night shift nursing. She'd also picked the most competent for the task.

Unfortunately, in our poor, muddled society, we often confuse discernment, which means meaning making decisions that make sense, with discrimination, which draws lines that have no rational reason for them. The result is a lot of unnecessary anger that does no one any good.

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One thing that men in nursing might teach the women is to not be so easily insulted. All Nurses is filled with examples of that. Try a website for mostly male professions and you'll find far less of that. Part of growing up as a male is learning to take criticism, laugh at it, and keep your cool. If you can do that, you get respect. If you can't, you don't.

This funny scene from Gran Torino illustrates that perfectly:

And it's a cultural thing. Badly reared, men are thugs. That's one reason why inner city minority males murder each other in such high numbers. They haven't had a Clint Eastwood as a father to teach them otherwise. At the slightest insult, they blow up.

You see that in this scene from Grand Torino.

If you haven't seen the movie, the plot centers around that Asian gang trying to recruit the boy and Clint's efforts to prevent that. It's a masterpiece, showing how a sensitive topic can be handled with humor.

shasbus · Aug 14, 2015

Of those four interviewers, two of them are female nurses.

What are the other two? Caitlyns? :)

llg, PhD, RN · Aug 14, 2015

One thing that men in nursing might teach the women is to not be so easily insulted. All Nurses is filled with examples of that.

I have some male colleagues who would disagree with you on that point. Some have told me that they don't like to be treated like pack animals and want to be respected -- and hired -- because of their brainpower and ability to care for patients. Knowing this, I try not to assume that someone (even if they look healthy and strong at first glance) should be asked to share more of that physical burden than anyone else unless it is absolutely necessary (e.g. in an emergency).

If you want to volunteer to help out in that way -- good for you. But it is not fair to assume that everyone wants or should feel the same as you.

... and that children's hospital where you worked should have provided the appropriate lifting assist devices so that the average nurse could do the job without risking an injury.