I start my clinicals in the spring,and Im scared.also how are guys treated in nursing

huckfinn · Aug 20, 2001

Go to clinicals prepared! Study your texts, ask qestions, practice your procedures and you will do fine. Seek opportunities! Hands on is where you can learn most.

Don't sweat the male/female thing. It doesn't play unless YOU use it. If someone else uses it, just look around as if you don't know who they are talking to. You are not a male, you are a nursing student. I am a male and am treated well. I am just another staff member, not male or female until it comes to muscle work. Don't let yourself become the beast of burden. It is one thing to be helpful and another thing to be the guy who does all the male caths and lifting.

As far as poop is concerned, there are much worse things. It just depends on what you are personally sensitive to..... I cant stand lougies.

RN_MOM4 · Aug 20, 2001

HI i am a nursing student ( female) we have only 4 males out of 65 students in our class. I find them no different then female nurses. My son was in the hospital this summer and he had a male nurse which he thought was great. We need more male nurses in the profession. we have male and female doctors. Why not male and female nurses. As for being sqimish it goes way after the first week. We all go through those periods in our carreers good luck :)

Nursz-R-Awsm · Aug 20, 2001

Good luck! Your clinicals are where all the exciting stuff happens...and putting your book knowledge into action. It's like puzzle pieces falling into place.

We had male students in our class...one looked very young, but very mature for his age and because he acted professional and was on top of things (as huckfinn stated) and it was not a problem...even on our maternal child rotation. None of the laboring women, who were asked in advance, had a problem with him being there. You will do just fine.

As for the poop thing...there is an old thread somewhere on this board..."what freaks you out" and it goes to show some of us never get used to some things. However, as for poop...just think, how would you want your loved one treated if they were in that bed? It is sometimes harder for the patient...having to depend on another person to clean them is often humiliating and they need to be treated with dignity. It will fall into place when you get there!

manaAJ2 · Aug 21, 2001

I'm going to be starting clinicals this year also. I am excited and nervous at the same time.

I wish there were more male nurses. I hate when people make fun of male nurses (for example in "meet the parents", although I did think that movie was really funny). But honestly, I work at a hospital and the male nurses I know are great and are treated with a lot of respect. I think its mostly out of the medical community where they are sometimes thought of lightly, mostly by those who have no idea what being a nurse entails and is all about. In my nursing class freshman year we had 4 male students, and i thought they were awesome guys. good luck!

kewlnurse · Aug 21, 2001

You actually get treated better by the docs for being a male, sorry ladies, it's a guy thing. As far as the patients, most don't have a probem with male nurses, occasionally you'll get one that will refuse a st cath or other such thing, but it's no big deal. Also, i have been told by many female patients that male nurses are gentler and more compassionate, maybe because we have to try harder to be that way. Best advice i can give you is, 1) be yourself, 2) if your not married, stay that way. 3)if your freinds give you the business say somthing like "hey i get to see naked women all day, and thats not including the patients" shuts them up everytime 4) have a sense of humor 5) the poop thing is;'t all that bad (except for c-diff), there are a lot worse things out there. just relax and don't gt too uptight, you'll be fine

Nursz-R-Awsm · Aug 21, 2001

Kewl is right...it IS a guy thing. I don't take it personally. Most of the guys I know (nurses) are very good....and some are even married. Right on about the sense of humor also! Keeps you sane.