Male nurse, a terrible job?

[John Galvin]

My name is John Galvin. I'm a journalist working on an assignment for a national men's magazine about bad jobs in the medical field. Just trolling through this forum I sense that being a male in the nursing profession does not generate the respect that perhaps it should.

So, I'm hoping to hear from some male nurses.

Some questions I'm interested in are:

Do male nurses get the professional respect they deserve in the workplace and in society?

Do male nurses feel discriminated against?

What's the worst part of the job?

Are they asked to do work that their female counterparts are not?


Are there social settings where explaining your profession is awkward?

It seems society still has a had time with "male nurses." I'm thinking of the movie Meet the Fockers and Meet the Parents.

Having asked all that, it also seems like a GOOD job. So, I'm curious what advice a male nurse might give to somebody thinking about nursing as a career.

I look forward to your posts, and if you would be willing to speak with me for this story please send me an email at johngalvinmail@gmail.com so we can set up a time to talk.

Thanks,
John.

[SilverBells]

Hey I'm not a guy, but I work Emergency where we nurses are 65% guys. None of them have EVER complained to me that they feel disrespected. I also socialize with a pretty diverse group- including male nurses, none of them have trouble explaining their job.

Nursing is not a bad job for men in the medical field. As a matter of fact, I can't really think what would be a bad job in the medical field for anyone- except maybe Janitor.

[roadnurse]

whew!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!What is your tenure in our medical profession?

[Duncan]

[QUOTE=John Galvin]My name is John Galvin. I'm a journalist working on an assignment for a national men's magazine about bad jobs in the medical field. Just trolling through this forum I sense that being a male in the nursing profession does not generate the respect that perhaps it should.

So, I'm hoping to hear from some male nurses.

Some questions I'm interested in are:

Do male nurses get the professional respect they deserve in the workplace and in society?

I do not feel as if I get less respect because of the title. Some people are surprised to learn that I'm not a doctor. But then again, I have a pony tail and a beard. When I walk into a room in white scrubs and a lab coat some people tell me that I remind them of Jesus.

Do male nurses feel discriminated against?

Not where I am. I Feel a little put upon when my co-workers speak in Tagalog.

What's the worst part of the job?

Cleaning up messes. No one likes poop patrol.

Are they asked to do work that their female counterparts are not?

Yeah. Sometimes they need someone to pull patients up in bed. If they need muscle they often call the boys.

Are there social settings where explaining your profession is awkward?

No. I wear it with pride. People ask about drugs and things. I tell them that I'm not a pharmacist or a doctor.

It seems society still has a had time with "male nurses." I'm thinking of the movie Meet the Fockers and Meet the Parents.
Having asked all that, it also seems like a GOOD job. So, I'm curious what advice a male nurse might give to somebody thinking about nursing as a career.
I look forward to your posts, and if you would be willing to speak with me for this story please send me an email at johngalvinmail@gmail.com so we can set up a time to talk.
Thanks,
John.

I live in California. Don't know where you are, but this isn't a big issue here.