dawg07

Hmm, I have never actually had this happen to me. I guess I am fortunate. I focus on the procedure and talk with the patients and their family members if present about what is happening to them at that second. When I have to touch a breast or part of anatomy, I explain in advance that it is necessary for the procedure and apologize for any inconvenience or embarrassment. Acknowledging that it is personal to them possibly helps me maintain my "cool", or is a subconcious distraction on my part. I'll ask some of my male co-workers if they have ever experienced this and how they handle it. BTW, I have heard some of the females talk about wearing "armour" bras to prevent showing of tell tale body parts. Maybe they are visual too.... As far as comon sense approachs to dealing with the problem, I think when the they weren't trying to be punny, the suggestions were on track. Loose scrubs, untucked top, powders and appropriate undergarments. Professonal demeanor, and recognition that none of us can control every reaction that our body throws at us, but we can be prepared to try and cope with it. Best of luck.

The question asked was "where do I begin?" "My problem: Want to work in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. Dont know where to begin, regarding all thats required, i.e. visa, NCLEX, CGFNS etc, so I decided to contact an agency....OGP. I'm heading to their presentation day tomorrow. I have read some rather discouraging posts about OGP (which I'm grateful for)..now I'm all a confused. I'm scared! Would love to be able to try and organise it all myself, but where do you start! My partner is a teacher and would be looking for a visa and work also." It is noble to be concerned about unfair wages, but it is not just foreign trained nurses that face that issue, wages vary by region in the US and new and midwestern nurses bear the brunt of lower wages. My intent was to provide accurate timely information that answered the original question, something that appeared to have been missed. For the partner, USD 259 in Wichita KS just brought in 23 foreign trained teachers at their expense to meet that shortage. If Irish Male Nurse wold consider he the midwest, he might find ready opportunity for both. Cost of living is lower, but wages are lower also. Also, each state has a wage and labor board to deal with unfair labor practices. Regardless, I hope that accurate timely information will provide an opportunity for the original poster to explore and prepare himself for the challenges of coming to the US. Another question for the Irish male nurse is, what is our training? If a BSN, there is a good chance that your qualifications will allow you to meet requirements for the NCLEX, if you are from a diploma program, then there is a good chance that you may have to take some "completion courses" in order to meet educational requirements. The CES and the state board of nursing will determine that. It sounds as if you got burned in the earlier period, I apologized for any unscrupulous business people that took advantage of you or your friends. It is a shame you or they did not know about the state wage and labor boards that protect workers regardless of where they come from.

a green card is a permanent resident visa, different from the h1 visa's. my info is from research with cgfns and the state department about foreign trained nurses working in the us that i did for one of my graduate courses recently. visascreen is required by the federal law. "section 343 of the illegal immigration reform and responsibility act of 1996 requires that certain non-u.s. healthcare professionals successfully complete a screening program prior to receiving an occupational visa, such as the h-1b, h-2b, tn status and permanent (green card) visas. in 2003, the u.s. citizenship and immigration services (uscis) published final rules required under section 343 of the illegal immigration reform and immigration responsibility act of 1996. under these final rules, internationally-educated healthcare professionals, such as nurses, physical therapists, occupational therapists, physician assistants, medical technicians, medical laboratory technologists, speech language pathologists, and audiologists who are seeking temporary or permanent occupational visas as well as those who are seeking trade nafta (tn) status, are required to first obtain a cgfns/ichp visascreen™ certificate as part of the visa process" the intent for immigration was not stated, but the temporary visa requirements are clear, and in adition, the requirement to pass the nclex is there. there may also be requirements for the ces or the certification exam or both depending on state. and yes, health professionals are fast tracked per se, but it is still a time consuming process. the nclex is offered internationally, sites and information are available from the national council of state boards of nursing at www.ncsbn.org. i do not know about fees for international tests. i mentioned sponsored visa as an option only because some facilities or health care organizations are willing to sponsor nurses, but often requie a passed nclex before commiting to a contract, one that is usually for the term of the visa (as i believe suzanne4 noted in a different posting on another thread.) i also work with a couple of rn' from africa who used "professional placement services" of one form or another and their out of pocket cost was significantly more than if they had pursued the visa on their own. the advantage for them was that they did not have to do the leg work.

Since you have internet access, a great resource would be for you to go to the CGFNS (Commission on Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools) web site, and look up VisaScreen, also check with the Florida Board of Nursing to confirm their requirements. There are two types of visa you are eligible for, one is 3 years and non-renewable , the other is renewable one time, if you just want to work here. If you are considering emigration, then a sponsored visa would be the answer. Many of your questions can be answered by the US consulates. Another option might be to write to several hospitals that you would consider working at, and ask about sponsorship. http://www.cgfns.org/ good luck

I am glad to se some maturity in the postings. I have been a RN for 3 yrs now and started in the field I loved, ER and ICU. I am now a clinical advisor in an ICU and float to the ER. I went full time to the ICU b/c of discriminatory attitudes and preferential treatment by the female supervisors toward women. I believed then and still believe that professionals are professionals, however, as mentioned in a previous post, judious actions (being culturally, religiously, and ethically aware) can prevent problems. Especially in cases where there is the potential for accusations of abuse (pelvic exams or pericares). I have only ran into two incidents where a patient has asked for a female nurse, and those were related to religious and cultural reasons, and I happily honored those requests. The attitudes that bother me are the female peers that think a male nurse is only a portable forklift, and should not be allowed to perform cres on a female. Unfortunately, I have run into this several times, and I always ask if they feel that a male nurse should accompany them with cares that might require exposure of genital areas. They all replied an unequivical "NO" because men aren't embarrassed or are happy to have a female provide those cares. I then gently point out that men can be and are often embarrassed as well as women, and use a few examples from experience like the man who came in with a "diffuse abdominal pain" that was relieved that he had a male because he could then be open about the large growth on a testical that was bothering him and the real reason for his visit. And yes it was testicular cancer, but the young gentleman is doing well and adjusting well. Overall, I feel that beeing a man in nursing is much more rewarding than my prior life (US Army, 22yrs, reconnaissance). It is a fulfillment of a life long goal, and I have my sights set on being a midlevel provider, ARNP. So for those of you who are students, or are chosing nursing as a second career, go for it! Be professional, and be yourself. Use common sense, and be judicious in each situation. Use good critical thinking skills and remember that like women in male dominated fields, your actions and professionalism reflect much more brightly that in fields where the playing field is more equitable. Don't discriminate, and don't allow discrimination. Address the problem with those that cause it in a direct, but non-hostile manner and use the available resources or your employer if you encounter problems that can't be resolved at the lowest level by direct communication. (that is advice for women as well as men) Enjoy your career!

An interesting discussion. It seems to me, being relatively new (2 yrs) that initially I experienced no discrimination. However, what I have experienced is the female version of the "good ole' boy" club. I am TNCC, CATN II, PALS, NRP, ACLS, BLS (alphabet soup) valedictorian of my nursing class. Competent and well liked and respecterd by my peers and the doctors and MLP's that I work with (ER LVL 1 Trauma Ctr). So where do I see problems? Supervisors that are young and insecure in their leadership abilities ( I am retired Sr NCO US Army 22yrs) and who have stopped reading because once the graduated they became nurses (ever discuss using trendelenburg position or not, and why... with some of them...the research is there, you just have to read...) I have not been given the same opportunities as several females in my unit ( I am the only male on nights) who are new grads, with no experience or training in the same areas....It is discriminatory, but...the focus is patient care, not me... I am working on my BSN and have goals of a MSN. I love my job, and these people can't take it away from me. I am competent and proud to be competent and I keep up on literature and evidence based practice. Be professional, even if those around you can't. Good luck to everyone, and I know after 22 yrs of service with 12 yrs in combat zones....I am finally in my true vocation.

To all the military, I retired from the Army as a 1SG 19Z5M..Armor/Reconnaissance. 22 yrs I was 43 yrs old, and went to school to be a Rn (ADN) class of 2004, and am now finishing my BSN with a goal of MSN FNP. So go for it. Currently the age for BSN active duty is 38, and as Wolf, corvette, and PSG noted..many regret never finishing a career. I didn't get a "paid for education" because of when I went in, but I got a lot of life experience that serves me well everyday. If you think you are too old, you can also work as a depart of the army/navy/air force civilian...just a thought.

I see that men are often trated as second rate nurses where I am. I graduated top of my class with a 4.0 GPA and glowing reports. The first hospital I worked in was a small 33 bed one and had no problems, after I moved to a 850 bed level one trauma center, well, suffice it to say that I found discrimination alive and well. I know it isn't everywhere, because I went to florida for 3 wks, and the atmosphere was unbelievable. the CEO and CNO came and asked me to stay..so why am I still at the level 1 trauma center? to be near my kids.