Odd observations.

As a guy who will graduate this coming spring I have noticed an interesting way people talk to me, and am curious if others have similar experiences. I am not just referring to randomly being called Doctor either.

I currently am finishing up my fourth semester, so I have 4 semesters of clinicals, plus I work at a local hospital, and have for nearly a year. While not a huge amount of real world experience, it is what I have. (This includes clinical and work experiences).

Male nurses: All pro's, no cons to working with them. It is like we automatically accept each other. The floor I work on has a whopping four guys (2 FT RNs, 1 PT RN, and 1 Nurse Tech (me)). That is all shifts, all levels, myself included. I can always hang with any of them, though the full-timers are easier to get along with I think mainly because I see them more/know them better.

Female nurses: Cons: half the time they love my back more than any other part of me. Occasionally I cross a good rabid feminist, who seems put out that a man dared entered the woman's field. Pro's: The ones I work with are great. My opinion is respected, they have run interference for me when a female physician wanted to go nutty on me, and they don't mind helping me when I ask. While I don't always get their conversations, and sometimes they all turn red when I walk in (I still don't know what the big deal about waxing was, granted, I did not know chicks were big on waxing their cars), but the odd moments always make for funny ones. And of course, the fact that more than half are downright beautiful sure does make life easy on the eyes. (Hey, a man can respect her looks and her brains.) Also, FNP, CRNA, any type of female nurse falls into this catagory. They are all really good to me.

Male patients: They don't seem to mind much. I get asked the why nursing a lot, but when I tell them I liked it so I stayed they seem to accept it. Unless they are mental I generally get along well with them.

Male physicians. I debated putting them above male patients. (I made this list also showing how I perceived they view men in nursing, the higher up the more I think they are pro-us). A majority seem to freely accept conversation, and some even treat me quite well. I have had times where I stood and had conversations about how to care for the patient with them at the patient's bedside. (Ideally, the nurse would have done that, but the nurse cannot always round, and when I am there taking vitals, why not confer?) When I have done that, they seemed willing to talk and discuss things. Some were less open than others, but I expect there to be some who want to come in, assess, write orders, and leave. I will probably never forget the patient one who asked me to follow him around (it was a clinical day in the PICU) and he showed me quite a bit, and taught me a lot. Nice old fellow. He was a great teacher and had the right head.

Female patients: Yah. Usual issues, they are fine with a male physician, a female nurse, but the moment I stick my mug in their and say hello it is GET OUT!. Granted, it is rare, but it happens. I have never had a male patient toss me. I have had a load of women get really wierd just because I was a guy. One in particular was a very nice woman, and when we first met she was VERY acutely ill. We all thought she belonged in an ICU, but I digress. Once we got her better, she suddenly no longer wanted a guy. Female patients could be just plain strange. I never did see a pelvic exam, or many other OB related things during that rotation because the patient refused. Still, the majority are friendly are respectable.

Female physicians. The absolute worst. I loathe female physicians. I have not yet met one I would want working on me, and have met quite a few I would hate working with. It is like they have a giant desire to treat male nurses (or maybe I look like I want beaten with a whip) like garbage. Of course, I know a few treat female nurses like trash as well. They just have a huge ego, and are rarely willing to listen to anyone but themselves. To them, it seems healthcare is not a team effort, but one they themselves do, and everyone else is just an ancilliary player.

What about you guys, what have your experiences been like?