How to become a male nurse

How to become the best male nurse

Although women still make up the majority of professional nurses and nursing students, there is plenty of room for everyone regardless of gender. If you want to become a male nurse there are some very simple things you can do to make it a painless and rewarding transition.

First and foremost, no matter what you do, if you are a male nurse you are going to be outnumbered. Get used to it. And get used to the looks that people are going to give you. Although society has become more accepting of men as nurses, there are still some people who are going to look at you like your nose fell off when you tell them you’re the nurse.

Do your best to find a school that is going to support and encourage you throughout your education. While the schools are admitting more and more men, there are still some areas you will need to watch. Look for schools that may have male staff, or other male students enrolled. A lot of the terminology in nursing is geared towards the female nurse. While that might be a problem for some, try to remember that words are words, and they aren’t doing it on purpose to make you angry.

Some hospitals are still insistent that men should not be allowed to work with women patients. Some patients will refuse to be cared for by you, and ask for a woman. Do your best to be pleasant and professional to everyone, regardless of how you feel on the inside.

Hold your head high if you have decided to take on nursing as a profession. Few jobs are more demanding, and few jobs give you the capacity to be help people every day. Nurses say that their jobs give them a sense of self-worth and purpose. It’s a good feeling knowing you are making a difference in the world. If you are going to be a nurse, then at least be a proud nurse.

Visit these articles:

1). Nursing ethics for male nurses

2). Men in nursing

3). Male nursing issues

Confessions of a male nurse

Confessions of a male nurse why i want to be a nurse

People see male nurses, and often confuse them for janitors or doctors. In school male nurses are usually outnumbered 10 to 1. A lot of people think that male nurses are gay, and they make cruel jokes about that behind their backs. Have you ever wondered what the male nurse thinks of all that? Here is one man’s story call it: Confessions Of A Male Nurse.

I can still remember the look on my guidance counselor’s face when I told him that I wanted to be a nurse. “Wouldn’t you rather become a doctor? Men usually become doctors, not nurses.” I just shook my head as I left his office, it wasn’t his fault really. He just probably wasn’t used to the idea that men could become nurses. And he certainly isn’t alone in that.

I was working out at Gold’s, when in walked my friend Lenny. I hadn’t seen Len in over ten years, so I took a break and we sat down to catch up on things. “So what are you doing with yourself lately?” he asked me. “I heard you lost your job at the calculator factory.” “Well it’s been difficult yes, but I have a new career now. I was just certified as a registered nurse, I work in the general surgery department.” There was a silent pause there for a minute. I could see the wheels turning in his head as he took all that in. “A nurse? Really? You never struck me as the type who would go for that.”

At work it is a bit easier. Most of the time we are so busy, no one really stops to notice that I am a nurse. Most of our patients just want to be helped and go home. Not all of them however, just last week we had a patient in who was suffering from chest pains, and angina. I was asked to do the preliminary exam. Everything was fine for a minute, then the lady asked me, “Are you the doctor?” I replied. “No ma’am I’m the nurse, the doctor will be in to see you shortly.”

For a second I seriously thought she had had a heart attack. She turned three shades of red and then screamed at the top of her lungs. “Get this man away from me! I want a real nurse not some crazy man! Don’t let that weirdo touch me!” Other nurses came in to relieve me, there wasn’t much I could say except, “Sorry to have disturbed you, have a nice day.”

I like my job as a nurse, I like the challenge of trying to make it through this day and then the next. The work is never boring, and I am thinking of becoming a specialist. There is a lot of room in nursing for both men and women, and considering how understaffed most medical facilities are, you would think that more of them would realize that. Unlike most of my other male friends, I have never been out of work. In fact I am getting overtime right now. Male or female a nurse is a nurse.

Visit these interesting articles below:

1).  Discrimination against male nurses

2). Nursing ethics for male nurses

3). Male nursing stereotypes

Inspirational nurse quotes

Motivational quotes for nurses

The field of nursing is ever growing and expanding. Most professional nurses consider their jobs a lifetime commitment, instead of a paycheck. The ratio of male to female nurses is incredibly low, but those numbers are growing slowly. When asked, male nurses expressed the same level of caring and commitment to the welfare of their patients as female nurses did. Here are some of the things male nurses have to say about their work.

“I feel that nursing will become a career field of ever increasing specialties. As technology gets more sophisticated, Nurses will have to become more specialized and educated to meet the specific needs of patients. An aging population I feel will lend itself to RNs becoming more care directors than care givers. ”
– Kenneth Beasley, Nurse

“Whether a person is a male or female, a nurse is a nurse.”
– Gary Veale, Nurse

“To do what nobody else will do, a way that nobody else can do, in spite of all we go through; is to be a nurse.”
– Rawsi Williams, Nurse

“Nurses dispense comfort, compassion, and caring without even a prescription.”
-Val Saintsbury

“kNowledgeable
Untiring
Resourceful
Sincere
Energetic

What does being a NURSE mean to you?”
– Unknown author

“When you’re a nurse you know that every day you will touch a life or a life will touch yours.”
– Unknown author

” To serve humanity is the best way, to honor God in our lives”
– Hindu Philosophy

“Your right is to work only, but never with its fruit(result). Let not the fruits of actions be your motive, nor your attachment be to inaction. Therefore you always perform action without attachment; for by performing action without attachment one reaches the SUPREME (God).
– Hindu Philosophy

“The shop advertisement says, ‘Buy one get one Free’.
God says, ‘Buy Me and be free’
– Hindu Philosophy

“A small body of determined spirits fired by an unquenchable FAITH in their mission can alter the course of History.”
– Mahatma Gandhi

Male nurses are going to be a minority in nursing for a long time. However with the shortages of qualified nurses that exist around the world, this shouldn’t really affect their career outlook. A lot of male nurses do the job because they want to help people. Others do it because they want to be on the cutting edge of research.

There will be over one million vacancies in the field of nursing in the year 2012. The opportunities for advancement, and job security are two very good reasons men should be seeking out these jobs. Nursing schools have reported a slight increase in the number of men enrolled in nursing classes. Overall the stigma seems to be largely gone, as more and more people realize what those male nurses already know. “Male or female, a nurse is a nurse”

More interesting articles can be found below:

1). Male nurse quotes

Male nurse controversies

Although the field of medicine has grown more accepting of male nurses, there are still a lot of antiquated stereotypes. A lot of controversy has sprung up around the topic of male nursing and nursing a baby. Male nurses commonly complain that they aren’t allowed in maternity wards. Sometimes people can take issue with the fact that a male is present.

More often than not that discrimination comes from older professionals who believe that things should be done the way they always have been. In the military a lot of male nurses work in delivery and labor, and they say that it doesn’t cause a problem. Unless the patient themselves asks specifically for a woman nurse, then there isn’t any reason a male nurse can’t be there.

But there are still doubters, and most times male nurses find themselves restricted from working that closely with women patients. Some have made a fuss about that, and been granted the positions they were seeking. They state that all nurses are professionals regardless of gender, and when there is a medical crisis, the last thing that most of them are thinking about is gender.

More often than not it isn’t going to matter to the patient, it shouldn’t matter to anyone else. Why shouldn’t a male nurse be present during breastfeeding? If he’s a nurse chances are he’s seen things like that before, and if he’s a good nurse, chances are high that it won’t affect him in his duties at all. After a while it becomes second nature.

The nurses themselves really don’t see what all the fuss is about. They conduct themselves with utmost professionalism on the job. They are there for the same reason the women nurses are, they want to help sick people get better. Nine times out of ten it is just as awkward for them as it for the patient. If a patient is uncomfortable with a male nurse in the room, that’s one thing. But for doctors and other nurses to make that decision for the patient, is not only unacceptable, it’s also kind of illegal.

It’s going to take some time before the stigma of men as nurses goes away. Until then these kind of things are going to keep happening. The best thing a male nurse can do is smile and keep going. It’s the job you do that makes the difference, and male nurses are proud to be helping save lives.

View some of these articles:

1). Male nursing stereotypes

2).  Discrimination against male nurses

3). Nursing ethics for male nurses

Male nursing stereotypes

Male Nursing Stereotypes Still Exists

Only women’s professional basketball has a higher ratio of female to male employees. Women still continue to dominate the profession of nursing. Out of over 2 million nurses, only around five percent of those are male. Men who work in nursing now say that while things are still a bit rough around the edges, the overall attitude towards men in nursing is positive.

Men in nursing have had to face some serious stereotyping in the past. Nursing was seen as a job only suitable for females. The first nursing clinics were started in convents, so that almost makes sense. Economics have been a big factor towards reducing this stereotype. The field of nursing employs over 2 million professionals, and they are still facing severe nursing shortages in almost every state of the country. Job prospects for nursing are great, there are no limit to the jobs a trained nurse can get. So it only makes sense as more men are laid off, that they take up a career with some future potential.

Not only have men had to beat the stereotype that they were doing a woman’s job, many male nurses say that another stereotype they face a lot is that of the gay male nurse. A lot of that is because most nurses are female, and any man working with them has to be in touch with their feminine side. It is also said that since nursing is such a subordinate profession, any man who works as a nurse must like being told what to do.

All of the above is patently not true, but society is sometimes slow to see which way the wind is blowing. At least in the United States it is generally accepted, in other countries men are subjected to ridicule and a lot worse than that.

Most related articles:

1).  Discrimination against male nurses

2). Nursing ethics for male nurses

3). Nursing ethics for female nurses

Overtime pay regulations for nurses

Nurse Overtime Pay Regulations

The controversy around nurses working too many overtime hours continues to rage across the country. New legislation proposed by the Department of Labor will attempt to bring the field of nursing more in line with other similar occupations. Overtime used to be at the discretion of the employer, and a lot of employees were penalized when they didn’t want to work extra shifts.

Currently registered nurses are paid for overtime at the time and a half rate. However working professionals in many states have expressed dissatisfaction with labor conditions, saying they were often asked to work overtime regardless of the fact that they had just finished working and were exhausted. Airline pilots are not allowed to fly a plane after so many hours in the air.

The same standard should be applied to nursing, where a mistake made due to exhaustion could be very serious. Employers cite the lack of trained professionals to fill these positions, saying they are forced to work with what they have, and that they do their best to make sure no one is overworked.

There is also concern that legislation might be passed that allows hospitals to not pay an overtime wage, but instead to retain the worker at their original salary. This is a popular idea in places where times are tough, and hospitals are struggling to meet the bills. However, Department of Labor officials feel this would be an unwise move, with so many people struggling to make ends meet. A nurse who finds their overtime pay reduced might just go seek employment elsewhere.

There is legislation in place in most states, that protect nurses from having to work mandatory overtime. There is not uniform legislation in place regarding compensation for overtime, that debate is still ongoing. The government should pick up the tab for all healthcare costs. More nurses need to be trained and hired, and the United States needs to take better care of the nurses they have.

You can see how much registered nurse make in each state.

Respiratory therapy scholarships

Top 5 respiratory therapy scholarships and why

A respiratory therapist is the one who specializes in breathing problems. A respiratory therapist has direct contacts with the patients and helps them to solve their breathing as well as medical problems. If you want to become a respiratory therapist then you can avail many scholarships. The following is a list of the top 5 respiratory therapy scholarships that you can get to pursue a career as a respiratory therapist.

1. The Morris Opp Scholarship

This is one of the topmost scholarships, which is given in honor of a respiratory therapist, Morris Opp who used to work at MeritCare. This scholarship is mostly based on the personal ambitions, community involvement, personal references and scholastic achievement.

2. Respiratory Therapist Scholarship

This scholarship is provided by the Forsyth Medical Center. To get this scholarship the student needs to prove acceptance into an accredited program in a university or college. The student also needs to have GPA of 2.5 or above. The main essence of this scholarship is the student gets an opportunity to work at the Forsyth Medical Center for a period of 15 months. The student will receive a scholarship worth $2,500.

3. Robert James Reilly Scholarship

Given in the honor of Robert James Reilly, an Upstate Medical University Graduate, it is one of the topmost scholarships. This scholarship assists the students who plan to pursue a career in respiratory therapy. However, it is applicable only to second-year Students in Bachelor of Science degree.

4. The Massachusetts Society for Respiratory Care (MSRC) scholarship

This scholarship is offered by the Massachusetts Society for Respiratory Care (MSRC). The rewards are mostly granted based on the community service, academic achievement and potential for success of the applicant. However, to avail this scholarship, the applicant needs to be Massachusetts member of the American Association for Respiratory Care (AARC). Get the list of all nursing scholarships in Massachusetts.

5. Georgia Health Sciences University scholarship

This Scholarship is granted by the Department of Respiratory Therapy of the Georgia Health Sciences University. This is mostly granted to a student who shows a lot of enthusiasm and dedication to the field of Respiratory Therapy. It is $250 scholarship and is mostly adjudicated by the Chairperson of the Department of Respiratory therapy of the Georgia health Sciences University. Apply for all nursing scholarships in Georgia today.

These were the top 5 respiratory therapy scholarships which can benefit students in their career as a respiratory therapist.