Why more men are needed

LadyFree28, BSN, LPN, RN · Sep 10, 2013

I think the loss of human empathy and kindness is one of the greatest disservices to nursing today. The claim that in the past nurses were is wrong........ for who does everyone think we, the nurses with experience, who took care of all of this developing technology. We are the pioneers in the field of medicine in the last 40 with it's great strides in technology and intervention medicine. However....We were capable in caring for the technology AND the patient.
I remember hanging the new med Nitroglycerin....we called it Tridil....I remember the first time I gave this brand new drug TPA that was made for dissolving clots stopping a heart attack. I remember admitting back the first patient with a stent placed. Heck I remember the first plasty, balloon intervention for we were the first in our region. I remember being thrilled when we got out first lab printer how thrilled we were......our first computer so we could look up our labs. But we still had time to comfort our patients
New drugs, new interventions, new procedures, new meds, new interventions.....The past 40 years or so have been AMAZING in technology advancement and interventions as medicine grew at a phenomenal pace. We have seen certain diagnoses be almost completely eradicated because of interventions with technology like the Left ventricular aneurysm that essentially has been eradicated due to interventions cardiology and thrombolytics.
Who does the present generation think cared for the high technology patients?? WE DID! The generation of nurses that right now are considered obsolete with all of our bedside skills and unscientific. Who manually figured out Cardiac outputs and indexes and SVR etc because the monitor didn't have the technology....ps we didn't have calculators....so that these new medicines could be tested and administered. WE DID!
I think the "stereotype of a nurse is a female is caring, compassionate and spends her day listening to patient concerns while changing beds and wounds" is over a hundred years old with good ole Flo and have little to do with nursing in the latter part of the 20th century. I think that "utilizing technology, diagnostic tools, pharmaceuticals, robotics, evidence and research, nursing processes, and the scientific method"......was perfected by my generation who is a female that is "caring, compassionate and spends her day listening to patient concerns while changing beds and wounds"........in no way diminished our capabilities as participants in the scientific process because we "cared" and were compassionate.
Patient satisfaction is a big deal but it isn't new.....has the concept have to be reintroduced because of an entire new generation feels that it isn't a part of nursing today? That technology superceeds humanity? That "caring" for patients and having compassion somehow interferes with how technology functions or makes us incapable of doing both?
I think that the development of certain technology have made us distant and cold because it limits the requirements of human face to face interaction. I believe that patients and their families are acting out because they are denied the one thing they crave.....attention. Like petulant or ignored children...... they will act out in order to get the attention they feel they deserve and certainly need....even if it is negative/destructive for at least they are getting some kind of human attention/interaction.
I think it's mistake to believe that nursing now doesn't require compassion, caring, and empathy for when we are frightened worried and scared even the manliest of men need someone to nurture them, care about them....make them feel as if they are important as a human when they are surrounded by technology.
I don't feel we need to lose our humanity and compassion in the name of science.
There was a thread not that long ago about the loss of the "art" of nursing. I think we have and it isn't necessarily a good thing.

I always say this, but it's true...I was taught by these pioneers...the historians...I remember the tail end of the introduction of tPA and the stent placements... :yes: There are far MORE of us appreciative of our historians than you ever imagined, and are carrying the torch :yes: ...even if "evolving" is going "back to the basics" and that included being compassion and science as great collaborators.

In the programs I attended, yet stressed the importance of those intangibles in nursing, and how the art and science can collaborate constantly...you CAN'T have one without the other.

I wanted to re quoted this because it is very important to this thread:

I think the loss of human empathy and kindness is one of the greatest disservices to nursing today. The claim that in the past nurses were is wrong........ for who does everyone think we the nurses with experience, who took care of all of this developing technology. We are the pioneers in the field of medicine in the last 40 with it's great strides in technology and intervention medicine. However....We were capable in caring for the technology AND the patient.[/quote']
HUMANITY and being humane and empathetic and kind is not dominated by a particular gender or culture...this transcends generations, gender, race, and the like...even this business model of healthcare, while plenty are trying to diminish hat we do, this model is dying and I believe it will be dead in the VERY near future-they are fighting against history...and history ALWAYS wins.
As we are evolving in our profession, because of the historians that came before us, I think one constant factor we provide is being humane in the most intimate parts that's our business.
And that is not exclusive to anyone...we all have that capacity-and to do it well. It is up to all who want the challenge-and can meet and exceed it. :)

DatMurse · Sep 18, 2013

I have plenty of respect for Nurses female and male alike. Why alot more men arent going into the field I wouldnt know. I am a Male and I going into this field to make a difference in some ones life and maybe even save a life or two.

Because many men dont look at nursing as a masculine profession I guess. Male nurse jokes etc, hell I make them jokes too.

Personally, I dont really care if someone questions my masculinity. I can always outlift their ass in the gym lol.

SaoirseRN · Sep 18, 2013

I think any profession benefits from the presence and perspectives of both men and women, particularly healthcare where we are working so closely with all kinds of people.

One of our best GPs has a female practice partner for that reason -- she's a great physician but also provides that female perspective to complement his male perspective on their patients.

mcdebb · Sep 20, 2013

Whether we Need more male nurses or not? I like the idea that men no longer feel its a Female Position! Also, I do like when we have a male nurse on the floor. He is always kind and if we need more muscle he is understanding and willing to help!!!

ArtClassRN, ADN, RN · Sep 27, 2013

Why do you think more men are needed in nursing? And if you don't think so why?
I think one, it balances the work place a little, no offense but a lot of women can be catty while the guys tend to be more laid back.

I think we need more people, men or women, in nursing who don't stereotype like you do.

DrkCocoMurse215 · Sep 29, 2013

I think we need more people men or women, in nursing who don't stereotype like you do.[/quote']
"an empirical generalization is just that until someone objects to it, and then it becomes a stereotype"
Anyways... In my opinion from what I've experienced, more men gives somewhat of a balance in many ways. You might have a different opinion and different experiences and that is just fine, thank you.

Steve123 · Sep 29, 2013

More men are needed because we have a lot of lazy fat and too fat patients who still can but do not want to get up and walk to restroom. By other words, muscles are needed to move those patients

gcupid · Sep 30, 2013

Men would add more than just muscle to the profession. Men would demand more respect from leaders, patients, and other allied healthcare professionals. There would be a standard raised across the board as oppose to the nurse being the person blamed for everything that goes wrong. Working conditions would drastically improve as well as wages.

SombraRN · Sep 30, 2013

I work on a women's health and postpartum floor, no male nurses

When my son was born, his mother's nurse was a man. My thought was "you are one brave nurse!"

SombraRN · Sep 30, 2013

I think we need to concentrate on being kinder and more considerate of each other. The worst lateral violence I have EVER experienced in the 35 years I have been a nurse were from males......both were jockeying for a higher position and intimidated by intelligent competent females...2 different men 2 different positions. They were more underhanded and vindictive than ANY female I had EVER encountered.

Yeah, I never thought I would see the day until the two men that I worked with recently. I just didn't think guys would treat each other that way.

One could scream at you in the nurses station over nothing. The other was a letter writer to management.

taydian · Nov 12, 2013

I think more men...big men... are needed in psych. Some patients respond.....and get right the hell up quickly, a lot better with that male presence.

chuckster, ADN, BSN, RN, EMT-B · Nov 25, 2013

My entirely cynical response is that no more men should be urged to go into nursing. That said, I'd also state that no more women should consider nursing either. The reason is simple: There are too many nurses, period.

At the moment, enrollment in nursing school is at an all time high as is the number of newly licensed nurses. At the same time, the number of openings for new nursing grads is static or in many places, even shrinking and the number of RN's putting off retirement growing. With supply so far outstipping demand, there will be continuing downward pressure on nursing wages and benefits. More importantly, there is likely to be a bumper crop of both under-employed and soon, unemployed RN's.

So my advice to both guys and gals considering nursing is simple: "Don't." Study engineering, computer science, math, actuarial science or business, all of which are far more likely to lead to steady, reasonably well-compensated employment than is nursing. Sorry for the cynicism but I think it's justified.