"I didn't want to go into nursing because I didn't want to be labled gay"

taalyn_1, CNA · May 9, 2011

Well sexuality has nothing to do with career choices. Its sad that the guys who are gay feel the need to "pretend" at work and even sadder are the str8 guys who feel they have to be uber-masculine at work to not be stereotyped. Maybe by 2050 people will finally just be people and not labelled by their sexuality/color/religion etc etc??

PS.. calling someone a Murse is just plain weird. LOL should we call women Furses??:sofahider:p

Da_Milk_of_Amnesia, MSN · May 9, 2011

I'm a male nurse, and if people think I'm gay then so be it! I could care less. Does a stereotype exist out there? Yes it some places more than others. My boys in the firehouse call me Dixie and I honestly don't care, I just laugh... It's about being comfortable with yourself, and I have always been confident in myself and my abilities and if someone wants to call me, or think that I'm gay cuz I'm a nurse then they can sit on it and rotate, because most of the people who do have something to say are those kids who were 'cool' in high school, who never went to college or did anything with themselves. They aren't so cool now...haha

psjimbo · May 9, 2011

This is for a gay nurse. I was always afraid I would be labeled a heterosexual. If you are not secure with your sexuality I suggest you seek counseling. Life is to short not to be your true self.

egglady, LPN · May 10, 2011

I dont care if a nurse (male or female) is gay or straight, or curved... It isnt my business... Just please help people, save a life, make someone comfortable- do what you gotta do! I care about your sexual preferences about as much as you care about mine!!

PatMac10,RN, RN · May 10, 2011

I know of the stigma, and have known of it since I was little when I wanted to be an RN like my mom; who had just graduated nursing school. I changed to wanting to be a physician then because all of my "friends" at school said only girls were nurses. Then, I came into being comfortable with going into a field such as nursing because I no longer let what other people assume or think get to me. Now I am starting nursing school in August and everyone who I proudly tell the news to says that nursing is a good profession to go into. I've been taking the jokes for a whilen since I was 15, and now I just brush it off. I think it also Has a lot to do with how you carry yourself or how much of an ego your willing to show. Sometimes, if you stand up for your profession with all seriousnes, regardless of your sexual orientation, it seems to diffuse the stigma a bit. If you act like your ashamed to be a nurse that give people reason to make note of you being uncomfortable in your profession and then that leads to other things.

MeTheRN, BSN, MSN, RN · May 10, 2011

I think a lot of it has to do with your area of specialty. No one seems the question the sexuality of the male RN's in the ED or ICU...

JSlovex2 · May 10, 2011

i disagree that the stigma of male nurses has subsided. it's still very much alive. as a CNA - when i'd go into a patient's room and introduce myself and write the MALE nurse's name on the board, i'd often get a, "i've got a man nurse?" to which i'd reply nonchalantly, "yes, tom is wonderful. if you need anything just ask for one of us," and that usually ended that.

of course (IMO) there are more gay males in nursing than, say, construction work - but not ALL male nurses are gay! the other misconception (from patients) is that the men are the doctors while the females are the nurses.

HangInThere, BSN, RN · May 10, 2011

It seems everyone forgets that we humans all genetically 99.9% the same as each other. And, there are laws against harassment and discrimination because of sexual orientation ... 'cause it's just wrong.

I hope the original poster might learn that being recognized as gay, even if it isn't so, is not a bad thing.

eriksoln, BSN, RN · May 10, 2011

i disagree that the stigma of male nurses has subsided. it's still very much alive. as a CNA - when i'd go into a patient's room and introduce myself and write the MALE nurse's name on the board, i'd often get a, "i've got a man nurse?" to which i'd reply nonchalantly, "yes, tom is wonderful. if you need anything just ask for one of us," and that usually ended that.
of course (IMO) there are more gay males in nursing than, say, construction work - but not ALL male nurses are gay! the other misconception (from patients) is that the men are the doctors while the females are the nurses.

I guess it depends on who you are caring for at the time, and location probably plays a big role in how alive the stigma is too.

Me, I get a lot more people insisting I'm a doctor (and I redirect them every time). I have a thread up somewhere about an entire family that was under the impression I was a Prison Work Release Orderly even. Yes, they thought I got on the bus after work every day and went back to the downtown county jail and back into my cell until the next morning. Mind you, this was back when I was a CNA but still..............

As far as the sexual orientation thing goes, I have to admit, I've been accused of that by other nurses as often as I've had patients think it (well, maybe not a 1:1 ratio, but close enough). I was working as a travel nurse once and this one girl, a new nurse, kept flirting with me. I pointed out to her numerous times that I was married, because her flirting was a little unprofessional (yes, I was married at the time). When her "wolf in sheep's clothing" friend asked me what I thought about her and I responded that I wished she'd keep her comments to herself..........she became indignant about the whole thing. Sure enough, all of a sudden, the rumor is out there........................I'm gay.

Thats an isolated issue, but, as you can see, even our co-workers aren't immune to stereotypes.

NurseLoveJoy88, ASN, RN · May 10, 2011

It seems everyone forgets that we humans all genetically 99.9% the same as each other. And, there are laws against harassment and discrimination because of sexual orientation ... 'cause it's just wrong.
I hope the original poster might learn that being recognized as gay, even if it isn't so, is not a bad thing.

Did you even read the original post ? First of all I'm NOT referring to myself. This was a conversation I had with a patients' family member. :uhoh3:

HangInThere, BSN, RN · May 10, 2011

You are right, NurseLoveJoy, and I apologize. Though I did read your post, I forgot that your subject line was a quote from someone else. I'm sorry for the mistake.

jimkusters · May 10, 2011

I've been a nurse now for about 5 and a half years. Before that, I was a Marine. There is no medical professions in the Marine Corps (the Navy takes care of that for Marines), but I still chose nursing after I got out. I DID worry a little about that stigma for about the first 5 minutes of nursing school, but was quickly relieved by instructors and fellow students alike.

The one problem I still have is the label "male nurse". Why is a lady in nursing called a nurse, but a man in nursing called a male nurse? Is there really any need for the distinction?

On a side note, I have been mistaken for the doctor before, but I just joke about it, and it really doesn't bother me.