[mako2004]

I have been in nursing since the early 70's. I started as a NA - challenged the LPN 1/2 way through my RN program. I have worked as a staff nurse, a head nurse, a supervisor and in administration. It is a great profession and can only get better as more males enter.

[sacbr1027]

Hi Dave,
I am a female nursing student who will graduate in May. My father has been a male nurse since 1993. He is now the only male nursing instructor at my college. There are several male student nurses in my class. I really enjoy having males in the class. You have different perspectives and really are a great asset to any team. I would say, be the best you can. Realize that you may have some difficulties with pt. because of steriotypes but the same can occur with females. How many teenage boys want a female inserting a catheter? The important thing is to remain professional and also to not let other nurses use you as a lifter. Sometimes it happens that they want you to do the heavy work or something. Be helpful but don't let them run over you. I hope this helps.
I'd like to add that I have seen some wonderful male nurses in action and my father is one of them. I am VERY proud of him. Good luck.
S

[variegate]

Originally Posted by Patrick_T

This sterotype of the GMN, just really makes me more nauseated than LPNs who think they can do everything an RN can do.. .. GMN.. gay male nurse.. I really cant stand working with GMNs.. Go into a another profession if your a GM.. dont go into nursing.. you just make the profession more pansy like..

As a gay male nurse with a Masters degree, on his way to a PhD, I can tell you I'm not going anywhere except to a higher, better place than your bigotry will take you. We're here. Get used to it. All your hatred does is cause more problems than already exist in the world, and ruin the stereotype that all nurse are compassionate, caring people. By-the-way, I was also in the Army, an EMT, and am far from a pansy. I can promise you would lose hand-to-hand and wit-to-wit with me, being obviously insecure in both areas yourself!

In fact the original question on this link was about problems being a male in nursing. The most serious problems I've had in recent years have come from being a "gay nurse," but only when people start pushing and asking why I'm older and not wearing a wedding ring, and hitting on me. The women sometimes get mad that I'm masculine, brilliant, very good looking, and been with another man in a domestic partnership for going on 7 years. Then, of course, there are those men who want to get into a "pissing contest" over their masculinity because they're so insecure around someone gay and more masculine than they are.

The only real "male nurse problem" I had was in school in 1992 in NC, where some of the instructors thought men shouldn't be nurses, but go to med school, and told us outright. So, I finished my nursing degree elsewhere at a higher level than any of their educations reflected (they were all ADNs). Other than doing my Ob-Gyn when the instructor was specifically asking patients if it was "OK" to have a "male nursing student" (despite a team of male doctors in the room and not asking males if it was OK to have a female nursing student...). I called her on it and she stopped doing it, realizing how silly and discriminatory it was.

[cougarnurse]

Sorry that you've had bad experiences, variegate. BTW, the post you referred to is a little over 3 years old.

'Cat'

[Ricu]

Hi all,

While the OP is old, it seems that the unique issues that men in the field of nursing experience are everpresent. My personal experiences as a man in the field are mostly positive with the rare preference for a female nurse to assist with those private functions. Of late meaning the last three to five years, my patients and their families seem to be largely indifferrent to my sex. I consider that a sign that the profession of nursing is becoming gender neutral. Yipee!

Now, on to more pertinent matters. Variegate, I am not gay so can't speak from personal experience but is sounds like you are strugging with being accepted as a gay man and not specifically as a male nurse. You even alluded to that yourself. You must know that this issue can vary in it's intensity depending on where you live, geographically speaking. I'm not suggesting that you and your partner "pull up stakes" and head for the nearest city but you may find better acceptance in a more cosmopolitan area. I live on the east coast just north of Boston and the gay and lesbian population is widely accepted. If I may press a little further, you go on to explain that while you are already possessed of higher degrees in nursing, you plan to complete your doctorate degree. This is all laudable effort but in your post, I sense that it is used to qualify yourself and to defend being a gay male nurse. Your education would serve you better if used to define you as a goal oriented individual irrespective of your orientation. Your sexuality doesn't need to be defended and your merits as a nurse don't need to be connected to your sexuality. I would encourage you to find a way to combine the following; your value as a person, as a nurse pursuing higher education and a person in a committed same-sex relationship. There really doesn't need to be a clash.

Good luck,

R

[Matt_RNA]

HI,
Just wanted to quote I am recently going to qualify in the UK - our title is Registered Nurse Adult and I have a job outlined on an orthopaedic ward, and I can't wait - it's both a scary thought but a rewarding one due to the hard work I have put in to obtain a BSc in Adult Nursing and Im only 20!!!.

I have received, like others some negatives about being a male nurse and at times have felt am I in the right job? can I actually be as good as a female colleague?
Im fine if your critically ill, hypovolaemic, returning from theatre - and all that other technical stuff!! but what disheartens me and isolates me is when I am caring for female patients and say one patient will ask my colleague, the assistant nurse to take her to the toilet, help her wash etc and not ask me!!!

I used to think is it bec im male? am i real nurse? - I love my job but feel so bad when patients ask for a female nurse et if a male doctor comes it's a totally differrent story!!!!

I hope in the next yr to enter medicine and achieve an all time dream of being a doctor, my nursing has taught me the art and science of caring and this is now embedded in me for ever

I wish all nurses, male or female the best of luck and hope the negatives we see are a thing of the past - however I think a male nurse is unable to fulfil the role at the level of which a femle can

[Aaron C.]

I understand where you are coming from with the female patients but I understand that they may not feel comfortable with a man assisting them to the toilet or other things of that nature.

As far as doctors go, that's a different standard because most doctors are men, and it's a socially understood concept that doctors are men, just like nurses are women. Until you can change that perception in society, that issue will continue to exist.

[rayj]

I graduated from a 3 year R.N. diploma nursing school back in 1962 with 6 other guys and 35 girls. The odds were great and I look back on it as the best 3 years of my life. I worked all of the hospital areas and then up to night supervisor of a 500 bed trauma hospital. My first year after graduating I worked at a state psych hospital which I really enjoyed and thought I would like to make a career of that, but I got married, had kids, and I just was not making the money I needed to raise a young family so I went into anesthesia. I have been doing nurse anesthesia since 1967 and I am still working full time at a small rural critical access hospital in the U.P. of Michigan. I also do hypnosis part time which I've been doing since 1977 when I first became a certified hypnotherapist. Nursing and anesthesia have both been great careers, and now I am looking forward to retiring from anesthesia in 2-3 years and doing hypnotherapy and EFT full time. The great thing about nursing is that there are so many other things you can go into from nursing. A lot of guys go into anesthesia, some go into administration, and many stay in nursing because they really like it, and there is nothing wrong with that. Our DON really liked men in the nursing program, and wanted to see classes where half were men and half women. I never got teased about being a male nurse as my buddies suddenly realized that I knew a lot of very beautiful young student nurses, so I became a very popular guy...lol. You will never regret becoming a nurse as it will teach you about life, death, and everything in between. Most of our nursing class still gets together and we think we still look pretty good, even after so many years. We were a very close class, and we still all care very much about each other. Without nursing, I would not be where I am or who I am today......enjoy nursing school as it will be some of the best years of your life......

Ray J., R.N., C.R.N.A., C.H.