Fairshake said:
ready123 said:
Actually maybe neither of you quite understand if you think it is something you turn on and off at will depending on your situational cirumstances. In fact don't even worry about exhibiting or not exhibiting "alpha male" persona. I just am who I am.
And that is a registered nurse, for about 18 months since graduating.
You don't need to emulate the female caring and compassion shyte of female nurses (this is contrived much of the time anyway, but that's another story about the undercurrent of bytchiness, nastness and backstabbing prevalent in nursing).
You can be be a man and 'care' as a man would, you can have compassion as a man would have compassion. It's not dislike what we talk about here, reframing back to the positive, using humour as one would with a woman you're picking up. Making people feel good about themselves, rather than holding their hand and emoting with them.
Too many men in nursing think they have to emulate women. It is quite sad and is only a condensed version of the problem we have in wider society with confusion of gender roles.
I enjoy my job, I walk with my head held high, I use direct eye contact with everyone. I treat all with equal respect. I let the doctor's, other nurses etc know either by my presence or by confronting them directly if they step out of line or try to have it over me. I will not defer to anyone.
As a male nurse, much of the time, you are a lone wolf, surounded by women, and they will shtye test you. If you act like "one of the girls" (perish the thought) to get by then is your only alterative to avoid this. But that's just being an AFC to the hilt.
Personally I have no interest in women's stuff, gossiping etc anyway as it bores the bollocks off me so I prefer to do my own thing. Though i'll have a laugh with them, frequently in response to their shyte tests! Get two guy nurses together and ya can have some real fun!
Sometimes people will say to your face "oh, you're a male nurse", I just reply, "no, I also look after female patients" or such like. If someone says something like: "nursing's women's work" I respond with "not while I'm doing it, it's not" with wry smile. I just don't care. FFS, half of the interns are women now anyway. The health care industry is becoming a giant estrogen fest! It badly needs men to balance out the aformentioned bytching and backstabbing and many female nurses say they prefer male nurses as they don't have to deal with other women's bullshyte. I have also have heard many patients say they prefer male nurses, along the lines that they are more genuine and conciencious.
Anyway, you don't have to change who you are, you can be blokey, manly, act like a complete knucklehead at times even. Some nurses won't like you for it, but they will sure as hell respect you, and as you all know, that's what's important.
Oh, and there's nothing better than a satisfyingly loud fart at the nurse's station during handover...
