[BlueSkiesAhead]

I love the fact that both my husband and I are in nursing (he's a LVN student, was in EMS before, and a CNA before).

May I respectfully suggest that nursing school without a supportive partner will be hell on earth. It's hard enough when you have people rooting for you - but to be sabotaged along the way doesn't sound like a good path to take.

Have you found out why your wife left nursing? Do you think she's adverse to you being a nurse because of some incident in her career, and this is just her defense mechanism - or is she really superficial enough to think being a man in the nursing profession equals homosexuality?

[OldSquidNewNurse]

Just another nursing stereotype (i.e. nurses just do what the doctor tells them or they are just pill pushers).

[orionseal]

Originally Posted by piecebypiece

Lol, sometimes I wish I was gay, I'd probably spend more time thinking about the assignments in my nursing classes than imagining what every 19-21 y/o female nursing student in my class looks like naked

Yeah bro, I think your wife is jealous. I don't think her feelings have anything to do with a gay stereotype.

I AGREE WITH BOTH THINGS YOU SAID P B P.

MY WIFE AND FAMILY WERE MORE THAN EAGER TO HELP ME IN MY QUEST TO BE A NURSE, WITHOUT THEM I DON'T THINK I WOULD HAVE MADE IT.
ON A LATER NOTE BY THE END OF MY SCHOOLING I NO LONGER SAW A HOT LITTLE THING IN THOSE GIRLS, ONLY FELLOW NURSES WHO CARED SO MUCH ABOUT THE PROFESSION THEY SAUGHT TO ENTER AND A COUPLE THAT I HOPED WOULD FAIL THE NCLEX FOR THE SAKE OF THE PATIENTS THEY WOULD HAVE TO CARE FOR.

ATTN: MAG RED C5, I LACK THE WORDS TO SAY IT ANY BETTER,("I will not make a negative comment about your wife's attitude towards male nurses. As a matter of fact, I will say absolutely nothing about your wife since I have nothing nice to say.") YOU SAID IT ALL. KEEP YOUR BOOTS ON AND YOUR HEAD DOWN. MY BABY BRO. IS ON HIS WAY OVER TO JOIN YOU IN COUNTRY NEXT MONTH. MY TIME IN SERVICE WAS THE DESSERT SHIELD/ STORM ERA AND IF YOU SEE MY LITTLE BRO. I HOPE IT'S IN THE CHOW LINE.

[CABAYRN]

Well I am gay and a RN. I also have the luxury of fitting that bill in California's bay area, the most socially liberal place in the U.S. However, in my large inner city E.D. where at least 35% of the RNs are men, I am the only one who is out. Many of colleagues are either married or in relationships with women. Maybe I am just lucky to live in a liberal area, the term "male nurse" is so retro! I haven't been referred to as such for many years.
If you want to be a RN do it; there are so many rewards. But do it for the right reasons not simply because you want a good paycheck or a flexible schedule. You really need to enjoy human contact, to want to help people solve problems, to be a good team player. Otherwise, you will be a very miserable male nurse!

[navigatoroneill]

I had a quick count of all the lads i trained with and the ones i'm working with now and i came up with less than 10:1 straight:gay ratio which is pretty much the same in any adult population as far as i am aware. you'd think she'd be a little more supportive after being a nurse herself. maybe she fell out with the profession but that should be the basis of her opposition not your sexuality as percieved by society.

[rn_guy123]

Maybe you should tell her that she didn't make a very good nurse either, if that's the kind of attitude she had toward her coworkers. On second thought...

I just get really steamed when someone pulls the whole "...there's something wrong with that" or "...he must be gay" routine. Had yet another family member saying such things to one of my coworkers recently, who promptly told the lady "I don't know what makes you say such an unkind thing. He's only one of the best nurses we have..." Just do your job well and with compassion - you'll have no shortage of people always ready to stick up for you.