As a male, the term "nursing" has always been an obstacle to me. The concepts of "nurse" and "nursing" come entirely from the feminine - breast feeding, and wet-nursing. The rather modern concept of a "male nurse" thus carries a self-contradiction that is preserved in the language and the culture.
So it seems quite natural to find that the term "male nurse" carries its typical stigmas, that males are dwarfed by females in pursuing work in the nursing field, and that nurse shortages continue to exist around the world. It seems quite a logical concept to consider changing the common institutional name of the nursing profession itself from "nurse" to the more inclusive "medic."
Such a change is likely to have an positive impact on the nursing field, making it less of a woman's role, and opening it up culturally and socially to young men seeking to be of help in the role of medicine, but whom are not endowed by nature with exclusively feminine capabilities.
Specializes in private duty/home health, med/surg.
You can be called a medical assistant, if you get the training & land a job as a medical assistant. You might not like an MA's wages quite as well as you'd be making as a nurse, but hey, you'd get to call yourself a medical assistant!
Specializes in med-surg, urgent care, emergency med.
I don't see the big hype. I am a man, and being called a nurse is not a problem. It brings about a sense of pride to be recognized as such and brings a degree of professionalism and recognition of my abilities in NURSING people back to their optimal health.
"Medic" and "nurse" each have their own job function. I worked as an EMT for 10 years before becoming a nurse. I have worked with many para"medics" as well as many nurses. The medics understand their role and so do the nurses and each does an important part in caring for a patient. On the pre hospital side, stabilizing an injured/ill patient gave me great joy. I do miss it and the excitement of it. On the other hand, as a nurse, you continue to keep the patient stabilize and work to get the patient discharged home from the moment they enter the hospital. Nurses have a bigger view of patient care than the "medic." Nurses look at the whole well being of the patient including home and family life, health care issues, and preventing doctors from killing their patient. It is such harder work than a "medic" who normally only deals with ONE patient at a time. But the rewards are greater when you get the opportunity to bring back a patient near death to the point of discharged home. A "medic" could never claim that. I do love both sides of the health care spectrum. I am a nurse. I do want to cross train and be a medic too. When I do, I'll continue to be proud of my RN title first and foremost. The EMT-P will follow. Once you do understand your role as a nurse internally, you too will be proud to have that RN behind your name.
Oh, and by the way, if you are ever at a nursing conference, you'll be outnumbered 100 to 1 or more female to male ratio. At work in a hospital it's about 20:1. You can bring that point up if you have any buddies giving you a hard time.
Specializes in Peds/outpatient FP,derm,allergy/private duty.
QUOTE=tjstrong;4886865]What what you PREFER to be called?? "well, my actual name has worked well for that kind of thing for all my life...soooo, cal me "Ishmael"
What you call me will make very little difference to either of us when the time comes to call me.
That's good.
Paramedic only sounds cool because it makes you think they jump out of planes.
They don't.
Most people naturally look to what is different in a word compared to others stored in memory rather than what is the same. So it may make you think of someone who jumps out of a plane, but it doesn't make me think of someone who jumps out of a plane. You must have a heck of a time with "non" and "anti".
One day, after passing the NCLEX, I will be proud to call myself a nurse; but for now, I'm proud to call myself CNA! If your title really makes you that uncomfortable, you may want to consider changing professions.
Are you smoking something? You do realize the first nurses were men, don't you? I hear what you're saying but you obviously don't understand the difference between a medic and a nurse. They are two completely different professions. Most of all, I spent 6 years in college for my nursing and a medic goes to school for 1 year. So, no, I don't want to be called a "medic" because I earned the title of "nurse." My suggestion.....Just hike up your skirt and get to work!!!!!!!
Specializes in med-surg, post-partum, ER, psychiatric.
No offense, but absolutely NOT! I am both a medic and RN (both civilian and military and as both medic and RN). I run with a county EMS, work in a hospital, and then medic/RN in the military. There is a major distinct difference in the professions and should remain separate and distinct in title as well. I work with a lot of male RNs and none have ever expressed concern over them being a male nurse, a difference, etc. They are fantastic guys to work with and equals. In fact (and I am probably going to get crucified in this comment), I would prefer to work with male RNs in that I don't have all the drama, cattiness, nurse-to-nurse hostilities encountered with female RNs (yes, it still goes on even with all the education about nurse-to-nurse hostilities, et al). This could lead to the much debated articles going around with regards to color-coded scrubs in hospitals to identify hospital personnel (doctors from nurses, nurses from CNA's, etc.) vice changing "titles."
Are you smoking something? You do realize the first nurses were men, don't you? I hear what you're saying but you obviously don't understand the difference between a medic and a nurse. They are two completely different professions. Most of all, I spent 6 years in college for my nursing and a medic goes to school for 1 year. So, no, I don't want to be called a "medic" because I earned the title of "nurse." My suggestion.....Just hike up your skirt and get to work!!!!!!!
It's true, the first nurses were men, I know during the American Civil War they called these guys "loblollys..." 'cause they spent a lot of time hacking off gangrenous limbs...
rnmi2004
534 Posts
You can be called a medical assistant, if you get the training & land a job as a medical assistant. You might not like an MA's wages quite as well as you'd be making as a nurse, but hey, you'd get to call yourself a medical assistant!