Are You Man Enough To Be A Nurse?

[SoldierNurse]

Hey Mag,

Clearly you feel very comfortable in your male nurse skin. For that, I'm grateful. Some how, you interpreted my less than full bore enthusiam with the title of nurse as shame. Let my assure you, I am not ashamed of the title, just not very cozy with it but I think it's pretty clear to my patients and colleagues what I do for work. I think I belong more in Cammer's camp than yours, Mag

Take care, friend.

R

Ricu, What camp is it that you suppose I belong to? IMHO, the only "camp" I am a member to is the Army Nurse Corps.

BTW, I never implied you are ashamed of the title nurse. I was merely trying to point out that males can be nurses, no matter what misinformed children may think. I care not about ignorance of the general public. As a nurse [that happens to be a male] I do care about my patients.

[SoldierNurse]

Cammer -
"Apparently the term "nurse" has enough female connotation within it to make a Male Nurses Forum necessary on this website."

NO, apparently those [Males] with a similar interest [Males in Nursing] just like to have a forum to discuss specific issues related to Males in Nursing.

"Ask ANY child to draw a picture of a nurse. What gender do you think would be selected most of the time? What would that nurse be wearing?"

I prefer to educate children, this way when they grow up they will know the nursing profession is NOT a gender-bias profession.
....
I do agree the public needs to be educated that the nursing profession has long past the role of handmaiden to doctors.

[TheInvisibleCar]

Hey, all good thoughts and replies. Thanks to all who read my lengthy disertations. I just had to get it all out. Perhaps whenever I hear the terminology "male nurse" I'll just bark up to say that I prefer to be called a manly nurse. Hey, maybe there could even be an International Association of Manly Nurses someday! LOL

[hppygr8ful]

Just wanted to let you all know that my 4 1/2 YO son was talking care of his father who had the flu. When my husband said "you'll make a great Dr. someday," my mancub said "No daddy, I'm a nurse. Nurses take care of people. Dr.s just give orders"

Notice he didn't say I'm a male nurse. - Hopefully it the next generation that will be able to rise above gender labels and let people just be what they are.

Hppy

[SoldierNurse]

Just wanted to let you all know that my 4 1/2 YO son was talking care of his father who had the flu. When my husband said "you'll make a great Dr. someday," my mancub said "No daddy, I'm a nurse. Nurses take care of people. Dr.s just give orders"

Notice he didn't say I'm a male nurse. - Hopefully it the next generation that will be able to rise above gender labels and let people just be what they are.

Hppy

LOL, sounds like hubby has a lot to learn from your mancub.

[hppygr8ful]

LOL, sounds like hubby has a lot to learn from your mancub.

LOL - My hubby has a lot of things to learn - but that's a very long story We did however produce this amazing mancub who teaches us new things about life each day.

hppy

[Cameron]

Here's an Idea! Lets leave the name how it is, be proud of who we are and what we do! If someone throws a stereotype at ya and you have an issue with it, maybe you need to take a good look at yourself rather then trying to change the name of what you are! I'm a male nurse and proud of it. Spent many of years dealing with the stereotypes ( hmmm he must be gay... Hmmm guess again!), makes me laugh more then anything else. Dunno why everyone always wants to change something that isn't broken. My job is about what I do, the lives I change, and the care I bring to the bedside. Lets just change the name USA to WPC (World of Politically Correct):rolleyes:

[SoldierNurse]

Here's an Idea! Lets leave the name how it is, be proud of who we are and what we do! If someone throws a stereotype at ya and you have an issue with it, maybe you need to take a good look at yourself rather then trying to change the name of what you are! I'm a male nurse and proud of it. Spent many of years dealing with the stereotypes ( hmmm he must be gay... Hmmm guess again!), makes me laugh more then anything else. Dunno why everyone always wants to change something that isn't broken. My job is about what I do, the lives I change, and the care I bring to the bedside. Lets just change the name USA to WPC (World of Politically Correct):rolleyes:

Cameron, excellent post!

[Cameron]

The whole idea of asking a child to draw a picture of a nurse on paper is an interresting idea. Although, my 1st curiosity to this question resides with at what age do you 1st ask them to do this, secondly is anyone in the home/family a nurse, and lastly is that person within the family male/female if so. The reason I state this is because children are not born with gender stereo types, racism, or radical ideas. This stuff is bread into them from the environmet in which they are raised. If a child is brought up to know only women to be nurses, then the question at hand is obvious. Although, bring that same child up in a society that there are equal number men/women in nursing and you may find a different result. Personal experience will effect this as well. (exp. If hospitalized at a young age chances are if they had a male or female nurse they will draw them due to memory.)
IMO, this becomes a very loaded question. If I were to ask the 5yr old that i raised for some time to draw me a picture of a nurse. I am sure I would find a male figure on the picture due to the fact that I am the only nurse he knows!

[SoldierNurse]

The whole idea of asking a child to draw a picture of a nurse on paper is an interresting idea. Although, my 1st curiosity to this question resides with at what age do you 1st ask them to do this, secondly is anyone in the home/family a nurse, and lastly is that person within the family male/female if so. The reason I state this is because children are not born with gender stereo types, racism, or radical ideas. This stuff is bread into them from the environmet in which they are raised. If a child is brought up to know only women to be nurses, then the question at hand is obvious. Although, bring that same child up in a society that there are equal number men/women in nursing and you may find a different result. Personal experience will effect this as well. (exp. If hospitalized at a young age chances are if they had a male or female nurse they will draw them due to memory.)
IMO, this becomes a very loaded question. If I were to ask the 5yr old that i raised for some time to draw me a picture of a nurse. I am sure I would find a male figure on the picture due to the fact that I am the only nurse he knows!

Cameron,

Again, a great post. I'm sure glad you joined the UltimateNurse team.