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  1. #1
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    Male nursing students/nurses

    I am a male nursing student in the midst of my second year of schooling towards a degree. I find the underlying of most everything in this program to be oriented towards women, whether it be the lack of pictures of male nurses in the text books or the necessity of describing one's "feelings" for a good grade.
    My working years, to date, have been in male oriented areas, and I am increasingly aware of the inequity of acceptance and opportunity available to men entering nursing. The stereotype of nursing being for "women only" greatly influenced me by decreasing my desire to be a nurse, for many years, and still at times I feel the subtle segregation of being one of only three males in a class of 26.
    Positive promotion of men in nursing is absent. The most recent portrayals have been "Oswald" from "The Drew Carey Show", "Jack" from "Will & Grace", and Ben Stiller's character on "Meet the Parents", which have all had negative connotations attached to them.
    I feel it is necessary to promote a "male-friendly" image of nursing that will encourage men to decide on nursing as a career option.
    Opinions and comments on ways that this can be accomplished or on my experiences and thoughts would be appreciated.

  2. #2
    Member Extraordinaire Aaron C.'s Avatar
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    Re: Male nursing students/nurses

    Yeah, "Will and Grace really PISSES ME OFF!!!!!"

    I really want to choke those people

  3. #3
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    Re: Male nursing students/nurses

    O.K.

    I do not agree with how sitcoms portray male nurses, and even being a gay man myself, who happens to be a nursing student, instead of getting mad, I just have to look at it and laugh, because if I let it get to me - it will stop me from doing what I want to do.

    I am one of 5 males in my class of about 150 and the only thing that gets me through are my friends and the fact that there is/was a woman out there who wants to enter a male-dominated field and she, just like us, will take the jokes, the puns, the put-downs, and the sexual orientation questions, because it's something she loves and when she gets that piece of paper in her hand whether she be a pipefitter, a welder, or construction worker - she, just like us, would do it all over again!

    On A Side Note!!!
    ::: I know a few male nurses and they are hetero, and I am constantly hearing about how they get sick and tired of people thinking they are homosexual and that they always have to put the person who asked the question in their place...but what about the gay nurses who get asked the question and there responce is returned with, "Figures"... like just because we're gay, it's totally acceptable for us to be in a female dominated field. Like gay men are expected to be hair dressers, interior designers, wedding planners and nurses....

    I don't want to upset anyone or start a huge fight via the internet, just wanted to throw out some food for thought.

  4. #4
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    Re: Male nursing students/nurses

    I'm a female and I hate Will and Grace too!!

  5. #5
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    Re: Male nursing students/nurses

    My previous statements about being a male nursing student where more directed towards the classroom dynamics than towards the clinical setting. The nursing program that I attend is designed and implemented by an entirely female faculty, and as a Collaborative program with several other colleges and universities, is also influenced by several other all female faculties. Therefore it only goes without saying that the program would be more favourable to a majority of females learning styles (and don't get up in arms over that comment because men and women are not the same nor usually learn the same ways). This has made it difficult to retain the few male students that start the program. In the first year we wrote several essays on our "feelings". If we did not do an adequate job, that met the female instructor's requirements, we got a poor mark. I know there are females who found these assignments difficult too. As a male, I was raised to never explain or share my feelings in great depths.
    In the hospital setting I have not noticed any detrimental prejudices about my gender, but some on being a student. To date the majority of my clients have been over 50 and I do get the occassional comments of "Are you the doctor?" All seem pleased when I explain that I am a nurse that happens to be male. I do all I can to promote a positive image of the nursing profession and hope to do so throughout my career. I just want to carry on the tradition the title "nurse" stands for: Caring, Understanding, and Professionalism.
    However................I am sure I can't be the only person that wonders why males make up such a small percentage of RNs in Canada. In 2002 there were 230,957 RNs total, with only 5.1% (11,796) being male. Before the term "nurse" came into being with Florence Nightengale, it was the male who did the majority of nursing, throughout history, for the sick and dying of the many wars and battles (ie. Holy Wars, front-line medics, pre-Crimean War).
    Can someone explain to me though, why is it that 44.7% of the male RNs work in Quebec? Is there some benefit to working in this province or recruitment strategy that the other provinces don't know about?

  6. #6
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    Re: Male nursing students/nurses

    i get asked all the time what my major is in school .i tell them nursing ,then i hear your awfully manly to be a nurse.then they ask me if im gay .i just tell them no.

  7. #7

    Re: Male nursing students/nurses

    Krebscycle -

    I agree with you about the part where nursing schools designed for female students.

    I'm female, all my instructors were female, and only one student in my year was male.

    I'm sure he felt terribly left out, especially when EVERY time one of the instructors spoke about "a nurse" it was always accompanied by "she" or "her".

    I too suffered through the "explain your feelings" papers and hated them. I'm not one to share my feelings on paper, and I can honestly see how many men would have a worse time of it than the majority of females.

    It is in our culture that males are stoic and silent -- "feelings" are for women to share. Despite what may be said about "men have feelings too", many men have been raised, as you say, to remain silent about your feelings. It's not easy to overcome societal norms or values/beliefs we were raised with.

    Anyway, good luck with your program, Kreb.

  8. #8
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    Re: Male nursing students/nurses

    Gosh having been a female nurse for 24 years I see a whole different picture....Male nurses being charge right out of school, going right into ICU, administration, many places female nurses have to work years to achieve. Not to mention that the docs rarely question male nurses judgement...We even told a male MD once that he did that and he didn't believe it and when it happened in the nurses station we pointed it out to him. He assessed his behaviour and agreed with us.. We had a great rapport with him and he worked on it...Also, most male nurses don't get called, honey, darling, and sweety...Conside that a plus....

    I don't see a lack of promotion for male nurses at all.

    BTW maybe you "guys" need to find a more upscaled channel on TV....

    WR,,, three commas for Becca

  9. #9
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    Re: Male nursing students/nurses

    Hey krebscycle, Join the party...female nurses have traditionally had a poor image portrayed on TV programs also...it has gotten better but, and I didn't say I liked it...but it's a fact.
    I don't wear heels and revealing clothes. I don't make time with all the docs. I'm not there looking for r ahusband...all things that they protrayed nurses to be.
    We're glad you're here. We can only be the best we can be and keep on going.

  10. #10
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    Re: Male nursing students/nurses

    anyone interesed in anesthesia

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