Sexism in a primarily female dominated field

caroladybelle, BSN, RN · Apr 8, 2014

Bias is often in the eye of the beholder.

While I love my female coworkers, sometimes they sabotage themselves in the workplace. I see it sometimes in this board. Shouldn't pregnant nurses get preferential assignments ( often going way beyond what is reasonable and necessary) for the safety of the pregnant nurse. Or the, "I really want to advance, but I have to be off for this, or can't be on time for X because Y family issue". Or the, "I'm working the second Christmas in row", if I don't get off, I threaten to quit", spoken by someone that has been a nurse for 16 months. Or the call off 30 minutes before shift.

I rarely hear this from my male coworkers. I have dealt with some brusqueness or some attitude issues with the male The one difficult male nurse that I have worked was very volatile, and got fired after walking off shift because he was being floated. He then made some threats involving his guns, himself and the facility.

But disproportionately, with male nurses, they leave their personal life and issues at home. And after one has had to revise the schedule a few dozen times, alter repeated assignments, for the no chemo, contact iso or heavy patients (leaving almost no pts, and seriously overloading every other nurse), and then fielding 6-12 calls a day for one nurse, and have stay late repeatedly, because my relief has a "special" permit to come in 20 minutes late ( which is, in reality, 45 minutes), because nurse A doesn't want to inconvenience her accountant spouse with taking the children to school, the nurses that do not have those issues become more attractive applicants for added responsibility and advancement. And often those nurses may be male.

ritit123 · Apr 8, 2014

I really appreciate reading everybody's responses. I agree that men leave their emotional life behind is most cases and tend to stay away from work place drama. I also feel the frustration of those who work with the nurse with 8 kids( one of my coworkers) for whom you have to constantly cover. But after all, I plan I having children soon and I'm pulling my hair out about how it will work with my career where as my parter hasn't given it one thought about how I will manage breast feeding and working, etc. But I started this topic because I wanted to see if other female nurses feel like their management gives preference to men over women and I'm not just feeling resentful. I know that men make great nurses and I know that they have nothing to do with other peoples sexist choices. I also want to say that on my unit my male nurse counterpart and I have an equal amount of patients and he/me get no preference. The only difference is that I do all the caths, rectal meds, and head to toe assessments bc he states his female patients don't feel comfortable with him doing it. At times it's overwhelming and particularly with the assessments I put my name on it so I'm taking on responsibility but usually I don't mind.

caroladybelle, BSN, RN · Apr 8, 2014

I would have an issue with doing all of the head to toe assessments, as I never had to do that for a male nurse in 20 years.

Perhaps, a small part of it, once in along while, but not all of it for every female patient.

Second question/comment: Your partner should be "giving thought" to how to make things easier and accomodate caring for your child(ren), especially you plan on working, especially fulltime and advancing your career.

While Nursing does tend to be more accomodating of child bearing/rearing issues, like any other job field, tends to seek out the more dependable, accessible and assertive candidates for advancement. And often, because of social conditioning and family concerns, those candidates are often male.

ThePrincessBride, MSN, RN, NP · Apr 8, 2014

Has anyone noticed that when a man is outspoken or very forward, he is considered "assertive", but when a woman is outspoken and very forward, she is considered aggressive or a drama-seeker?

I've noticed that, and quite frankly, it is sad.

morte, LPN, LVN · Apr 8, 2014

If I could "like" your post more than once, I would!

Has anyone noticed that when a man is outspoken or very forward, he is considered "assertive", but when a woman is outspoken and very forward, she is considered aggressive or a drama-seeker?
I've noticed that, and quite frankly, it is sad.

iluvgusgus · Apr 8, 2014

I definitely thought my former manager preferred male nurses over female nurses, since we had almost a 50/50 split of males and females. While this is a good thing to have equal male and females in the workplace, its obvious that men were chosen over women because that ratio is not even close to true to life.

nurse2033, MSN, RN · Apr 8, 2014

It could be that your manager has a pleaser personality. She may be subtly flirting with them, or showing them more attention and so on just because they are men. If that's the case it is not fair and unprofessional.

Wrench Party · Apr 9, 2014

^^ It could be your manager hires mostly new grads for the positions on the floor, and there are a lot more younger guys coming

up in the field. Maybe there was a dearth of qualified female candidates in their cohorts. Seems to be more guys are in the ER, ICU, surgical/trauma, psych.

Ruby Vee, BSN · Apr 9, 2014

Ten years ago, my husband and I, both critical care nurses, decided to move across the country for family reasons. We were both hired in the same hospital, in the same unit and for the same wage despite the fact that I had more education and more experience and had been published in our field. At the time of hire, we were told that if we completed one year on the unit, we would be promoted up the next step on the career ladder and receive a substantial raise. We had to jump through three hoops in order to get the promotion; otherwise we'd just stay in our same job at our same wage. I did well and was taken off orientation early, DH's orientation was extended. I jumped through the three hoops and published another article flattering to our new employer. DH didn't jump through any of the hoops, and told everyone who would listen that he didn't intend to. Guess who got promoted at the end of the year?

It's been 10 years at that hospital now, and since future raises are calculated off current salary, DH makes a bunch more money than I do. I still have more education, more experience and have been published in our field. He has not. If that isn't sexism (against a female) in a female dominated profession, I'm not sure what would illustrate it.

Nola009 · Apr 10, 2014

According to my alma matter's dean of nursing, men are in high demand in nursing as they help nursing become viewed as more of a profession. I dont doubt your experience.

morte, LPN, LVN · Apr 10, 2014

your story was what came to my mind when I first saw this thread.....

Ten years ago, my husband and I, both critical care nurses, decided to move across the country for family reasons. We were both hired in the same hospital, in the same unit and for the same wage despite the fact that I had more education and more experience and had been published in our field. At the time of hire, we were told that if we completed one year on the unit, we would be promoted up the next step on the career ladder and receive a substantial raise. We had to jump through three hoops in order to get the promotion; otherwise we'd just stay in our same job at our same wage. I did well and was taken off orientation early, DH's orientation was extended. I jumped through the three hoops and published another article flattering to our new employer. DH didn't jump through any of the hoops, and told everyone who would listen that he didn't intend to. Guess who got promoted at the end of the year?
It's been 10 years at that hospital now, and since future raises are calculated off current salary, DH makes a bunch more money than I do. I still have more education, more experience and have been published in our field. He has not. If that isn't sexism (against a female) in a female dominated profession, I'm not sure what would illustrate it.

sistrmoon, BSN, RN · Apr 12, 2014

Ruby: did you ever approach management about it? I wonder what their excuse /explanation would be.