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Discussion

Specialties for Men

I'm taking the prereqs for the nursing program at my school, and I've been looking on here for information about the different kinds of specialties I could go into after school. I was wondering if there are any that men can't can't go into. When I started looking I thought that men would be discouraged from being midwifes or forensic nurses, but I've read in threads that there are men in those careers. I was especially surprised about forensic nursing because I was under the impression that even male rape victims prefer to have a woman exam them than a man.

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Forensic/SANE stuff is the one area where I would hesitate, but I am a neonatal intensive care nurse, so maybe I'm not one to talk. :)

  • Experts

Same here.... I am also a neonatal ICU nurse, but would feel unsafe in today's litigious society, and to be blunt, uncomfortable caring for that particular patient population (forensics/SANE)

  • Author

Thanks for your replies. So is neonatal intensive care a job with quite a few men compared to others? I've heard there are quite a few men in Emergency Room nursing, and my Dad had to go to the Cath Lab in a nearby hospital last year and said that was all men.

I just started in this field and chose my first job to be on a surgical ward. I am the only male on the ward. Two men came and went before me, they stayed for about a year. It is pretty common for men here (in Sweden) to start out on a med-surge unit. As a guy, you get placed on a pedestal because men come scarce in this business. Then after a while (like, a year) the glory has died down and you're just one "of the gals". That's when men feels the need to go to something like the ER, ICU, or gets a leading position somewhere.

Oh yeah, your question Here you'll find most male nurses in the ER, ambulance, or more technical fields like ICU/CRNA.

So is neonatal intensive care a job with quite a few men compared to others?

I wouldn't say quite a few, at least at most places. I'm one of two male RN's in my department and I think Steve has posted about being one of the only (if not the only) males in his hospital's entire Women and Children's Division. I don't think that either of us views this as a bad thing.

You'll likely find higher percentages of guys in ER, ICU/CCU, Flight Nursing and a few others.

You will probably see the highest concentration of guys in ER, ICU, and Flight.

In my hospital the highest concentration of men are in ICU, CCU, TICU, Cath Lab, IR, ER and anesthesia.

-S

  • Experts

I agree with the other posters. About Neonatal ICU ... even though there may not be many men in the field, the men who have entered this field have been very influential. In fact, the founder of the National Association of Neonatal Nurses was a man ... as was the organization's 2nd president and a couple of influential leaders in the early years.

As an old NICU nurse, I have worked with several men in the field and have always felt they were very welcome. I think it also helps new fathers to relate to their little babies when they see the male nurses taking care of them. If you find that you like the NICU, I can think of no reason why not to choose that specialty.

a lot of male nurses work in Corrections

  • Experts
I think Steve has posted about being one of the only (if not the only) males in his hospital's entire Women and Children's Division. I don't think that either of us views this as a bad thing.

Yeah, it's just me and 75 women!! I do enjoy precepting the occasional male nursing students along with all the girls. They come in all nervous and awkward, and by the end of the shift I've got them changing diapers and feeding babies... Men seem to gravitate to ER and Critical Care areas due to the high amount of technology, fast pace, and low N/P ratios. The new NICU I'm transferring to for grad school has a guy as the nurse manager. What are the chances of that?

Good luck in whatever you choose... remember that it takes some people a few units to find their "niche" in nursing...

Male Nurse here heading to L&D and Post Partum, Will be the only male, but won't be the first, Follow your heart, today there are male Midwives, WHNP, Lactation Consultants etc... Whatever you want to do go for it.

In my hospital the highest concentration of men are in ICU, CCU, TICU, Cath Lab, IR, ER and anesthesia.

-S

What the deuce is an "IR" ?? :confused:
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