[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Male Nurses (Page 1 of 2)
Posted: 6/4/2005 4:16:17 PM EDT
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I've got a question. While waiting to hear back from the state concerning becoming a police officer in my city, a few relatives of mine have told me I should think about applying to nursing school as well (just in case). I was a Hospital Corpsman in the Navy for 7 years and never really thought about becoming an R.N. when I got out. My sarcastic remarks to those that suggested it has been "I've been to war in Iraq with the Marines and now you want me to be a male nurse?" I've since seen the light as to how much bank nurses make around here and I truly did enjoy working in the medical field when I was in the service but the whole "male nurse" thing is still in my head, albeit decreasingly. I've decided I will apply to see what happens. I could do what I did in the Navy and get paid many more times for doing it. What do you guys think about male nurses, is it teh ghey? |
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Times have changed. You no longer have to have your wrists broken and apply fingernail polish. My wife is an RN and I know several male nurses and they do well. The only down side is that there are still strange looks towards male nurses from the general customers of the hospital. f |
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As a doc I've worked with many male nurses. AS FAR AS I'M CONCERNED THERE IS NO STIGMA WHATSOEVER ATTACHED TO BEING A MALE NURSE. Maybe in the past there was but not anymore. So definitely get that out of your head. The only male nurse I ever had a problem with had a big chip on his shoulder and if he'd gotten rid of it I'm sure we would have gotten along just fine. If you do end up as a nurse you will be laughing all the way to the bank. There are a tremendous number of fields you can go into: ICU, ER, doctor's office, etc. Good luck with trying to become an LEO. |
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Red, the hospitals in this area will pay for you to goto school and give you a job for 2 years if sign with them. Let me know if you are interested. Male nurses are the shit. They do a good job and work hard. No stigma attached. They are a pain in the ass sometimes! 
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I have been an RN for the last 14 years, Its a great job, but you really must like helping people, its not the type of job where you just show up and burn time. The pay is great, I earn 40.00 an hour, but dont take any benefits, my wife is also an RN, so I dont need the benefits, plus I only work the weekends each day is a 12 hour shift. If you like overtime you can work till you drop, thats at 60.00 an hour. Gay? I call it semi-retired. The pay is for Western New York
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yeah I agree there is nothing wrong with male nurses, especially when someone is in dire need of medical help. But still from a guy's stand point. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Doctor:"Well, we'll have to give you sponge baths until you further your rehabilitation" Patient: " Ok... Who will give them too me?" Doctor: "Nurse Taylor will help you, one of the best nurses we have here, I'll be back to check on you and the nurse will be right in" [Doctor leaves the room] Patient: "Alright I wonder if I'll get a young brunette, or maybe a hot Blonde!" [ Nurse Taylor walks into the room, He is 6'1 and 225 pounds.... oh and he has red hair and glasses] Nurse: "Are you ready for your bath??" Patient: ".................  I guess so..."------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Just sometimes a woman's touch is needed.
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That was a great movie.
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Honestly - would you rather help fix people and heal, or cuff people, get in stupid arguments, and enforce massachusetts laws? I know that came out as a perjorative, but I don't mean it that way. If you enjoy helping people, the medical field seems like a much more direct route. |
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I'm a male nurse. Yes, you can bank if you are flexible and like to work. As far as the stigma, it does exist if it probably much less than you are thinking. You have to take a lot of bullshit from family members, administrators, supervisors, and doctors. If you are hotheaded and want to strangle someone when they yell at you for no fucking reason, then nursing is not your profession. |
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Thanks for the replys fellas. Honestly I had decided to do it for a few weeks now. It just felt odd at first when I thought about it. I can't argue with the pay for doing something good AND all the hotties at the hospital. ARDOC, thank you for the offer but I can't leave Massachusetts. I got out of the Navy to take care of my dad as he is going through a rough time. Michigan does seem like a cool place. As a matter of fact, my old Battalion Surgeon went to the University of Michigan for med school and the entire time we were in the sandbox he wouldn't stop talking about the Wolverines and Michigan in general. I might just have to change my name to RedSoxFocker 
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RedSox, why not try med school? Shit, med school is not that much more. Take a prep course and then the MCAT. If you get good scores, then go for it all. You can never aim high enough! Sounds like a Air Force commercial. Seriously, try it. Why not? Most people dont know what they can accomplish! |
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I graduate LPN school in 5 weeks. I know its a low nurse, but I needed to get out of retail and this was the fastest way I could do it. I took an 11 month accelarated course and its not too bad. I have also nailed 2 chicks in my class so thats a bonus. Starting pay is around 14-15 an hr and I can work and go back to school to be an RN I have had a lot of clinical experience and there are only a few minor things about being a male nurse. I actually get along better with the the nurses on the floor than a lot of the female student. I think its cuz women are catty sometimes. Also being a guy gets you out of some things, some female patients are uncomfortable with a guy giving them a bath or putting a foley in them so thats less you have to do. But being a guy also has some drawbacks as ANYTIME someone needs moved you get called on. Its a fun job if you like being on your feet and being busy. There is very little down time. FWIW a lot of male nurses end up in surgery, ER or ICU. All very cool places to work IMHO. |
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I myself am working on the last of my prerequesites before nursing school. Currently I am a surgical tech, and I want to make the big bucks for doing the same job, so off to school I go. There is no stigmata at our hospital. In my experience, the male nurses gravitate towards the more dynamic aspects as mentioned ablov, i.e. surgery, ICU, and ER, but one of the best med-surg nurses we have is a guy (not gay either). So I say go for it, and pick something you like. You might even try to get in with a surgery center. All the bank of surgery, but none of the call. Just a thought. jim |
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I have not posted in a while, but in regards to being a male nurse, the touchy feely stuff is in school and then there is the real world. Believe me if ibeing a nurse was only about bed baths and being a pill pusher I certainly would not have taken that route at all. There are lots of places where men do great in nursing, ICU, ER, Life Flight, Operating Rooms, all places that are in need of decent nursing staff besides a bunch of whiney women. Its the quickest way I know to a 6 figure salary as a nurse anesthetist, I am happy I went that route. Wally |
It really depends. You can get an associates RN in about 3 yrs including pre-reqs. You can get a bachelors RN in about 5-5.5 yrs including pre-reqs. They tell you its less than that, but these times are more real world. You can be an LPN in 1-2 yrs depending on the school and most colleges have some kind of LPN to RN program that makes it quicker. |
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3-4 years of college, there are diploma RNs (3 years) and Degreed RNs with BSN (4 years). Those whom plan to go back for a masters/ graduate degree would make it easier on themselves to go ahead and get their BSN, besides that many position of leadership in nursing require it now. Not onl that the BSN completion programs make you pay through the nose ie $300sh-400sh a credit hour! |
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Why is it that "macho men" consider being in a situation where the girl guy ratio is 10 to 1 gay, and being in a sausage fest manly? For example: 1. Do a search on dancing, and see the number of responses that consider it gay. Now lets all think reall hard, you could either go to sports bar, and high five other men all night, or you could go to a night club and dance with woman. 2. Entering a female dominated profession or construction. Work with a bunch sweaty dudes, or a bunch of women. Dude your going to be in a situation where you are going to get more pie thrown at you then you can handle, and your going to make bank. You consider that gay? Not to mention your entering profession you could easier go anywhere in the world, and get a good paying job. Most importantly, what strangers think of your profession should have no bearing on your decisions. The people who matter in your life already know if your gay or not. |
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Dude get that antiquated notion out of your head. I work in a hospital, it's a small private one that doesn't rake in cash. We're so desperate for nurses that they are offering to pay for your car lease if you will work here. They also offer signing bonuses of between 2K-4K depending on your experience. Again, this is a small private hospital. The bigger ones have even better deals as ARDOC pointed out. Not to mention that you will ALWAYS be in demand, and can move pretty much anywhere you want in the country and land a job in no time. You will get shit on by the doctors and patients (at times) and the days can get long and the work load heavy, but you will be making good money and doing something worthwhile. |
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IF you like the military, go to school get a 4 year RN and go back in as an officer. I am not sure if you can do it with a 2 year degree. Some of the best nurses can be found in the military. Being a male RN, I do home health. It's a good way to make a living and the pay here is 30-35 an hour. for basically teaching people how to care for themselves. Hospital work is extremely fast paced. If you are an adreniline junkie then ER/Trauma is where you want to go. Understand that worst enemy of nurses is other nurses. CRNA ( Certified Regestered Nurse anestitist ) make even more money, going into Advanced practice is not particularly hard, but takes time. If you like to travel then you can book 13 sweek assignments through any number of agencies, but a warning first, travelers get the worst assignments if they work the floor. But travelers are in every speciality. Travelers make even more money. And there is reciprosity in nearly every state, so liscensing is easy. |
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My kid is currently a volunteer firefighter while at the same time taking courses leading to a nursing degree. While his dream is to become a full-pledge firefighter, he's also looking at the time it takes to get hired as one and for the meantime he thinks making good money in the nursing field prior to, hopefully, getting hired full-time as a firefighter is not a bad or gay idea either. Nothing to be ashamed of --- nursing is a profession that not only makes big bucks but quite a noble professional field. Go for it!!!! |
| No, but I've read that in nursing schools there's a negative discrimination against male nurses by teaching staff. They dont like how one of the few female-dominated professions is being encroached upon by men. There was a mass shooting in Arizona spurred by this. Out of frustration and anger, the gunman brought a gun to nursing school and opened up on his teachers. |
A BSN is 4 years and a MD degree alone is at least 8 years not counting a residency in something (3-7 MORE years). I agree with ARDOC on his last sentence but you have to want it! It's a marathon and a BSN or 2 year nursing degree is more of a sprint. |
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I got my BSN, worked a few years and went back to school and got my MS. I'm a male advanced practice nurse. I'm also married to an advanced practice nurse in the same career. I'm sure some tard has called me gay and had a laugh at some point....but I'm the one laughing all the way to the bank while depositing my 6 figure salary, and taking 8 weeks of vacation my first year on the job. I don't understand why you care, or have to ask if people think being a male nurse makes you gay. No offense, but I suspect the only person with an issue about the whole "image" thing is you. Nursing is a great field with lots of versatility. It is totally recession proof, and you can get a job anywhere in the country. Thank you for your service to our country. Good luck in whatever you decide to do when you grow up. |