Out with "Nurse" In with...?

begalli · Mar 7, 2005

as far as the origins of the word "nurse", google "male lactation."

Hey! I already did that one in another thread! :uhoh3:

warning! kinda weird!

markjrn · Mar 7, 2005

Well, since you ask, all of nursing is really a "male" endeavor. It's heavy, it requires scientific thinking, decision making, accountability, and these kind of traits are traditionally found in male dominated occupations.

Well buddy, you're certainly entitled to your opinion, but IMHO, this statement makes women sound weak. You say this to my wife, and you'll be walking around carrying something in your pocket, and it won't be loose change! Did I mention that you'll also be a soprano? I don't consider her weak. :)

James Huffman · Mar 7, 2005

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.
Anyone have any good ideas? I'm sure the elderly female nurses at the ANA would welcome our suggestions with open arms! :rotfl:
The Veridican

You got that right, buddy: the babes of the ANA would indeed go for some name changes ...

Years ago, when in nursing school, I was assigned some readings in a journal. (Maybe AJN? I'm not sure). At any rate, they had an opinion column, and that month's writer was suggesting a similar name change. She was pushing for "Medical Remediologist," I think. She thought it would create a frenzy among us guys because we could put the initials "MR" after our names. (The "MR" designation would only apply to men, in her scheme). I don't think that Medical Remediologist has yet been adopted by any states or provinces. Yet.

Let's stick with RN. Yes, every guy who's an RN has had the inevitable dumb questions, but we're big boys, and we can handle it. Nursing has a proud history. I'm proud to be part of that history.

Jim Huffman, RN

javanurse2000, BSN, RN · Mar 7, 2005

1. Captain Keys

2. Mr. Medicine

3. Sir Catheter of Foley

Ok, just being silly....a nurse is a nurse I guess, huh? If it walks like a nurse and cares like a nurse then it's probably a nurse...male or female. I just get miffed when I'm confused for the flight attendant :0)

danu3 · Mar 7, 2005

There was a very lengthy and heated thread about this a while back.......I wish I could find it. But "nurse" as you know, gets about 1000000.0000000.000 hits, so I probably won't.
Anyhow I only find two terms that work for me: "nurse" or "healer" . And "healer" even, does not begin to describe all we do.
Really, If a man enters nursing, it's not like does so unadvisedly. I think he knows that is what he will be called, after all.....It's the essence of what we do. Why change it?

Don't know if these two threads you are thinking about. But here it is:

https://allnurses.com/forums/showthread.php?t=73923 and

https://allnurses.com/forums/showthread.php?t=73924

The problem probably is more to do with the image of what a nurse is. One possible solution is to change the name to something else (so far, nobody really can come up with something that is better, really) or another solution is just to have more men go into nursing and over time, the image of nursing will change just like the image of doctors changed over time (it includes females now while a while back the image does not include females). Being female is just one of the image of nursing, there are other images of nursing which is are not true either.

When I talk to my friends about nursing, I always talk about "modern" nursing. I'll tell them about different specialized area like nursing attorneys, nursing informatics, forensic nurisng, flight nursing, ... etc. Areas where people don't think about. Or I'll tell them about lawyers who are nurses, police officers who are nurses, computer people who are nurses, chaplains who are nurses ... etc. I'll them in modern nursing, we are trained obviously at the biological level, but also have training at the social/psychological level, and even a little bit at the spiritual level. Basically you need to be a fairly rounded person. I'll tell them if one is primary interested in the disease process, then medicine is the way to go. But if one is interested in the whole person, then nursing is the way to go. I always emphasize that in a good health care environment, you are going to have both types of people working as a team (if I am a patient, I would not feel very good to see docs and nurses going at each other and not working as a team because that raises all kinds of doubts in my mind about my care).

-Dan

TweetiePieRN · Mar 7, 2005

OP, Why would you be so concerned about the "image" of nursing? I didn't become an RN to showcase an image or to have some kind of status attached to it. Did you? A nurse is a nurse is a nurse. Male or female. I am proud to be called a nurse. Just because more men are coming into the nursing profession doesn't mean we should rename the profession.

BEANURSE · Mar 7, 2005

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:
The Veridican

You are joking right!?!?!?! If someone does not want to be called "nurse"......Don't become one! ANYONE (man or woman) should be PROUD to be called Nurse!

Speculating · Mar 7, 2005

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:
The Veridican

I'm with you whole heartedly friend. For the life of me I can't come up with something better. "Are you a male nurse'. 'No, I take care of females too." I'm not even sure where the term came from because in actuality men were the first nurses.

reevescw · Mar 7, 2005

Cop does not also mean to breast feed. There is the difference. The name should be changed.

I think that we should keep the term "nurse."
I've known women who were cops, ironworkers, and mechanics. How far do you think women--a distinct minority in all of those professions--would get if they suggested changing the name of their profession?
Not........very.........far.

Biffs25 · Mar 7, 2005

Going through school I was called the "Murse" by the females in my class. It, to them, qualified the fact that I was the male nursing student, and became a long lasting joke, such as all the Focker comments after meet the parents came out. I'm not suggesting we change the name, and know I have worked hard to be called a nurse, but i thought it was funny all the while. So maybe you can start introducing yourself as a "Murse" and see if people pick up on it :clown: :clown: You can be the new trend setter.

nursemike, ASN, RN · Mar 7, 2005

I think that we should keep the term "nurse."
I've known women who were cops, ironworkers, and mechanics. How far do you think women--a distinct minority in all of those professions--would get if they suggested changing the name of their profession?
Not........very.........far.

Not really looking to pick a fight, especially since I basically agree with you, but how many women have you known who were policemen?

Which is only to say I don't dismiss the gender-neutrality thing out-of-hand, but I don't see any likely alternatives. I have noticed we don't talk about mothers nursing their babies--we say they are breastfeeding.

Maybe that's the solution--don't change the name, change the connotation. We don't talk about doctors and doctrixes, we use the masculine form for both. We could as easily call them physicians, just as we sometimes call waiters and waitresses "servers."

Me, I'll be proud and happy to be a nurse. Hopefully, I won't cry when I get pinned, but if I do, I'll just try to do it in the most manly way I can manage.

UM Review RN, ASN, RN · Mar 8, 2005

Not really looking to pick a fight, especially since I basically agree with you, but how many women have you known who were policemen?

Once again, I'm caught PWE--Posting While Exhausted. Forgive me.:selfbonk: