I try not to be too sensitive about stuff like this, but it is discouraging that even today people sometimes feel they have to preface the word "nurse" with the word "male," when their nurse happens to be a man. It is discouraging to see a supposedly progressive news organization like Yahoo! continuing to "otherize" us males by using such verbiage:
London (AFP) - A Filipino male nurse was jailed for life with a minimum of 35 years on Tuesday for poisoning 21 patients with insulin at a British hospital, two of whom died. Nurse jailed for life for poisoning patients - Yahoo News
It reminds me of when I was telling my friends and family I was going to nursing school. I remember how my pastor told me, "Do you really want to spend your life being a male nurse?" To which I replied, "No, I want to spend my life being a nurse."
Seriously? What if people called someone a "female doctor" or a "female lawyer?" This is silly.
I remember way back in clinicals at the VA a male veteran asked me if I was gay. I said no, I was married to a woman, etc. He asked to see a picture of her. I obliged. He said okay, you can touch me. Afterwards I felt embarrassed for myself. I should not have to defend my profession or throw my gay colleagues under the bus like that.
I know, flame me or say these are "microaggressions." Maybe you are right. But it is not fair either to our male or female colleagues.
JoseQuinones, it wasn't so long ago that people WERE called "female doctor" or "female lawyer" (or, worse, "lady lawyer". Eventually, though, it became so common to see women in the medical and legal fields (in something other than a clerical position) that people stopped noticing gender. That will happen with nursing, too. In some areas, it already has. One night recently in the ER, a young woman came in reporting sexual assault, and everyone's eyes immediately turned to me. As it happened, I was the only woman on duty that night----the doctors, nurses and PCTs were all men.
As for the patient who asked about your sexual orientation: unfortunately, bigotry exists in hospital settings as much as anywhere else. One of my favorite doctors in the ER was a black man, who filled in occasionally and was great to work with. (He moved on a few years ago.) Well, one night a woman came in with a laceration, and when she saw the doctor, she said, "I don't want a black doctor stitching me up. Could you find me a white doctor?"
We patiently explained to her that there wouldn't be a white doctor on duty for another 3 1/2 hours. She said, "Fine. I'll wait."
I had a hard time being civil to that patient. I was also reminded that, even though Dr. C was an excellent clinician, with a good bedside manner and judgment, there were still patients who saw only his skin color.
It's sad that discrimination still exists to that extent, whether it's related to gender, sexual orientation race or some other feature. Nursing is hard enough, without having to put up with prejudices into the bargain.
It's a little more annoying to me that these same Male nurses will get expedited up the food chain faster than their female counter parts. I actually worked at a hospital where the charge nurse - the only male there - was an LPN - but because he was male he was over nurses with advanced degrees. Very strange stuff, they got away with it by giving him some double speak title, think it was coordinator or something - but he essentially had all the duties of a charge nurse, yet had to function within the parameters of an LPN, thereby not even being able to perform some of the duties that the RN's he was over could. So I guess we just all have to get over it. Life aint fair.
As far as a news story commenting on the sex of the nurse - I am taking that just to be a descriptive adjective.
I wish you would get this "Fair" thing out of your vocabulary. In the real world there is no fair. Just do your job the best you can and live your life. I know many male nurses that are working quite successfully and they say the medical field is full of gossips and jerk type people. Ignore them and just thank God you have a job.
Part of the problem is the use of the terminology, etc - among the males. EVERY male in my field I have known has referred to *HIMSELF* as a "male nurse" or a "murse". Absolutely every single one of them. I bet if I pulled up their twitter right now there would be at least four funny memes posted in the last week ABOUT the trials of being a murse.
Can we have an honest discussion about the 800lb gorilla in the room; that gender matters in healthcare? Even healthcare providers have a preference in the gender of their own providers.
See:
Dixon, J. G., Bognar, B. A., Keyserling, T. C., DuePre, C. T., Xie, S. X., Wickstrom, G. C., & Kolar, M. M. (2003). Teaching Women's Health Skills: Confidence, Attitudes, and Practice Patterns of Academic Generalist Physicians. Journal of General Internal Medicine, 18(6), 411–418. doi:10.1046/j.1525-1497.2003.10511.x
Patient preferences for physician gender in the male genital/rectal exam
Heaton CJ, Marquez JT. Patient preferences for physician gender in the male genital/rectal exam. Fam Pract Res J. 1990 Winter;10(2):105-15. PubMed PMID: 2288234.
Patient preference for providers' gender at a primary health care setting in Alexandria, Egypt.
1: Zaghloul AA, Youssef AA, El-Einein NY. Patient preference for providers' gender at a primary health care setting in Alexandria, Egypt. Saudi Med J. 2005 Jan;26(1):90-5. PubMed PMID: 15756360.
I can go on with the NIH/Pubmed citations ad nauseum. I put these her because I do NOT want to debate that patients do have a right to gender choice and a preference of it. This is NOT about the providers' compassion, feelings, professionalism, etc., it is about the patients' rights and preferences.
Please do not insult me with the "healthcare is gender neutral mantra." It may be to you, but you are NOT the one being looked at. The Supreme Court has weighed in and decided on gender as a BFOQ, thus affirming a patient's right to choose.
In that context, there is nothing wrong with a male patient asking for a male nurse and a female nurse respecting the right of a patient to choose the gender of his/her providers. The issue of gender also carries outside the healthcare setting. I do agree that when not in the context of gender choice in healthcare, you are simply a nurse.
If someone refers to you as a male nurse, it is very possible that they have a gender preference in their own healthcare, were abused/mistreated/had a bad experience with regards to gender in their healthcare experience, are survivors of sexual abuse, etc. I never judge because I do NOT know a person's experiences, circumstances, etc.
Now if it was tied to a gender stereotype such as "you are a male nurse, are you gay?", then THAT is insulting and inappropriate. When I hear the term "male nurse," it is usually in the context of "we need more of you."
If a male ever asks if you are gay (like the example you gave), simply say, "Sorry, I am married, and besides I am straight."
lnvitale, no fair saying:
I can understand how and why that upsets you. I won't ever use the term "male nurse". I promise.
4:26 pm by banterings JoseQuinones, ADN, RN, et al,
Can we have an honest discussion about the 800lb gorilla in the room; that gender matters in healthcare? Even healthcare providers have a preference in the gender of their own providers.
See:
Dixon, J. G., Bognar, B. A., Keyserling, T. C., DuePre, C. T., Xie, S. X., Wickstrom, G. C., & Kolar, M. M. (2003). Teaching Women's Health Skills: Confidence, Attitudes, and Practice Patterns of Academic Generalist Physicians. Journal of General Internal Medicine, 18(6), 411–418. doi:10.1046/j.1525-1497.2003.10511.x
Teaching Women's Health Skills
Impact of clinician gender on examination anxiety among female veterans with sexual trauma: a pilot study.
Lee TT, Westrup DA, Ruzek JI, Keller J, Weitlauf JC. Impact of clinician gender on examination anxiety among female veterans with sexual trauma: a pilotstudy. J Womens Health (Larchmt). 2007 Nov;16(9):1291-9. PubMed PMID: 18001185. Impact of clinician gender on examination anxiety among female veterans with sexual trauma: a pilot study. - PubMed - NCBI
Patient preference for genders of health professionals.
Kerssens JJ, Bensing JM, Andela MG. Patient preference for genders of health professionals. Soc Sci Med. 1997 May;44(10):1531-40. PubMed PMID: 9160442.
Patient preference for genders of health professionals. - PubMed - NCBI
Patient preferences for physician gender in the male genital/rectal exam
Heaton CJ, Marquez JT. Patient preferences for physician gender in the male genital/rectal exam. Fam Pract Res J. 1990 Winter;10(2):105-15. PubMed PMID: 2288234.
Patient preferences for physician gender in the male genital/rectal exam. - PubMed - NCBI
Patient preference for providers' gender at a primary health care setting in Alexandria, Egypt.
1: Zaghloul AA, Youssef AA, El-Einein NY. Patient preference for providers' gender at a primary health care setting in Alexandria, Egypt. Saudi Med J. 2005 Jan;26(1):90-5. PubMed PMID: 15756360.
Patient preference for providers' gender at a primary health care setting in Alexandria, Egypt. - PubMed - NCBI
I can go on with the NIH/Pubmed citations ad nauseum. I put these her because I do NOT want to debate that patients do have a right to gender choice and a preference of it. This is NOT about the providers' compassion, feelings, professionalism, etc., it is about the patients' rights and preferences.
Please do not insult me with the "healthcare is gender neutral mantra." It may be to you, but you are NOT the one being looked at. The Supreme Court has weighed in and decided on gender as a BFOQ, thus affirming a patient's right to choose.
In that context, there is nothing wrong with a male patient asking for a male nurse and a female nurse respecting the right of a patient to choose the gender of his/her providers. The issue of gender also carries outside the healthcare setting. I do agree that when not in the context of gender choice in healthcare, you are simply a nurse.
If someone refers to you as a male nurse, it is very possible that they have a gender preference in their own healthcare, were abused/mistreated/had a bad experience with regards to gender in their healthcare experience, are survivors of sexual abuse, etc. I never judge because I do NOT know a person's experiences, circumstances, etc.
Now if it was tied to a gender stereotype such as "you are a male nurse, are you gay?", then THAT is insulting and inappropriate. When I hear the term "male nurse," it is usually in the context of "we need more of you."
If a male ever asks if you are gay (like the example you gave), simply say, "Sorry, I am married, and besides I am straight."
banterings, may I (gently) point out I started this thread by commenting on the fact that a news story would use a term which is no longer acceptable to many men? I agree heartily that a patient has every right to request a nurse that makes them comfortable. That is why they teach us to ask permission to offer services in nursing school.
Well, as a male nurse for the past 20 plus years, it seems that despite the many advances in the nursing profession, gender bias hasn't changed with the times too much. I have countless examples of patient interaction that leached significant bias towards myself and other male nurses. So, this does beg the question. Why are we not all just known as "nurses"?
Wait... Murse = Male Nurse? That's a slap to me for going completely over my head.
I noticed that individuals with no healthcare background tend to specify "male nurse." It never really bothered me, but I do see how it can tick some nurses off.
NocturneRN
168 Posts
JoseQuinones, it wasn't so long ago that people WERE called "female doctor" or "female lawyer" (or, worse, "lady lawyer". Eventually, though, it became so common to see women in the medical and legal fields (in something other than a clerical position) that people stopped noticing gender. That will happen with nursing, too. In some areas, it already has. One night recently in the ER, a young woman came in reporting sexual assault, and everyone's eyes immediately turned to me. As it happened, I was the only woman on duty that night----the doctors, nurses and PCTs were all men.
As for the patient who asked about your sexual orientation: unfortunately, bigotry exists in hospital settings as much as anywhere else. One of my favorite doctors in the ER was a black man, who filled in occasionally and was great to work with. (He moved on a few years ago.) Well, one night a woman came in with a laceration, and when she saw the doctor, she said, "I don't want a black doctor stitching me up. Could you find me a white doctor?"
We patiently explained to her that there wouldn't be a white doctor on duty for another 3 1/2 hours. She said, "Fine. I'll wait."
I had a hard time being civil to that patient. I was also reminded that, even though Dr. C was an excellent clinician, with a good bedside manner and judgment, there were still patients who saw only his skin color.
It's sad that discrimination still exists to that extent, whether it's related to gender, sexual orientation race or some other feature. Nursing is hard enough, without having to put up with prejudices into the bargain.