What are some negative things about being a Male nurse?

Nurses Men

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I am in my last quarter of nursing school. I am in Nursing Trends. All the guys in the class have to have be on a panel discussion about what is different about being a male, in nursing and the issues that men may face that women don't. Please help me out if you will. I am a STNA presently, but the issues facing a nurse may be different.

Any comments would be helpful.

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Specializes in Case mgmt., rehab, (CRRN), LTC & psych.

One negative aspect is the tendency of many ignorant or old-fashioned people to automatically conclude that all male nurses are gay. There's certainly nothing wrong with being gay, but a straight male might not want to receive the label of "homosexual."

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If you are a male nurse you will always be expected to help out with lifting some very heavy patients.

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One negative and sexist thing I get is the patient assumes you are a doctor and then you have to explain to them that you are a nurse. Also, many of the older patients want a female to take care of any issue concerning their perineal area, especially foley insertions on females. They are very embarrassed and rightfully so, however, we are professionals too and nonjudgemental. I'm a straight male nurse and if I was a pt I would want a compassionate and caring nurse. A lot of times females come off as more compassionate and caring....but not always! There are plenty of males more caring than some of their female counterparts. Just a sterotype I guess.

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Specializes in CRNA.

There are more positives to being a male nurse vs a female nurse. I can think of no other place where you can spend four years of school surrounded by mostly good looking girls. If you can't get laid in nursing school, well, you are doing something wrong. The only negatives include the previously mentioned automatic go to person for lifting help. Being expected to be the security or restraining dude when combative patients go into fight mode also comes to mind if working in the ED.:nurse:

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Specializes in Mostly: Occup Health; ER; Informatics.

As you can find in many threads here, and as I found during my hospital work, and what these guys are saying

( http://www.chieftain.com/articles/2009/06/16/news/local/doc4a371b69ae2c5122520351.txt)

is that there is definitely a view that "male = muscle", whether it is being the one-person lifting team or the one-person violence-solving team.

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No negatives whatsoever.

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Specializes in Med/surg. ED. Palliative. Geront.

...being asked to get things down off high shelves...putting the curtains back onto the rail...

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