some younger male nurses.....

[junebride]

I can say I have nothing but love for the older male nurses (I mean over 30) that I work with. That said, the younger ones have got to be the most apathetic, jerky people I have ever had to deal with. They specifically work at night because they don't want to really deal with patients when they're actually awake. They specifically wear the light blue "MD-looking" scrubs so that they will be treated like doctors, and many times are--because they're men, and they've purposely dressed this way. The more mature men on my floor don't care what color scrubs they wear, and seem very helpful and kind and caring. Time and time again I witness a patient who is reluctant to ask anything "petty" of these guys (like fetching a glass of water or a snack, etc) but will think nothing of calling some random female nurse to come do it.

It' a disservice to any male nurse that really cares about his practice and isn't just "slumming it" because he couldn't get into med school. Nursing is not "slumming it" and if you have to pick a night shift to do your job because the thought of dealing with people when they're conscious is so irritating, rethink what you're doing and go into research.

[Doubledee]

Thank you for your posting, there are so many things on which to comment.

As an older RN, ( I am 54 and worked several jobs before earning my RN) I appreciate being valued. On the other hand, just try to accept that many of our patients have difficulty seeing men in the nursing field. In my navy blue scrubs, I have been mistaken for a policeman several times and a priest once. No one would suggest I am trying to pass for the other jobs. I acknowledge some guys just might like the confusion for one reason or another.

I worked as a CNA and as a nurse on night shift for ten years. Night shifters have all sorts of reasons for working when normal people sleep. Leaving the shift was actually traumatic. But remember, each shift has a distinct personality.

Don't blame the guys if the patient doesn't want to bother them for something trivial Blame the guy IF he won't take care of what the patient needs. I was a CNA for years, I realize my higher level nursing education doesn't mean much when the patient is dying to use the toilet or simply needs his head raised to take a drink of water.

For me, being older is an advantage. I have life experiences which give me no end of common experiences with my patients. I don't need to impress anyone or prove my manhood. I can get away with being who I am and concentrating on taking care of my patients and staff.

[MQ Edna]

I'm sorry to attribute to the tangent, but frankly, who cares who "started" the nursing profession. If you want to get technical and all that, healers have always existed in one shape or another, be it shaman, witch doctor, wife, crone, male, female. The fact that humans have the capacity for altruism is the real origin of nursing. Whatever you believe in, the powers that be enabled ALL of us, young and old to care for each other.

Maturity is an issue, sure, but like someone said before, the weak will be weeded out sooner or later. Sometimes I think it's not so much of older more experienced nursing eating their young as it is nurses eating the weak. If you treat pt. like crap, you will not last long regardless. I'm not even a nurse yet and even I have seen this happen on more than one occasion, albeit rare as it is.

I dunno... I mean, it's all very subjective and tiring and pointless when it boils down to the nitty gritty. Who cares? My focus is not on how much I dislike my peers, but being able to work together cohesively as a team and getting the job done. I may not like someone, but I think it would be petty of me to allow that to effect my attitude toward my job/profession/career etc. You are stating things that you don't like from your experience, but what exactly are YOU doing to resolve these issues besides moaning and groaning? That's just my silver dollar (I think it's worth a little more than two cents, no? But then again I am a future male nurse, so I have a right to be an arrogant, ceil-wearing Dr. Wanna-be, right?) *sigh*

[Thunderwolf, MSN, RN]

I am not discounting the distant history of males in nursing, or more appropriately put, males in a caring capacity. Though you are incorrect that it became a female occupation in the 1800's. As far as the Army Nurse Corp, it was in 1775 that females were brought in http://www.army.mil/women/nurses.html

I have an issue with the only real historical link to male history making references without citing the information as here: http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Forum/6011/sld006.htm

Some of the biblical references referring to men as caretakers were likely because women were not to touch a man, other than their husband. You could conclude these men were nurses, but with the bible, it's always up to interpretation.

I am not disputing that males cared for others in history. It is debatable as to when, seeing as records from 200AD are a little difficult to source.

Follow up from an old post I had made on the subject.

Men in Nursing:

A Historical Time Line

The world's first nursing school founded in India about 250 B.C. Only men were considered "pure" enough to become nurses.

Ancient Rome

The term "nosocomial" meaning "hospital acquired" stems from the nosocomi, the men whom provided nursing care in ancient Rome.

Parabolani

In 300 A.D., a group of men, the Parabolani, started a hospital providing nursing care during the Black Plague epidemic.

Early Religious Orders

St. Benedict founded the Benedictine nursing order, while St. Alexis was in the fifth century. Military, religious and lay orders of men including the Knights Hospitalers, the Teutonic Knights, the Knights of St. Lazarus and the Hospital Brothers of St. Anthony provided nursing care during the Middle Ages.

The Alexians

The Alexian Brothers began as informal groups of laymen about 1300 A.D., providing nursing care for the poor.

St. John Of God And St. Camillius

St. John of God (1495-1550) devoted his life to serving the ill and mistreated and was canonized in 1690. St. Camillius (1510-1614) is credited with developing the first field ambulance. He was canonized in 1746. The symbol of his order, the red cross, remains the primary symbol of health care. In 1930, St. Camillius and St. John of God were named co-patron saints of nursing.

First American Nurse

Seventy years before the Pilgrims landed on Plymouth Rock, Friar Juan de Mena was shipwrecked off the south Texas coast. He is the first identified nurse in what was to become the U.S.

Crimean War

The Crimean War started in 1853. A biographer of Florence Nightingale, regarded as the first modern female nurse, noted that male "orderlies" provided nursing care prior to and after Nightingale's arrival at the Crimean front.

Jean Henry Dunant

In 1859, Dunant provided nursing care after the Battle of Solferino. He was helped found the International Red Cross and the Geneva Convention. He won the first Nobel Peace Prize in 1901.

U.S. Civil War

During the U.S. Civil War, both sides had military men serving as nurses. Men were the majority of the front line nurses while female nurses were typically restricted to general hospitals in the major cities.

Post Civil War

Both the Crimean War and the U. S. Civil War decimated the male population. Without men to help with the labor, many women were unable to continue farming and moved to cities and became "matrons" in military hospitals. The military continued to primarily use men as nurses.

The Alexian Brothers In The U.S.

In 1866, the Alexians built their first hospital in Chicago, Illinois and in 1869, opened a second hospital in St. Louis, Missouri. Today their work continues around the world.

St. John of God and St. Camillius

In 1898 the U.S. fought a brief war with Spain. The Daughters of the American Revolution recruited contract female physicians and nurses during the war.

Nursing Schools For Men

The Mills School for Nursing and St. Vincent's Hospital School for Men were founded in New York in 1888. The Pennsylvania Hospital opened a school for female nurses in 1914 and simultaneously opened a separate men's nursing school.

Army Nurse Corps

In 1901, the Army Nurse Corps was formed. Only women could serve as nurses and military nursing changed from being predominately male to exclusively female.

World War I And World War II

During World War I and World War II there were nursing shortages and women were given tuition, room, board, uniforms and a stipend to attend nursing school, but were not required to enter the service.

Two Men

In a time when few men were practicing nursing in the U.S., two men worked to promote men in nursing. Leroy N. Craig, superintendent of the Pennsylvania Hospital men's nursing school, fought for the rights of men to participate in the American Nurses Association. Nurse Luther Christman volunteered to serve on the front, if he could serve as a nurse. Christman was turned down for combat duty as a nurse by the U.S. Surgeon General.

Men Again Serve As Military Nurses

Not until 1955, after the Korean War, were men again permitted to serve as military nurses. During the intervening decades men who were registered nurses enlisted or drafted, but were not assigned as nurses.

Nursing Schools Admit Men

Men were forbidden to attend some state-supported nursing schools until 1982.

American Assembly For Men In Nursing

The American Assembly For Men in Nursing, organized in 1971, supports and promotes men in American nursing. Originally named the National Male Nurse Association, the organization became the American Assembly For Men in Nursing in 1980. Source: Bruce Wilson, Ph.D., RN, associate professor at the University of Texas-Pan American in Edinburg, Texas, and a former board member of the American Assembly For Men in Nursing.

Two thousand years ago, nursing school was for men only.

Only men were considered "pure" enough to enter what is thought to be the world's first nursing school, which was founded in India about 250 B.C., according to Bruce Wilson, Ph.D., RN, and associate professor at the University of Texas-Pan American in Edinburg, Texas.

For the next two millennia, nursing remained male-dominated. It took warfare in the 19th and 20th centuries to transform nursing from being considered a man's job to a women's profession.

One of the biggest shifts in the profession came in 1901 when the military nursing corps was reorganized.

Men were no longer allowed to serve as nurses, furthering the process of the feminization of nursing, said Wilson, who is also the manager of American Assembly For Men in Nursing's Web site.

Partial article taken from website, Nursezone.

http://www.nursezone.com/Publication...rticleID=10819

[Thunderwolf, MSN, RN]

And a warm thank you, MassED...for that excellent link to the historical female nurse in our country.

Link--> http://www.army.mil/women/nurses.html

Hugs.

[caloy]

As a below 30 male nurse who has a pair of light blue scubs and works nights. I would like to respond to the original post.

1. I don't agree that there is less patient care/interaction during the night shift. During the days you have pt's family, visitors, other medical personnel; in our hospital we haven't had a nursing assistant at night for almost 2 months (because of "low census').

During the night; it's just you. From the old man that calls you every 15 mins cuz he doesn't want to be alone to the nonamb pt. having diarrhea. Yup, i work nights because i don't want to interact with my patients.

And to the people who think patients are all asleep during the night; obviously you haven't worked nights.

(I work nights because I like being up at night; even when i was younger)

2. Light blue scrubs. I agree with an earlier post. It's so hard to get male scrubs. My scrubs only comes in 2 colors blue or green. We choose our scrubs pretty much the same way anyone else picks out their clothes (which one is more comfy and -ok, i admit - which one makes us look better). I don't think pink scrubs with hearts would make us more comftable or look better.

[MassED, BSN, RN]

Follow up from an old post I had made on the subject.

Men in Nursing:

A Historical Time Line

The world's first nursing school founded in India about 250 B.C. Only men were considered "pure" enough to become nurses.

Ancient Rome

The term "nosocomial" meaning "hospital acquired" stems from the nosocomi, the men whom provided nursing care in ancient Rome.

Parabolani

In 300 A.D., a group of men, the Parabolani, started a hospital providing nursing care during the Black Plague epidemic.

Early Religious Orders

St. Benedict founded the Benedictine nursing order, while St. Alexis was in the fifth century. Military, religious and lay orders of men including the Knights Hospitalers, the Teutonic Knights, the Knights of St. Lazarus and the Hospital Brothers of St. Anthony provided nursing care during the Middle Ages.

The Alexians

The Alexian Brothers began as informal groups of laymen about 1300 A.D., providing nursing care for the poor.

St. John Of God And St. Camillius

St. John of God (1495-1550) devoted his life to serving the ill and mistreated and was canonized in 1690. St. Camillius (1510-1614) is credited with developing the first field ambulance. He was canonized in 1746. The symbol of his order, the red cross, remains the primary symbol of health care. In 1930, St. Camillius and St. John of God were named co-patron saints of nursing.

First American Nurse

Seventy years before the Pilgrims landed on Plymouth Rock, Friar Juan de Mena was shipwrecked off the south Texas coast. He is the first identified nurse in what was to become the U.S.

Crimean War

The Crimean War started in 1853. A biographer of Florence Nightingale, regarded as the first modern female nurse, noted that male "orderlies" provided nursing care prior to and after Nightingale's arrival at the Crimean front.

Jean Henry Dunant

In 1859, Dunant provided nursing care after the Battle of Solferino. He was helped found the International Red Cross and the Geneva Convention. He won the first Nobel Peace Prize in 1901.

U.S. Civil War

During the U.S. Civil War, both sides had military men serving as nurses. Men were the majority of the front line nurses while female nurses were typically restricted to general hospitals in the major cities.

Post Civil War

Both the Crimean War and the U. S. Civil War decimated the male population. Without men to help with the labor, many women were unable to continue farming and moved to cities and became "matrons" in military hospitals. The military continued to primarily use men as nurses.

The Alexian Brothers In The U.S.

In 1866, the Alexians built their first hospital in Chicago, Illinois and in 1869, opened a second hospital in St. Louis, Missouri. Today their work continues around the world.

St. John of God and St. Camillius

In 1898 the U.S. fought a brief war with Spain. The Daughters of the American Revolution recruited contract female physicians and nurses during the war.

Nursing Schools For Men

The Mills School for Nursing and St. Vincent's Hospital School for Men were founded in New York in 1888. The Pennsylvania Hospital opened a school for female nurses in 1914 and simultaneously opened a separate men's nursing school.

Army Nurse Corps

In 1901, the Army Nurse Corps was formed. Only women could serve as nurses and military nursing changed from being predominately male to exclusively female.

World War I And World War II

During World War I and World War II there were nursing shortages and women were given tuition, room, board, uniforms and a stipend to attend nursing school, but were not required to enter the service.

Two Men

In a time when few men were practicing nursing in the U.S., two men worked to promote men in nursing. Leroy N. Craig, superintendent of the Pennsylvania Hospital men's nursing school, fought for the rights of men to participate in the American Nurses Association. Nurse Luther Christman volunteered to serve on the front, if he could serve as a nurse. Christman was turned down for combat duty as a nurse by the U.S. Surgeon General.

Men Again Serve As Military Nurses

Not until 1955, after the Korean War, were men again permitted to serve as military nurses. During the intervening decades men who were registered nurses enlisted or drafted, but were not assigned as nurses.

Nursing Schools Admit Men

Men were forbidden to attend some state-supported nursing schools until 1982.

American Assembly For Men In Nursing

The American Assembly For Men in Nursing, organized in 1971, supports and promotes men in American nursing. Originally named the National Male Nurse Association, the organization became the American Assembly For Men in Nursing in 1980. Source: Bruce Wilson, Ph.D., RN, associate professor at the University of Texas-Pan American in Edinburg, Texas, and a former board member of the American Assembly For Men in Nursing.

Two thousand years ago, nursing school was for men only.

Only men were considered "pure" enough to enter what is thought to be the world's first nursing school, which was founded in India about 250 B.C., according to Bruce Wilson, Ph.D., RN, and associate professor at the University of Texas-Pan American in Edinburg, Texas.

For the next two millennia, nursing remained male-dominated. It took warfare in the 19th and 20th centuries to transform nursing from being considered a man's job to a women's profession.

One of the biggest shifts in the profession came in 1901 when the military nursing corps was reorganized.

Men were no longer allowed to serve as nurses, furthering the process of the feminization of nursing, said Wilson, who is also the manager of American Assembly For Men in Nursing's Web site.

Partial article taken from website, Nursezone.

http://www.nursezone.com/Publication...rticleID=10819

shall I post a paper I wrote on Luther Christman? I'm yawning over here!!!!!!!!!

[MassED, BSN, RN]

And a warm thank you, MassED...for that excellent link to the historical female nurse in our country.

Link--> http://www.army.mil/women/nurses.html

Hugs.

was that a smidge of sarcasm??? I can find quite a bit more if you like than that one female nurse..... :bowingpur

[Thunderwolf, MSN, RN]

was that a smidge of sarcasm??? I can find quite a bit more if you like than that one female nurse..... :bowingpur

No sarcasm at all.

Being mindful that it is a forum for Men in Nursing, it would be nice of you to include some historical material that references that too.

Peace & Hugs

[MassED, BSN, RN]

No sarcasm at all.

Being mindful that it is a forum for Men in Nursing, it would be nice of you to include some historical material that references that too.

Peace & Hugs

I started out in this thread with male soldiers cared for the wounded fellow soldiers.... and a few other posts regarding male nursing history as well.... there, in fact, was a reference on here that was not a reliable source - just pointed that out. I love finding facts. I can post Luther Christman's worth to males in nursing, as he was a leader in the field for men....http://www.rush.edu/rumc/page-1116015698288.html

[MassED, BSN, RN]

Some of the kindest, most sincere men I've ever met were nurses. I find that attitude very sexy!!

that isn't necessary to sexually objectify a male nurse that is kind and sincere. What does that have to do with their professional ability? Perhaps you like the role of a man in a caring capacity and find that appealing....

[MassED, BSN, RN]

shall I post a paper I wrote on Luther Christman? I'm yawning over here!!!!!!!!!

2,000 years ago nursing schools were for males? How do you cite that??? That's probably highly debatable...

[dialysisguy]

junebride,

i am going to pretend you are joking.:chuckle That post is wrong in so many ways. good one