You might be called "Dr." by the patients, which might piss off some female nurses, but I think the majority of female nurses respect and enjoy working with male nurses. Just don't try to buddy up with the male doctors and you will retain that respect. And try to understand women's communication styles. Remember that women converse to connect with each other, and men converse to pass info or problem solve. So what seems like gossip or idle chatter has deeper meaning to it. This was eye opening for one of the male nurses I work with. Also you may be asked to help with lifting stuff and please just accept it because you guys really are stronger!

Male nurses.
Yes, please help with lifting. Females simply do not have the upper body strength that male's have. I have seen many male nurses resent this, but we are all there for the patient, aren't we? I have also had many male nurses ask me to cath their female patients for them; that is okay with me, just don't be resentful when I ask you for help.

Hi Josh

I am a year 1 male nursing student in New Zealand. Out of 90 people on my course, 16 are males, which is the highest they have ever seen (usually 1 or 2). Everyone is really encouraging though, in the community as well. Lots of comments like "we need more male nurses!" My wife is a nurse and she said the same as in the other replies - like being called doctor. She works with a male nurse and the patients always say that the doctor called to see them!

I am a graduating RN who just finished my precepting. I don't have my license yet but in my experience going through RN school I have had the opportunity to work with quite a few male RN's. They have been great and were well respected in their areas. It's nice to have more males entering the nursing field as they can be a great asset. Good Luck!

male RN's
My son recently sustained a serious injury and our ER nurse was male. He was THE BEST nurse ever!! Very attentive, very informative, very empathetic. I have worked with several male nurses during my career and I find them to be a great assett to any team. There will always be bad apples whether male or female. Those are generally the ones who have chosen nursing simply for the money or because the job is in high demand. We need more male nurses!

Gender is not as important as the energy, focus, and teamwork ethic you bring.... In the ER I work with male nurses quite often. Some of them are fantastic, some of them aren't worth having around. Male or female, I don't care, just work as hard as I'm working, be a good co-worker, and I'm glad to have you there. If you're fun to work with, that's a bonus!

You may find patients and staff that have negative attitudes toward you, especially if you are on a med/surg floor. But remember that those attitudes are thier problem, not yours... This is your career, be proud of it! There is a magazine called Men in Nursing, or something like that... but it addresses issues that male nurses face. You may want to check it out.

Male nurses are great! They are alot of fun to work with and yes I do abuse the lifting advantage that they hold.

Male RNs a must
I would LOVE to see more male RN's!!!!
The only 2 males I've worked with in 5yrs have been nursing aides. It would be great to have a male point of view in the mix. I like how men can be less emotional, less gossipie and to the point. I also feel that if the nursing playing field becomes gender level, the profession as a whole will gain more attention from a wider variety of people. I hope that more guys will stay working the floor and not jump to admin. Don't let society's stereotyping get you down 'cause you will be welcomed with opened arms. Patients will call you Dr. but, they'll call all male staff Dr. (respiratory guys, xray/ulta sound techs, PT/OT"s etc,). Proudly make patients aware that you are an RN!!!
Have you experienced any incidences of disrespect that you felt stemmed from your gender?
It would be interesting if you were to keep a blog or web page sharing your experiences as you enter nursing.
Better yet, team up with a female entering the practice and do a side-by-side comparison of each gender's experience entering this field.
Best of luck to you, Josh!!!!