I get so angry when they make fun of them!

I don't know why people have to be like that. It is so common in society. People just accept whatever they hear as gosphel instead of forming their own opinions. It is almost like they teach steroetyping 101 in school. I think it is very fair to blame the media because they always include race, age, gender, country and religion in their half-crazed news stories. And those watching the news get their fill of stereotyping without realizing it.

I work in a nursing home with a great group of nurses. 3 of them happen to be men. I don't see them as less manly because they are nurses. I often depend on them to do things that I can't do. Particularly with difficult patients. Or catheterizing the men who happen to have a crush on me!

I think it's wonderful that more men are getting into nursing. When I was a young nurse back in the early 70's, there were many men who didn't want a woman nurse checking their surgery 'down there', or who just wanted their care from a male. Whatever the patients comfort zone happens to be, a male nurse fills it well. My hats off to any guy who decides to be a nurse! I think it's terrible that people stereotype them this way! I've known many male nurses over the years and they give wonderful care, and not one of them was a Nancy boy by any means. Grrrrr, that kind of attitude angers ME too! I hope the trend continues, we need able bodied intelligent people as nurses no matter what their gender. (Hats off to you too for being an instructor!!)

I think the idea of a male nurse is wonderfull. When I gave birth to my last baby I had a male nurse who was checking on me and to be honest he was more gentle with me than the female nurses were. I think we need more male nurses for the simple fact that they can move patients easier than the female nurses dur to the fact that men are typically stronger then women. I think it is sad that other students on your campus pick on them. All they are trying to do is better them selves and get a decent education and besides how do they know that these guys are just teating the waters and may be considering going further to being a doctor but want to just get a small taset of what is possible to come.

Hey CrazyNurse, My opinion is that the people who feel so compelled to make fun of them would not be making fun of them if they were in an emergency and one of them saved their life!!! Good grief, it's so rediculous that people do that sort of thing. Many men are great nurses! In fact, there's a place called Woodworker's Paradise here in town and the owner is a nurse also! He runs his woodshop hours around his nursing hours. He is a wonderful MANLY man!

i'm guilty, i may be one of those people who made fun of male nursing students. I found it funny that time cause it's weird they even want to become a nurse of all the macho professions out there. but i guess macho is an understatement. that was how i thought of it before, i don't care now.

One of the best nurses I had was when I delivered my second daughter. He was absolutely great. He took such good care of me. I don't find it weird that a man wants to be a nurse. If a woman wants to be a doctor no one bats and eye. Why should they if a man wants to be a nurse? I can think of several reasons why a man would choose to be a nurse over the more "masculine" roles in the medical field. One is the hours are not as hard on family life. The schooling is not as long either. And to my knowledge nurses don't have to get malpractice insurance which the cost of is putting to many good doctors out of business. Yet you get the benefit of helping in a way that really matters.

It's been quite a long time since I was in the hospital, but I remember having a couple of male nurses caring for me. I had no idea it was still being stereotyped. I see no reason. A man will always be uncomfortable being bathed by a female nurse, or given a urinal bottle, and so, we women will have to be uncomfortable with the care by a male nurse. It's only fair! LOL. Anyway, you tend to take most of the uncomfortable feelings in stride, because you know it's only temporary or you hurt so don't care anyway. LOL.

I am male, 6'3" tall, 165 pounds, 61 years old, and VERY HAPPILY MARRIED. I presently work as a CNA/CMA/RA. I was accepted into LPN School and attended. That was a few years ago. My GPA for all the classes that I have taken is 3.14 and I enjoyed learning everything. My problem was not other students remarks about men in nursing, it was with my own classmates. Most of my classmates were teenage girls, just out of high school. Some of the comments that I heard were...He's not going to be on MY TEAM...What's HE doing here?...Why does HE even want to be here?...I deserve to be here, my mom and my grandma are nurses... What has he done to deserve a place in this class?...I'm going to get rid of him if it's the last thing I do here. I could go on, but what would be the point of continuing. You get the picture. I wonder how many of those naysayers know the history of nursing. As recently as our Civil War almost all of the nurses were MEN. Maybe someone should make the history of nursing a legitimate class subject. My two cents on this subject.

I also get angry when I see gender discrimination in any type of profession. Why male doctors are OK but males nurses and not quite acceptable. Male nurses can also show caring and compassion for the sick as much as a female.

I am in a nursing class. We have 3 males in the class. Two are over 40 years old. One has been an EMT for 20 years. Now he works in the cardiac unit of a great hospital, and has just been moved up to the cardiac ICU. His goal is to be employed with lifeflight. He is terrific in an emergency and has a gentle, calming approach. If I heard someone making fun of them, I would really tell them off!

THere are excellent male nurses, like there are excellent female nurses. But people tend to think about the nursing profession as a female one. It might take some time and many more male nurses for people to start getting the idea. It's unfortunate, but people have trouble with small things like that. I worked with a male nurse a few years back and he was one of the best I worked with.

I had a great uncle who was an army nurse during wwii, I do not think he was made fun of. my own son was considering nursing but has since chosen pharmacology. He is one of the most compassionate and mild tempered persons I have ever known, and is not at all effeminate. I hate stereotypes too!

I worked in a childrens' hospital for two years. I was working in the resource room, so whenever the nursing students had some time off, they would come in to check their e-mail. I have to say that about twenty-five percent of the students were male. They were very popular with all the female students. I can't imagine why they are made fun of. It's a very good job for anyone and Lord knows they work very hard.

Male nurses are in demand now days. I think that it is a wonderful idea for a man to become a RN. Whats the difference. The only reason it seen wrong for a male to become a nurse is becasue of the idea that nursing is for sweet,careing,gentle people, which many people would say is a womens job. But Men can be all those above also. Whats the differnce between a man being a nurse then being a doctor. Its more money but its still the same field.

People are always like that. We can't stop people from saying what they want. There are many intentions when people say something out of their mouths. They might be jealous. I always think positive and ignore what others might say about me. But to people I care I will find a way to help them face the negative criticism. Maybe you could find a suitable time and gather all your students. Tell them to prepare a 5 minute speech on why people shouldn't make fun of male students. Give them grades. After the presentation you can openly discuss about this issue, and tell them you do not approve of those who make fun of male nursing students. I hope this idea will help you. Good luck!

I really don't understand what the hangup is that people have with male nurses. For me anyone in the medical profession is to be respected. I personally wouldn't have a problem being attended to by a male nurse and I know that in canada there was a real shortage of nurses so anyone, male or female, who wants to get into that profession should be encouraged not taunted.

I know that the best nurse I have ever had tend to me was a male. I think people get uncomfortable around people who are sure enough in themselves and who they are to stand up to societal normals. I think the uncomfortableness stems from wishing we could be more that way ourselves. It is easier to put others down for being different than it is to seek to improve ourselves. That's just my humble opinion.

hi crazynurse, don't angry, there are too many people in the world, and anyone has their own idea and thougt, you can't cotrol them and it is hard to change them.

I think it's really messed up too. I think the stereotype is that the males that do take up nursing are either gay, metrosexual, or very feminine, which is not the case at all. There are a lot of manly men in this field who have become successful at their job. I mean, why would anyone want to make fun of someone whose trying to help people? I just don't think it's right, and I wish people would stop judging these male nurses.