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:
Sorry, man, I don't mean to offend you, but paramedics have a very limited role in the care of a patient compared to that of a nurse. I appreciate the work they do, but they are not nurses. Therefore, I wouldn't want nurses to take on the name, medic (or registered medic). Paramedic is not deemed one of the learned professions by the Bureau of Labor; registered nurse is. I think your use of the term Mr. Nurse shows that you, too also recognize the difference between the medic and the professional nurse.
The Veridican
Maybe when you have "the big one" from worrying about all of this silliness, you can contact the Bureau of Labor instead of dialing 911 and they can send you someone that is a member of a learned profession. Give me a freakin' break!
You sound like one arrogant Murse. You should learn to respect everyone, in every healthcare discipline. Maybe then you can respect your own title.
I'm not sure what makes one qualified to refer to themselves as a learned professional, but most Paramedics I know took most of the same prerequisite coursework that was required of the nursing students in the associate degree programs.
You've got some attitude there, man. I'm sure you'll go far.
Holy needle cricothyrotomies, Batman! It's an arrogant paramedic!
Can we give this divisiveness a rest please? Both of you! Play nice! There's room enough for both of you.
From scene to E.R. doors, the patient is yours.
From E.R. doors to OR, the patient is the ER nurses's.
From OR to PACU, the patient is the circulating nurse's.
From PACU to floor, the patient is mine. Mine! MIIIIIINE!!! :chuckle
From floor to discharge, the patient is the floor nurse's.
Okay?
Room enough for all!
And I would add that RN's have QUITE a different role from paramedics. Emergent, focused assessment, initial stabilization, lifesaving intervention, and maintenance of life until definitive treatment ... versus cephalocaudal assessment, stabilization, maintenance of life, lifesaving intervention, provision of definitive treatment, and restoration of health.
Not to knock paramedics. Not at all! They're wonderful at what they do and no, a nurse cannot do everything a paramedic can. But the past poster is correct, even if it was not stated to your liking.
Maybe when you have "the big one" from worrying about all of this silliness, you can contact the Bureau of Labor instead of dialing 911 and they can send you someone that is a member of a learned profession. Give me a freakin' break!
You sound like one arrogant Murse. You should learn to respect everyone, in every healthcare discipline. Maybe then you can respect your own title.
I'm not sure what makes one qualified to refer to themselves as a learned professional, but most Paramedics I know took most of the same prerequisite coursework that was required of the nursing students in the associate degree programs.
You've got some attitude there, man. I'm sure you'll go far.
At the risk of addressing the original question, the OP is not the first to wonder whether a different title might attract more men to nursing.
Now, I happen to think physical strength is the only clear advantage to having more men in nursing, and that's not a law, it's a generality. On average, men are stronger than women. I do think there may be other, subtle reasons why more men is a good thing. Different ways of looking at some things might come in hand. Some shy men might be less uncomfortable with a male caregiver. Anecdotally, it looks like units with a mix of men and women may behave a little better, but that's a lot to speculate on limited data.
Still, in a profession in dire need of qualified people, ruling out half the population out of hand seems dumb. Including men increases the pool from which to draw. Same for women in traditionally male occupations. Do we settle for a mediocre auto mechanic because he happens to be a man, or would we be better off if talented, capable women had the opportunity, as well?
Uh, but the thing is, becoming a nurse is hard, and once you become a nurse, it's still hard, and sometimes nasty, and some might even say a little degrading, at times. (I don't find it degrading, but I can see how some might. I think we can all agree that peri care, for example, is seldom glamourous.)
Personally, I've overcome a lot bigger challenges than the title to become a nurse, and plenty of others have overcome much more than I have. The only sane reason I can see to go through it all is that you're pretty sure you love it.
As for what others may think of us, it's plain folly to spend much time worrying over that. A number of surveys suggest that nursing is one of the more respected occupations around. I don't define my manhood by the job I have, but by how I do the job I have. To my thinking, that's good enough.
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.
i believe, in fact, that nursing started out as a male profession, but it reversed around the time of the civil war (please correct me if i am wrong.)
so, the male image of nursing would be the original image of nursing.
all i can say is that i hope you've got your :chair: flame resistant suit on & at the ready....lol :rotfl:!!! cuz.......you're really goin' to need it :uhoh21:!!! let the flaming commense...hehehe .
to those who can't transcend their nature, i have no pity. i hope they all get forced by catholic bishops to dress up like nurses, and i hope all the adn wannabes who can't transcend their natures end up making coffee for the male mds who throw charts at them and ridicule their competence!
could i have a definition of "adn wannabes" please?
So here's my stand: A woman being a nurse is just a woman being a nurse. It's in their nature. A man being a cop or doctor or firefighter is just another man being a cop, doctor or firefighter--it's in their nature.
A man who can be a nurse is a glorious thing, because he has transcended his nature.
A woman who can be a firefighter is a glorious thing, because she has transcended her nature.
To those who can't transcend their nature, I have no pity. I hope they all get forced by Catholic bishops to dress up like nurses, and I hope all the ADN wannabes who can't transcend their natures end up making coffee for the male MDs who throw charts at them and ridicule their competence!
Another question: Why on earth would I want to "transcend" my nature? Is something inherently wrong with my nature? It's hard enough to be a nurse nowadays. Now you want us to be metaphysical giants too?
Please don't try my intellect by leaping from one sophistic claim to another in the same thread.
I'm still in nursing school but my size and gray hair have prompted frequent questions as to my job title. With my best Arnold Schwarzenegger voice impression, I explain how I have been sent to protect and care for them. Upon leaving, my trademark line is,
Nothing "female" about being a nurse. I am actually going to speak to some high school kids next week and I really hope to get throught to both the male and female students to consider nursing. I am a "typical" nurse I suppose. 40 (ugh) year old white female who graduated from and an ADN program right out of high school and returned immediately for BSN. I have to tell you one of the people who really inspired me in nursing was a man. He was just a really cool guy and very enthusiastic and competent in his job as a peds nurse. I got to meet a lot of really great nurses of both genders, many races, ages, and backgrounds as a hospital volunteer in high school. It was great. Our patients aren't cookie cutter people, so why should we be. To me nursing is a specialized scientifically based health care profession. Nothing girly about that! It takes a special type of brains and heart to function as a good nurse, not a specific type of gonads. Lots of men have made the comment to me as I do my job as an OB nurse that they'd like to do what I do. I say go for it! Just my $0.02 worth! :)
cuz.......you're really goin' to need it :uhoh21:!!! let the flaming commense...hehehe 
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Pmdc
119 Posts
Maybe when you have "the big one" from worrying about all of this silliness, you can contact the Bureau of Labor instead of dialing 911 and they can send you someone that is a member of a learned profession. Give me a freakin' break!
You sound like one arrogant Murse. You should learn to respect everyone, in every healthcare discipline. Maybe then you can respect your own title.
I'm not sure what makes one qualified to refer to themselves as a learned professional, but most Paramedics I know took most of the same prerequisite coursework that was required of the nursing students in the associate degree programs.
You've got some attitude there, man. I'm sure you'll go far.
Paramedic, GN