Question for nurses that are male...

[NurseLife88]

So I'm an avid reader of corny advice columns, just can't seem to get enough lol. Stumbled across a column this week. A nurse wrote in regarding some problems his wife had with his career choice as an RN. The part of this that stood out was he identified himself as a Nurse who is male and not a "male nurse" because he found that term to be offensive. I had never thought much about the term male nurse and didn't realize it could be construed as offensive to some men. Now I am curious as to how you nurses that are men like to be identified and/or how you identify yourself. I realize we don't say she is woman nurse so I got to thinking why it is many of say he is a male nurse, instead of just being a nurse. What do you think?

[maporcrn1]

A nurse is a person who worked very hard to learn how to become a nurse, regardless of gender. We all passed the tests. Granted, the Nursing Profession, has been and still is, predominately a female profession. Nurses remain to be the most trusted profession over several years in the polls. Nurses earned this trust and respect from patients and physicians because of what RN's do for them every day! Patients put their trust in our knowledge and ability to be caring. Physicians trust RN's to be their eyes and ears at the bedside. We chose this profession and worked to become an RN. "Hello, my name is...I will be your Nurse today."works well. Personally, I have never used the term, "Murse"or referred to a colleague as a "male nurse". Nurses have been known to "eat their young". Do we have to chew on the men as well? Let's move on, please!

[Nalon1 RN/EMT-P, BSN, RN]

You can't offend me. I could care less what you call me, just don't call me doctor.

[jaycam, RN]

I think any distinction between 'a nurse who is male' and 'a male nurse' ranks right up there with 'You say tomatOH, I say toMAHto'. Or another way to put it is, I have MUCH more pressing things to think about.

It is very different though. Person first labeling is more respectful in general. It is also more personal. Do you go around calling all your diabetic patients "my diabetics" or "bed 2345 is diabetic." I know it can go both ways, but I do believe in person first labels. My mentor for example is male and a nurse, but I refer to him by name, then title, then male only if it's relevant.

[Nurse SMS, MSN, RN]

I don't necessarily have a problem with the clarification, but do note that if anyone feels the need to reference a "female doctor" it tends to get some people up in arms. Seems a bit of a double standard.

[Farawyn]

Wow... the blatant hypocrisy in this statement is bewildering.

*curtsies*

[ArrowRN, BSN, RN]

So I'm an avid reader of corny advice columns, just can't seem to get enough lol. Stumbled across a column this week. A nurse wrote in regarding some problems his wife had with his career choice as an RN. The part of this that stood out was he identified himself as a Nurse who is male and not a "male nurse" because he found that term to be offensive. I had never thought much about the term male nurse and didn't realize it could be construed as offensive to some men. Now I am curious as to how you nurses that are men like to be identified and/or how you identify yourself. I realize we don't say she is woman nurse so I got to thinking why it is many of say he is a male nurse, instead of just being a nurse. What do you think?

I find terms "male nurse" and "murse" to be unprofessional and down right stupid. Have many of these women and men forgot what they fought for back in the days now to filp it on men is silly. Who here calls a Doctor a "Female Doctor" or a "Foctor" or a "Woman Physician Assistant" or shorten it so say W.P.A.? see how stupid those sound? Until we can elevate the level of professionalism in Nursing noone will take us seriously. Division will only make us weaker and bicker and --itch amongst ourselves without a cause. When will it stop? A Nurse is a Nurse who is a Nurse...end of story.

[dec2007]

I find terms "male nurse" and "murse" to be unprofessional and down right stupid. Have many of these women and men forgot what they fought for back in the days now to filp it on men is silly. Who here calls a Doctor a "Female Doctor" or a "Foctor" or a "Woman Physician Assistant" or shorten it so say W.P.A.? see how stupid those sound? Until we can elevate the level of professionalism in Nursing noone will take us seriously. Division will only make us weaker and bicker and --itch amongst ourselves without a cause. When will it stop? A Nurse is a Nurse who is a Nurse...end of story.

You are so right! Pettiness within our profession does nothing good for our profession and reflects poorly on us all.

[bgxyrnf, MSN, RN]

A Nurse is a Nurse who is a Nurse...

this verse may be rather terse

it's not a curse, to be a nurse

who also is a dad.

(the meter is a bit of a challenge)

[TriciaJ, RN]

I don't take offense to it. It's like nursing school telling me the patients are no longer patients, they're clients.

I do take offense. Using "client" when you mean "patient" is like nails on a blackboard to me. Likewise, "male nurse". A doctor and I were discussing the hospital where my mom worked and he said "I have a friend there who is a male nurse." I couldn't stop myself from saying "Oh, my mom works there as a female nurse."

I once had a (somewhat low-functioning and annoying) boyfriend who told me he was planning to take a male nursing course. I had to break it to him there was no such thing.

[Bumex, DNP, NP]

I care so little what people call me, I have much bigger things to be worried about.

"Male nurse" "murse" "hey you"

All work just fine

[yourshoesareuntied]

I think of myself and other nurses as being scientists, don't let titles and names diminish how you feel about your accomplishments. Personally, I had anatomy with a cadaver lab, Micro with lab, chemistry with labs, physio with labs and so on..I also have a ton of college credits in robotics, and in Orthotics and Prosthetics, micro controllers, electrontics... I'm a freaking scientest waiting to invent the next greatest advancment in patient care.

[RNfaster]

It's simply true, and for anyone that has studied the issue, the entire concept of "women inequality" has more to do with politics than reality. Your responses tell me you've been drinking the kool-aid as well.

The bottom line, if any coworker calling a male nurse a "murse" should be handled the same way a man would be calling a women anything else than the politically correct norm nowadays. Anything else is a double standard.

Also on the fat, old, ugly, bitter nurse, we don't seem to have a shortage of them. Congrats on the achievement! The industry would do well to have more male influence IMO, and there is a clear reason a male gets paid more as a nurse in many settings, albeit how small that difference may be. It's supply, demand, as well as the other traits a man brings to the table such as less call offs, more reliable, more physical, less backstabbing drama among coworkers, etc..

If women want to be "equal" in other settings such as business, they can also take on the "equality" of the required hours worked, productivity standards etc.

Just the facts.

Mlee81 - on my unit there are several males who call off a lot. (BTW - I (female) have gone years without a call-off..., along with a number of other females...) Some of the males also have had physical issues... Not a lot of backstabbing on my unit, so I can't comment to that. Your generalizations don't work.