some younger male nurses.....

Nurses Men

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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.

Specializes in ER, Trauma, Advanced Care.
I understand you've experienced some frustration with some younger male coworkers, but coming to the Male Nursing forum and venting about is asking to get flamed....

I am a "younger" male nurse, I work nights because I don't want to have to deal with the drama of dayshift, including management being around all the time. There's nothing unprofessional about that.

I wear the same light-blue scrubs that the physicians, med students, nurses, housekeeping, etc all swipe from the hospital because A: They're free, B: They're comfortable, and C: Unless you've shopped for male scrubs (NOT unisex) you wouldn't know how hard it is to find non-girly, normal-colored scrubs that are tall enough without hanging on you like a sack.

Whether or not a patient is reluctant to ask a male nurse for something is not the nurse's fault.

I get called "doctor" all the time. I smile and correct the patient/family. Again, not my fault that the public assumes things.

Please don't make the generalization that younger male nurses are less caring and easier to get along with than older men. It's just not true.

The age-old argument/insult of "why didn't you go to medical school" lives on.... Male nurses aren't slumming it, at least the ones I know. I chose NOT to go to medical school, not because I couldn't get in.

It sounds like you need to sit down and really get to know these younger guys you're working with, before making all these judgements about them. Maybe they're just giving the wrong impression.

:twocents:

very well put ... thank you ... I don't know if I could have been that calm with my response :bow:

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I work nights by choice-I like the extra responsibility and the more relaxed atmosphere.

I chose not to go to med school. You could not pay me enough to be a doctor these days!

I occasionally wear blue scrubs. Have you ever tried to find scrubs for guys? The last scrub fair at work had zero scrubs for men. Unisex-yes, men-no. Hey, I am 6'1" tall. I need a little extra length! I went to 2 different scrub shops late week and found only 1 print that would be anywhere near appropriate for a guy-unless you want me wearing pink fairies or red roses! My ceil blue scrubs are actually left over from nursing school.

Yes, I have had to work with nurses I did not like-both male and female, young and old.

Question: Do you really want to be a nurse? It almost sounds like you don't.

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Specializes in Home Health, Long-Term Care.
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Ouch.

Ditto! :sniff:

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Specializes in Home Health, Long-Term Care.

Honestly I like working the evening shift at the Nursing Home because it's the best of both worlds. From 2-6 it's pretty active, vital signs, getting the residents to bed, feeding during dinner, that kind of thing. Then from 6 until the end of the shift it's answering the call lights that go off (usually for pretty minor stuff), charting and checking on the patients to make sure no one is in distress. By the time 10pm rolls around and it's time for night shift, it's died down considerably.

I've seen Male CNAs working with the residents that are true pros and truly give a damn about their job, and the residents. I suppose you could say the OP example is true of both sexes since there are females who just don't care and are there to collect a paycheck, I don't expect they'll last.

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Specializes in ICU and Pediatrics.

Well its unfair for younger nurses like me to be labeled as apathetic and jerky people. I started practicing nursing when i was 21 y/o but i can get along with different kind of patient. I can say years of experience in the nursing practice is a factor but most of the caring ability or caring instinct is not developed during those years. For me, caring instinct is sometimes a calling, wheter u are old or young. it is what u are born to be. right? and correction! not all male nurses are the ones that did not make or qualify to the med school.

So hey miss, we're nurses! assess first before making a nursing judgement!:coollook:

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Specializes in Pediatric Cardiac.

I'm 23..I work days..in a pediatric setting..

And I wear pretty much only comic book related scrubs.

I love kids, and LOVE interacting with them. I enjoy hanging out with families and making thier time int he hospital a little less worrysome.

Don't judge us all so quickly!

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Ha, I'm a 22 y/o male nurse. I work eve's and nights b/c I don't like politics and drama involved with the day shift position. That being said, I'm a hard worker, and I could personally work circles around some of the older FEMALE day shift nurses in my unit. To assume that all young male nurses are "jerks" and "lazy" is downright arrogant.

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Wow...unless if you've spoken to every under 30 nurse you've worked with who tells you the reason they work night shift is because patients are sleeping, then that sounds like a sweeping generalization to me. I have never worked a shift, or looked for a job that would require me to start before 3Pm or end after 7AM and that has nothing to do with "sleeping patients". As has been stated in other posts, evenings and nights tend to be free of adminstrators and doctors who can be nasty when they want to be. Most of the nurses I've met of either gender couldn't wait to leave nights and go to days so they could party or spend evenings with their families. Hospitals are a 24-hour operation so I don't see why the shift someone prefers to work is a character issue. My wanting to work nights in order to avoid half a dozen people breathing down my neck is as irrelevant as someone else working days so they can go out and get drunk at night or stay home and make sure her boyfriend isn't sneaking other women into the house.

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Specializes in LTC/D&A/AL.

Im an 18 y/o STNA, and Im not like that at all, the only reason I am in nursing is because I actually give a crap about my residents, I see more of my female colleagues treat their residents with little to none respect. But, I work nights/evenings because of recent foot surgery, I cant keep up with day shifts pace. Im cool with the administrative staff..well some of them but I mean hey they are just trying to keep their facility running smoothly.

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I work nights because I don't have any other choice...it was the only shift available. THere's a waiting list for morning and evening shift.

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