To Male Nurses!

Nurses General Nursing

Published

O.K., men, I've got a couple of questions to ask you!

First a little history. I was asked by the vice-president of nursing (a female, by the way), along with a few other male nurses who work at my small rural hospital, to produce a "Recruitment Video" for male nurses. To be honest with you, I haven't a clue why she is singling out the "male species" for nursing recruitment. Apparently this video will be geared towards male 8th graders and will be shown during "job fairs" that these 8th graders would be attending.

Today, actually, we are going to begin the process of discussing the content of this video. Here are some of the questions that we will be exploring:

1) Why do men enter the nursing profession?

2) Why do men remain in the nursing profession?

3) How could "we" (men) encourage other men to enter into the nursing profession?

I already have my own answers. I was wondering. . . curious. . . what your responses might be!

Go for it, fellas! Spill your guts! Why did you enter the nursing profession? Why do you remain in the nursing profession? And, finally, How can we encourage other men to enter into the nursing profession?

Dig deep into your psyches. . . as if you were digging deep into your crotch for a good scratch. . . and share like only men can share! :D (belch, burp, fart. . . .) :chuckle

This is an interesting if not a wierd assignment. Looking forward to it's outcome, though. Hopefully the outcome will be a really neat video that just might get a few more people (male or female) into the nursing profession.

Cheers! :)

Ted

Hey Ted, I haven't heard from you in awhile. Can't wait to hear about the finished product.

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Yes,TED Keep us up todate and for god sake peoples STOP THIS SH**T...

........

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Specializes in ICU-Stepdown.

Well, I grew up on a farm, I've been a printing press operator, part-time mechanic (of sorts), long-haul truck driver and local fuel tanker driver. I worked in EMS as a firefighter/paramedic (found I loved the medical profession) and found that in THAT arena, jobs are very tough to come by, the pay bites, and (at least in MY county) once I'd managed that, I had literally nowhere else to expand. I didn't like the thought of riding a car for the rest of my career. Nursing seems like a good place to go, since there are far more job opportunities (that takes care of the job security part), and if you get bored in one aspect, a little training and you can go into another division of nursing (which is great for someone like me, who gets tired of a routine after a few years, and is a potential selling point to other males, I'd expect).

I have one more year to go before I get my RN. However, I'm working as an NT now, in an ICU, and also double as unit secretary, and telemetry from time to time. At times, I get shifted out onto the floor as a CNA and work my shift away there. I take all of it as experience to help me in my schooling, and as selling points (the variety of experience) for when I graduate, and its time to 'talk turkey' for an RN position. I absolutely love the variety, and know I make a difference.

Nothing quite like having a patient, who is getting discharged, come back to your unit to see if you are there, just to say 'thanks'. It has happened :):):)

I look forward to a challenging and at times rewarding career.

(oh yeah, as someone else said, the hours are far better than most other jobs)

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i became a nurse because i love working with and helping people. I stay a nurse for the same reasons.

to bring more males into it we need to change nursing's image a little, a little less florence and a little more masculine:) . when i first started most people viewed male nurses as ones who were not smart enough to be doctors or were thought to be gay. both of which i heard many times early on. i think things are changing i have not heard either of those in a while.

my son is currently in nursing school, and he has one friend that thinks guys should not be nurses,. a big change from when i was growing up.

any way to attact more men ,nursing needs to be viewed more independently, increase professional image and increase pay would not hurt:)

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I am a male nurse (burp) and I got started in nursing for the technical aspects as well as the opportunity to work in the air conditioning! I grew up (physically, that is) in a farming community and sure didn't want to do that ass busting work for ever.

You can go on from a technical diploma to an associates degree to a bachelors degree and then branch to CRNA, FNP, CNS or a multitude of other in demand areas of nursing. It really is a job where you can climb from the bottom to the 'top' so to speak, or if you get tired of one 'branch' say, med/surg, you have a million and one ways to go, and you don't have to change your whole professional skill base to do it (like going from driving tractors to say, selling insurance). Good luck with this!!!!

Jimmie

The LVN on the way up!

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Something else for the 8th graders, if you go the lower-tech route, in care of the elderly, you can fart at will, surrounded by lots of other suspects!

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Don, I resemble that remark.

:roll :roll :roll Gary

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I hate to burst the lovey dovey, pitter patter, fluffy bubble going on here but.

honestly: would you be a nurse if you had it to do over. would you stay a nurse?

I think this is like peddling drugs to 8th graders. yes, ruin their lives now why wait. I can see it now. a big poster board with a picture of a nurse sticking his finger up some old ladies buttocks. then at the bottom. "THIS COULD BE YOU"

oh no wait I got it. just show them "Meet the Parents" I know that once my parents and brothers watched it. They surley had a new found respect for me.

why teach them to aspire to mediocrity, "a middle income sounds great"

I hope you guys don't wear prints on your scrubs.

Why am I a nurse? good question. I ask myself that everyday. I have just completed my seventh year of college to get my BSN and I feel like a full fledged loser.

matt

p.s. now before you get all defensive think about the latest most humanly deaming thing youve done and tell me that is what you want for your son.

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Originally posted by Harleyhead

show these men out of uniform are still men doing cool stuff ie; horse motorcycle jet ski riding.

Real men drive SUV's, talk on cell phones and drink coffee. Lol!

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Ted maybe there should be some in put about teamwork. also why does there have to be a focus on the label "malenurses" they are really only nurses who happen to be men as well.show the kids that nurses can be of either gender.

MHN (RN,RM,MHN) nurse as well as MM

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Originally posted by alansmith52

I hate to burst the lovey dovey, pitter patter, fluffy bubble going on here but.

honestly: would you be a nurse if you had it to do over. would you stay a nurse?

I think this is like peddling drugs to 8th graders. yes, ruin their lives now why wait. I can see it now. a big poster board with a picture of a nurse sticking his finger up some old ladies buttocks. then at the bottom. "THIS COULD BE YOU"

oh no wait I got it. just show them "Meet the Parents" I know that once my parents and brothers watched it. They surley had a new found respect for me.

why teach them to aspire to mediocrity, "a middle income sounds great"

I hope you guys don't wear prints on your scrubs.

Why am I a nurse? good question. I ask myself that everyday. I have just completed my seventh year of college to get my BSN and I feel like a full fledged loser.

mattp.s. now before you get all defensive think about the latest most humanly deaming thing youve done and tell me that is what you want for your son.

well MATT you seem like a full fledged loser!

first of i choose to be a nurse ,I choose to stay a nurse and i support my sons choice to be a nurse. It is hard to believe that you feel the way you do and stay in nursing sounds like you need out. I guess you got into it for the wrong reasons. I do not see it as mediocricy I make far more than middle income, (and yes I feel nurses are underpaid,but money is not everything)

why would you take 7 yrs to get your BSN if you hate it so much. is their not something else you could do?

i do not wear prints on my scrubs, and as far as the MOVIe MEET THE PARENTS there will always be idiots out there that view nurses that way, that is their problem not mine.

let me think > the most demeaning thing I had to do recently,HuMMMM oh yea I clean up a patient and her baby after birth, real demeaning to care for someone in need and to have to clean them up. HA. if thats the way you feel you are a jerk and choose the wrong profession! and yes I would be proud of my son if he was able to provide the care for people like i do.

let be be in my mediocre job,wear my green scrubs and settle for my pitiful middle income of $128,000 this yr. let me know what you found that is better and makes you happy MATT. good luck in your search you are going to need alll the help you can get with your attitude.

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Originally posted by MHN

Ted maybe there should be some in put about teamwork. also why does there have to be a focus on the label "malenurses" they are really only nurses who happen to be men as well.show the kids that nurses can be of either gender.

MHN (RN,RM,MHN) nurse as well as MM

very good point ! I absolutely hate the term MALE NURSE I am a nurse :). I do not see the term female doctor used much:)

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