It's time to change the term "nurse." It doesn't fit with the male image of nursing, and more and more men are coming into the field of nursing. I just can't think of another term. Our vocabulary just doesn't seem to have another term that would fit both sexes.
"Medic" doesn't work, because it has a military connotation and medics are more like EMTs or paramedics, and nursing is far more than a medic. We provide the care people need when they are sick.
"Caregiver", though, sounds like a volunteer or a family member.
"Registered Healthcare Provider" sounds like an MD, or an insurance company.
"Registerd Medical Technician" is not a professional status. Technicians do tasks; nurses assess and make care plans based on their findings. Not to mention, patient education, care coordination, and supervision of, in fact, med techs.
Anyone have any good ideas? I'm sure the elderly female nurses at the ANA would welcome our suggestions with open arms! :rotfl:
Look up the word "nurse" in the dictionary. It is not female by definition. Won an argument w/my husband on this one. Also, in your spare time, read David Copperfield by Charles Dickens, it makes reference to male characters picking up an infant and "nursing" it. I can only assume this meant "caring for" rather than feeding from the mammary gland.
kadokin, ASN, RN
550 Posts
Look up the word "nurse" in the dictionary. It is not female by definition. Won an argument w/my husband on this one. Also, in your spare time, read David Copperfield by Charles Dickens, it makes reference to male characters picking up an infant and "nursing" it. I can only assume this meant "caring for" rather than feeding from the mammary gland.