"That's why I don't like working with women"

Nurses General Nursing

Published

You know, I've lost count of the number of times I've read this comment (just read it a few times in another thread).

What I don't get is most of the people (if not all) who write this are women themselves. Does this mean that the women who write this comment are better than all other women? Does this mean that if they were in charge, the other women they work with wouldn't want to work with them?

I know that these forums encourage complaints and that sometimes we write things we don't really think, but this comment is way too common and is said out loud.

You know what is going to solve this problem? If we stop blaming difficult work conditions on "working with women" and blame it on what it is: working with difficult people. I've worked with both men and women. Some great people in both groups and some horrid people in both groups.

I believe that some people should grow up and stop blaming "working with women" as the root of all problems in nursing. Sheesh.

Specializes in Oncology; medical specialty website.
It's not just working with "women" that's the problem. It's all the OLD women, especially the ugly ones, because they eat their young.:uhoh3:

And they should just retire, anyway, because they're nothing but dead wood collecting a pension while barely doing their work, preventing younger, thinner, more attractive new grads from getting jobs.

0 Votes

I also find working with alot of women, they tend to take things way to personally.

I work with one nurse in the GI Lab who thinks a doctor "just don't like her". I tried to explain to her several times, that's just the way he is. He is a not one for small talk. He wants his patients ready to go when he makes his rounds. I told her he will speak to you in the morning and say Good morning and all that jazz, but he's straight down to business after that.

I was off a couple of days and then I came back to work and she told me "I finally got Dr So-and-So to crack a joke with me". I just looked at her and said "that's nice".

I tend to look at things in a business matter and not take things personally. This has helped me so much when working under pressure. I have noticed alot of my co-workers take it personally if a doctor don't stop and shot the breeze with them. It's all about being "liked" and looked at in a good light. For me, it's about the patients and getting my work done as effeciently as possible.

0 Votes

Predominantly female groups tend to have a different communication style then predominantly male groups. There are a lot of reasons why, biological, socialization, whatever....it is, what it is. That doesn't mean there aren't exceptions....but I think the generalization is true.

I tend to prefer a more male communication style. More direct, less emotional.

0 Votes
Specializes in Peds/outpatient FP,derm,allergy/private duty.
By AKANurse4 "The comments here really BLOW ME....."

I am pretty sure there is a joke here somewhere...oh nevermind

We get a lot more of the above type of humor from the guys - I don't like it but then again if I wasn't one of the below. . .

And they should just retire, anyway, because they're nothing but dead wood collecting a pension while barely doing their work, preventing younger, thinner, more attractive new grads from getting jobs.

Maybe I'd be ROFLMAO in a convivial guy-like manner. You'd think those of us at an age that makes us less prone to estrogen-induced hysteria would catch a break - but alas we do not.

I've worked in a female-dominated work setting and a male-dominated profession. Both had horrid backstabbing coworkers (in varying numbers) and examples of egregious behavior from both genders. No, men and women didn't always fight exactly the same way, but it wasn't like one group had a distinct advantage in the professionalism department. The female-dominated setting had an in-crowd; so did the place I worked for in the male-dominated profession.

I think anytime people are pushed to the brink by crazy workloads and unresponsive management, the normal workplace politics grow to epic proportions. Judging from the comments here, it sounds as though the majority of nursing work settings are being squeezed mercilessly by management and have been for quite some time. Is it any wonder that the bad behaviors have gotten out of control in so many places? I don't think the difference lies primarily in the gender of those working at a place, but in the economics in play and the work culture that dominates the setting.

Wish I'd written that! I agree. :up:

0 Votes
Specializes in Ltc, Hospice, Spinal Cord.

Women are a pain in the gluteus maximus some times!! They take everything so personally, they don't like to be bossed, they're back stabbing, insecure, and oh don't forget moody!

I have never in all my years had a man run to the boss to "tattle" on me like women have. I have never had a man spread rumors about me like women have. I have never had a man bite my head off for asking a question. I have never observed a man act jealous towards another man because he was thinner or better looking. I've never witnessed a man arrogantly roll his eyes while another man is talking to prove superiority. I've never seen a group of men gang up and bully another man.

OT - I don't think I'm "better" than these women I refer to just more professional. Appropriate business-like behavior just seems to come easier to men than women. I wish it wasn't true.

These are just a few reasons why some people (men and women) don't like working with women.

The truth is ugly. :cool:

0 Votes

I have never in all my years had a man run to the boss to "tattle" on me like women have. I have never had a man spread rumors about me like women have. I have never had a man bite my head off for asking a question.

The truth is ugly. :cool:

To name a few men that have "tattled" on me, the dietary manager, the physical therapist that would just show up and demand to know why I hadn't premedicated his patient despite him never telling me when he was coming, the MD who shouted at me over the phone at 2am about a patient that ultimately died, etc.

You don't get out much. Are all the posts on here about doctors shouting, disrespecting, and belittling female nurses about female MD's? Are all the assaults on nurses from patients all female patients?

0 Votes
Specializes in CDI Supervisor; Formerly NICU.
you rather work males but when he starts doing Inappropriate things and sexually harasses you then you become one of those "women".....

No one's going to address that little gem, eh?

I started to, but I'm a male, and I'd inevitably fall prey to my animalistic sexuality and end up sexually harassing all y'all wimminz.

0 Votes
Specializes in pediatrics, public health.
No one's going to address that little gem, eh?

I started to, but I'm a male, and I'd inevitably fall prey to my animalistic sexuality and end up sexually harassing all y'all wimminz.

But, being male, you would of course do this in a very direct, straightforward, no-nonsense, businesslike way, right? :uhoh3: :uhoh3: :uhoh3:

(I'm rolling my eyes because I'm female -- we women do that, you know) :lol2:

0 Votes
Specializes in NICU, Post-partum.
You know, I've lost count of the number of times I've read this comment (just read it a few times in another thread).

What I don't get is most of the people (if not all) who write this are women themselves. Does this mean that the women who write this comment are better than all other women? Does this mean that if they were in charge, the other women they work with wouldn't want to work with them?

I know that these forums encourage complaints and that sometimes we write things we don't really think, but this comment is way too common and is said out loud.

You know what is going to solve this problem? If we stop blaming difficult work conditions on "working with women" and blame it on what it is: working with difficult people. I've worked with both men and women. Some great people in both groups and some horrid people in both groups.

I believe that some people should grow up and stop blaming "working with women" as the root of all problems in nursing. Sheesh.

I'm sorry, I have to disgree with this statement...and for the record, I am female.

I have worked in another profession that was predominantly male. You did not see, anywhere NEAR the backstabbing, the gossiping, the grudge holding, that you do in a female dominated profession.

Men, are 190% easier to work with and if it was possible in nursing, I would go back to working with mostly men...but if you are in bedside nursing, you can forget it, because it is a female dominated profession.

So, unless you have worked in BOTH environments...seriously...you can't really know just how huge the differences are until you have.

0 Votes
Specializes in Ltc, Hospice, Spinal Cord.
You don't get out much.

I forgot to mention women tend to insult other people when they disagree with them. Thanks for reminding me.

Are all the posts on here about doctors shouting, disrespecting, and belittling female nurses about female MD's?

I have not read "all" the posts here so I have no idea. Not even sure what this question is asking. I'm not trying to speak on behalf of everyone or every experience only myself.

Are all the assaults on nurses from patients all female patients?

I have never been assaulted by any patient, so can't help you there either. But I am not talking about patients I'm talking about co-workers. The title of this thread is "working" with women.

I'm just sharing my personal experience. Take from it what you will.

0 Votes
Specializes in pediatrics, public health.
So, unless you have worked in BOTH environments...seriously...you can't really know just how huge the differences are until you have.

I have worked in both male and female dominated environments. My experience has been different than yours -- see post 17 in this thread for more details. Since it's a rather long post (I suffer from terminal verbosity :)), I'll summarize. I have experienced all of the four possible combinations -- male dominated with lots of the "female" types of behaviors described here (but with males doing the behavior), male dominated with businesslike atmosphere, female dominated with some of the negative behaviors (but not terribly so), and female dominated without the drama.

Anyway, I'm sure I've said enough on the topic -- just wanted to point out that not everyone who has worked in male dominated environments has had the more positive experience some are describing here.

0 Votes
Specializes in pediatrics, public health.
I forgot to mention women tend to insult other people when they disagree with them. Thanks for reminding me

I think this is more a function of the anonymity of posting in Internet forums. I have participated in other internet forums and I find that many people will resort to insults as a way of dealing with people disagreeing with them. In one of the male dominated forums in which I participated, there was a handful of the males who were the worst offenders. One in particular got so upset with me for disagreeing with him that not only did he insult me in that thread, he then took it upon himself to insult me over just about every subsequent post I made on any topic.

What I find interesting in this thread, and I think the OP alluded to it, is that not a single woman yet has commented by saying "yes, those are female behaviors and as a female I do them too". So far, every single woman who has commented is convinced that she is one of the exceptions to the rule (unless I've missed something -- I'll confess I haven't read every single word of every post, but I think I've read most of them).

Ok, so I guess I'm up to about $0.08 on this topic so far...... Thanks to the OP for bringing up a very interesting topic!

0 Votes
+ Add a Comment