Gender discrimination. I got rejected today because...

[Aaron C.]

I'm a male.

Called about a part time job about 20 minutes from my house that my mother had emailed me about.

The guy on the phone said I'm sorry but we are looking for a woman. It's an all female facility and the doctor is not always there to go into the rooms with the nurses, therefore, due to DHS and other rules they are only looking to hire a female nurse.

He went on to apologize, and even said, I know it's hypocritical because if I said the same thing to a woman that I'm saying to you I would be facing a lawsuit in the morning.

I told the guy that I understood and wished him luck finding someone to take the job.

But I'm a little pissed off about it because he's right. And women can work in all male facilities but men cannot work in all female facilities.

I wasn't exactly sure what type of job it was. I just knew what I heard from my mother that it was a small facility for adolescent's with drug and alcohol abuse problems.

Had I known it was an all girl facility I probably wouldn't have called. I wouldn't want to put myself in that type of situation in the first place, but damn that is discriminatory.

And I realize you hear about males all the time committing these sick acts with children and even the elderly, but the only thing I have in common with those people is that we are male. It's like saying most men are murderers therefore all men must be suspected of murder.

How about no more female school teachers teaching male boys because it seems like more and more we are hearing about women sleeping with their adolescent or teenage male students.

If I had any money I would file a lawsuit just to make a point. It's gender discrimination. It may be justified discrimination, but it's still discrimination. I don't have anything against the dude I talked to or the facility. They're just doing what they've got to do. It just irritates me that anytime something like this happens there is a lawsuit filed and someone wants PAID. That would never happen in this case.

Another thing that irritates the crap out of me, and this is getting off the subject, is that the mother always gets the children by default, if all things are equal, in a divorce. Why is that? Another case of gender discrimination.

Rant over.

[cougarnurse]

Ah, geeez, Aaron! What a kick in the butt.

I hear ya about the sudden number of female teachers and male students. Perhaps we are hearing more about it because of the 'times'? Not sure, but maybe it has happened in the past. (On an off side...there was a male teacher at my HS who would 'threaten' students with failing grades if they didn't sleep with him...)

Do you need time out in the Rubber Room?

[Last Nurse Standing]

While I agree that a facility may need a female nurse for an all female institution, I am with Aaron in his rage at the hypocrisy. We are expected to be equal and sensitive so long as we are equal and sensitive in the right way for the right cause at the right time. In fact, there is no equality or sensitivity in the world. I can handle that, but I can't handle the assault on my intellect when they tell me I should believe there is.

[Jo Dirt]

I think you would be better off staying away from that scene, anyway. Working with troubled adolescent girls as a male will cause you nothing but trouble. I don't believe in gender discrimination but in this case I can understand why. You would have probably encountered some very manipulative, deceitful and dishonest patients at that job, be glad you won't have to deal with that.

There are so many opportunities as a male nurse you will have. The DON at the nursing home where I work is a male and patients and family members call him "Doc" all the time and seek his advice on everything. They hold him in such high esteem, and I pointed this difference out to another nurse the other day. I said, "Look how everyone flocks to Bob and calls him 'Doc,' look how they look up to him, ask for his advice...they don't do that to us..." The other nurse agreed. We both know why he enjoys the status we don't...he's a man.

There will be a lot of areas in nursing where being a male is an advantage. I'd forget this job. You'll look back later and be glad you did.

[SoldierNurse]

Hey Aaron, it is great to hear how you really feel, rather political correctness. However, I would not have been as nice on the phone as you were.

This gender bias against male nurses in the civilian sector will always bother me and is one of the reasons I stay in the Army Nurse Corps. In the ANC males are about 35% and rarely, if ever face gender bias.

Anyway, good luck if your still job hunting.

[Last Nurse Standing]

I agree with Capt. Barrett. I work as a contractor at a military base and I think the ratio is about 50% male/female. There is no female bias at all. One night, there was a male tech and three male nurses. I felt like I was back in 200 AD or something

[SoldierNurse]

I agree with Capt. Barrett. I work as a contractor at a military base and I think the ratio is about 50% male/female. There is no female bias at all. One night, there was a male tech and three male nurses. I felt like I was back in 200 AD or something

Which military post?

[TheCruiseAcademy]

I think you would be better off staying away from that scene, anyway. Working with troubled adolescent girls as a male will cause you nothing but trouble. I don't believe in gender discrimination but in this case I can understand why. You would have probably encountered some very manipulative, deceitful and dishonest patients at that job, be glad you won't have to deal with that.

There are so many opportunities as a male nurse you will have. The DON at the nursing home where I work is a male and patients and family members call him "Doc" all the time and seek his advice on everything. They hold him in such high esteem, and I pointed this difference out to another nurse the other day. I said, "Look how everyone flocks to Bob and calls him 'Doc,' look how they look up to him, ask for his advice...they don't do that to us..." The other nurse agreed. We both know why he enjoys the status we don't...he's a man.

There will be a lot of areas in nursing where being a male is an advantage. I'd forget this job. You'll look back later and be glad you did.

I disagree very much with the above comments. I myself work for a charitable religious organization that maintains a number of group homes with emotionally disturbed and 'behaviorally challenged' adolescents and children.

2 of the 5 homes are female, 1 male, 2 co-ed.

I would have initially agreed with having only a female nurse working with female clients, however, unless they have and onsite clinic and need you to assist with ob gyn exams, there is no reason why a male nurse couldn't do the job.

Our 2 female group homes have superintendents that are hands on workers dealing with issues with the kids all the time; I home has a female supt, the other a male - no difference. They also have direct care / behavior technicians that are male who work with the female patients.

I find that actually there is much less sexual acting out as you would imagine... there really isn't any.

The girls, many of whom have never had a stable, responsible man in their lives do extremely well having a male authority figure in their lives.

So, Aaron, I would say to you that based on my experience, I wouldn't hesitate having a male nurse work with me. Now, nothing says this program you applied for is like the ones I work with - maybe they are really psychiatric and more acting out or have other issues, who knows, but If you were really interested in the job, I'd give it another whirl. Maybe call the guy, ask some more specific questions about the program and the clients.

I'd also find out if they have male 'behavioral techs' or 'direct care' workers working with the girls; if so, no reason a male nursing profession should not be considered for the position.
Bring something positive to the table such as being a mentor / positive role model when you speak with this guy again. Maybe this guy just needs some education about nursing professionals in general.

As for the comments above - ignore the ignorance.... every demographic needs a nurse, and I didn't think it was professional to classify the patients at 'manipulative, deceitful and dishonest'; you may encounter that in any environment and should always be guarded.

Good Luck! Keep us posted on what you decide.