javachair

Thanks for the replies. I didn't think so, but my worry was with the increased chance of infections that could lead to OPSI. Most likely it wouldn't be a good idea for me to work in the infectious disease ward. Thanks again and I'm looking forward to school next year. Sam

Last weekend I was involved in a bike crash that required an emergency splenectomy. Although I lost a lot of blood and required a blood transfusion I am making a remarkably quick recovery. I guess it helped that I was running 20 miles a week before the accident. All in all I'm a lucky boy, no head injuries, no spinal injuries, no fractures. I also have a new found respect for doctors and nurses, especially those involved with my care at Columbia Presbyterian Hospital. I was considering going into nursing school next year. Does anyone know of any limitations I might have as a nurse, or if I can still be a nurse? Thanks. Sam

Well, it sounds like I'm in the minority here, no pun intended. I think having a larger male representation in nursing would be a great thing not only for the profession but for the public. I'm not in favor of a quota system but would look to programs to encourage more women to go into science fields, including addressing the issue with girls at a young age that science is a field they can not only get into but something they can excel at. I think most men and boys don't consider nursing because for one they don't see it as a viable option - but in fact it's a great profession that has opportunities for upward advancement and branches of specialties to satisfy a greater intellectual curiosity. Well, I'm going into nursing, and there seems to be plenty of men in this forum so that's a good start. Anyways, it's great to be here. Sam

Hi fergus. I'm interested in why you think that. I'm not suggesting that a male nurse or nursing student get preferential treatment over a more qualified female nurse or applicant but in many of the fields with historically low female participation, such as law and medicine, the only way that we reversed the trend was to create incentives for women to seek out those fields. We all talk about the stigma of male nurses, IMHO the only way to change society's attitude towards male nurses is having more of them. And one of the ways we can do that is create incentives for more men to apply to nursing programs and have opportunities for advancement for them in the work force. Sam

I'm in the middle of switching careers into nursing and have a question about male nurses getting preferential treatment in job placement. In many professional fields with a wide gender ratio there are programs whether official or unofficial to try to hire more of the "minority" group. Does that exist at all in the nursing field? Imagine if the ratio of female to male doctors is 1:10. There would be program after program and incentives to attract more women doctors, as it should be. Anything like it in the nursing profession for men? Sam

Really interesting thread. I'm switching from a long career in Investment Banking, which is dominated by men, to nursing and I never thought about the potential obstacles presented by the "male nurse" issue. It does give me hope when I read the many positive first hand stories that people have of their nursing careers irregardless of whether they are male or female. Invariably, everyone's personal experience with discrimination won't be the same. All I do if I experience discrimination or hostility in the workforce or classroom is address it directly and feel some sympathy for those ignorant enough to harbor those misguided perceptions - because ultimately it's their issue not mine. Sam