Male Nurse. Proud, but looked down on?

[kasianman]

I'm now into nursing BScN program after deciding between RN or Med Lab technologist (was accepted to both).

I was inspired by nurses who attended to my dad's well being after he was hospitalized.
I learned that there were so many opportunities available.
You could specialize in many fields (surgery, ICU, emergency room,...).
There's also the job stability which I like.
I can travel and work pretty much anywhere in the world.
I think the pay is pretty decent too.

When I explain to my friends and others that I'm a nursing student studying to become a RN, they look down on me or even make (ex. gaylord fokker) jokes.

As more and more men go into nursing, will people look at male nurses differently... more accepting?

[Jungle]

A female nurse once told me that male nurses do very well and tend to land the leadership roles. She stated that they don't get involved with female type workplace conflicts and that's why they do well.

Not sure if this is true.

[Jungle]

And besides that who cares what others think? If you like it, do it!

[poedua]

And besides that who cares what others think? If you like it, do it!

+1

[MrDisco]

When I explain to my friends and others that I'm a nursing student studying to become a RN, they look down on me or even make jokes.


live your own life.

[nalababe]

I don't see it as an issue at all...at least not in major centres.

And who cares what your friends think. You'll work hard, make good pay and have ample opportunities to move around within the healthcare industry: hospitals, pharma, diagnostics, CROs...

I think more highly of a RN than some average everyday job people have in banks/accounting...

[ACC-Major]

ya accounting blows lol.
getting a little below 40k now with my new job in downtown Toronto with 2 years of experiences and close to completing the CGA designation (2 courses to go). Tasks are repetitive and dry.

Yo, but I heard you need to cleaning up people's crap and urine when you first started in Nursing cause other seniors won't do it lol.

A friend is into Nursing, and she works over 10 hours a day ($55 per hour) lol.

[vrus]

the only people looking down upon arethe ignorant ones. it's one of the most noble jobs you can have

[UrbanPoet]

theres still gonna be stigma out there.
Kinda like if a female were to say she was in the army, a police officer, or fire fighter... ppl will think 'wow.. tuff girl... i wouldnt wanna get close to her she might crush my ballz if i do the wrong thing".

[dealtacular]

I think more highly of a RN than some average everyday job people have in banks/accounting...

This should be an obvious statement, but the fact that you had to make it shows how much disrespect nurses get (obviously you recognize their worth, but so many others don't).

Many people who work in banks (and even low level accounting) do not even have postsecondary education aside from training courses. Nurses, especially these days, need to have university and many receive extensive training beond that, with so many opportunities to specialize.

[ji_hyun_jun]

When I explain to my friends and others that I'm a nursing student studying to become a RN, they look down on me or even make (ex. gaylord fokker) jokes.


Gay? You're surrounded by more female coworkers than pretty much any other profession. Your ENGG and Com. Sci. friends are the ones that are surrounded by males.. lots and lots of males. =D

[belowzeros]

live your own life, your friends have issues not you. you need new friends.

[7jai]

I'm sure when you are tending to their wife's baby, I'm sure they won't joke about it anymore. Or, u can always show them up the old fashioned way, by driving a new bmw once u are a registered nurse and getting paid an above avrg salary

[akademiks]

I'm sure when you are tending to their wife's baby, I'm sure they won't joke about it anymore. Or, u can always show them up the old fashioned way, by driving a new bmw once u are a registered nurse and getting paid an above avrg salary

Lol.. If you really think that nurses get paid that much, than you're sadly mistaken. I believe it starts out about $50k a year now. After maybe 10+ years of experience a person might have a good enough salary to be able to afford those luxuries.

[BornRuff]

Within the nursing feild, being a male could be a big asset or a liability depending on what you make of it. No matter what, you will stand out because of how rare male nurses are. If you do a good job, you will be recignized for it before others would in some instances, and will have an easier time getting promotions. If you are bad at your job though, peope will notice that too, and you will be "that guy". You will also make a bad name for yourself if you are constantly hitting on your co-workers or acting in a way where women feel uncomfortable to be around you. If you are careing and hardworking though, you should excell.

Most workplaces like to maintain a diverse staff, so being a guy can help you get jobs in that respect too.

I'm young, so I'm not a nurse, but I have worked in many nursing type jobs durring the summer where the number of girls far out numbers the number of guys. This has always worked out well for me. I had a great relationship with my employers because they liked what I was doing and really wanted to maintain quality male staff members because of how hard it was to attract males.

Cleaning up poo/pee/puke ect really isn't hard at all. It seems gross when you think about it, but when you just get in there and do it, it's not bad at all. It has to be done, and you are helping the person out a lot by doing it. Before long, it's no different than cleaning a window or counter, except you can't talk and joke around with a window. It is a very basic skill though, so a lot of that work is done by RPN and PSW's and RN's spend more of their time on more complex things.

[Nikita]

I had a guy friend who was a nurse about 20 years ago, and yeah he got the gay comments too, but couldn't care less. When I was hospitalized a couple years ago, one of my nurses was male (and a hottie at that). He was an excellent nurse...and that's all that should matter.


theres still gonna be stigma out there.
Kinda like if a female were to say she was in the army, a police officer, or fire fighter... ppl will think 'wow.. tuff girl... i wouldnt wanna get close to her she might crush my ballz if i do the wrong thing".

And who actually gives a crap about these stigmas/stereotypes? Usually the same people who don't have the brains to go into a field like those you mentioned....so meh..ignore'em!

OP, if you choose your career based on some stupid stigma or stupid comments by your friends, you might as well give up now and go tend bar somewhere. It's an excellent job for anyone to have but you need to want it badly enough to not give a crap what people think if you're going to be good at it.

[BornRuff]

Lol.. If you really think that nurses get paid that much, than you're sadly mistaken. I believe it starts out about $50k a year now. After maybe 10+ years of experience a person might have a good enough salary to be able to afford those luxuries.

Nurses are paid above average salaries, but the average in canada is surprisingly low, around 42k a year. Experienced nurses can pull in around 80k a year pretty easily, with great benefits. There is no limit to how much a Nurse can work in private sector opportunities or healthcare administration roles though.

[samm]

I'm into my third year into Mac's Medical Radiation Science program. I'll tell you one thing, if I had to start all over in university, I would have definitely went with the RN program. I did my first clinical term, and my appreciation for nurses (male in particular) went right up!

go murses!

[UrbanPoet]

Lol.. If you really think that nurses get paid that much, than you're sadly mistaken. I believe it starts out about $50k a year now. After maybe 10+ years of experience a person might have a good enough salary to be able to afford those luxuries.

Well.. $50k is actually a lot more then most university grads...
The university grads that get $50k+ usually have a lot of experience earned while in school or a lot of connections/luck.



And who actually gives a crap about these stigmas/stereotypes? Usually the same people who don't have the brains to go into a field like those you mentioned....so meh..ignore'em!


Well... Im just looking @ it realistically... I'm assuming a large amount of people that are out there are insecure...
Even growing up people in my high school dreaded fast food jobs b/c of 'what other people think'.

I imagine the same thing transcends into the adult working world... I even see this when people consider careers in the trade. In this day in age a lot of people see it as blue collar and 'low class' despite the money.

Me... I couldnt care less. I actually hope theres more male nurses... They could use some muscle. My x-gf's mom pulled her back in an almost career ending injury trying to put a huge 200lb+ man on a bed... This is a lot considering shes a tiny lil 4'11 filipino lady.

[kasianman]

Thank you everyone for the kind words. I've read every comment and really appreciate the responses.


And besides that who cares what others think? If you like it, do it!

Yep. As for what some other people think, I guess I'll have to learn to accept and live with it. As the roles of RN and NP keep evolving and more male enters the nursing field, maybe perceptions of how people view male nurses will change.
I'm very happy to be studying to become a nurse, and I'm loving every aspect of nursing.


Nurses are paid above average salaries, but the average in canada is surprisingly low, around 42k a year. Experienced nurses can pull in around 80k a year pretty easily, with great benefits. There is no limit to how much a Nurse can work in private sector opportunities or healthcare administration roles though.

Yep
I'm not sure how much nurses make (I guess it depends on which specialty you are in and etc), but as long as I can make enough to make a decent living out of it, I'm pretty happy.


I'm into my third year into Mac's Medical Radiation Science program. I'll tell you one thing, if I had to start all over in university, I would have definitely went with the RN program. I did my first clinical term, and my appreciation for nurses (male in particular) went right up!

go murses!

Which med rad sci program are you in? Radiation therapy?
I have a lot of respect for rad therapist/technologist.

[Chuck Chorus]

If your friends are going to look down upon you for doing something you enjoy as a career...

Perhaps it is a sign you are on a journey towards new friendships..

In a few years, you might start to even bond and relate to fellow Nurses more than you would with regular friends :D

[koft]

I don't think male / female nurses are looking down upon, I am a resident in a teaching hospital. I don't really care whether it is a male / female who take care of our post-surgical patients. As long as they are competent, I will be happy irrespective to the gender.

I think the topic is up to how you look at yourself as a nurse! It is all your own perception of the occupation.

[funnykid]

When I explain to my friends and others that I'm a nursing student studying to become a RN, they look down on me or even make (ex. gaylord fokker) jokes.

Either your friends will come to understand the importance of nurses (regardless of gender) or you will/should make new friends.

I can't even begin to describe how immature your friends are.

[Whitedart]

Cleaning up poo/pee/puke ect really isn't hard at all. It seems gross when you think about it, but when you just get in there and do it, it's not bad at all.

Every parent must do this with very young children for at least a year or more per child. Yes, it may seem gross, but it must be done.

[zoolander]

The negative comments come from ignorance.

You will be surrounded by women the rest of your working life and you will be compensated well for your care.
There are several RNs on this list (http://www.fin.gov.on.ca/english/publications/salarydisclosure/2008/hospit08.html) (>100K/y, one made $230K, she probably lives at work, lol)

I'm sure you've heard it in school, RNs are retiring faster than they are entering. You will have no trouble finding a job and specializing where you want.
Do a masters and you will become an administrator, easily bypassing the pay grid because the baby boomers with the plum jobs are retiring everywhere.

[Canuckistani]

when i start hiring for my own practice, I could see a real asset in having male nurses based on professionalism alone (im sure thats gonna come across as sexist in some way)

[1xTiMeR]

You must have immature and ignorant friends then... Come on, you need brains, determination, and sense of personal satisfaction to become a healer/helper. I think it's a very rewarding job. It must take much more than movie criticism or stereotype to rain on YOUR parade...

Plus money is great!!!!!!!!!!

[1xTiMeR]

Cleaning up poo/pee/puke ect really isn't hard at all.

Exactly... What if one had a baby, dog, or worked on a farm? It's a everyday routine by now... Not that dogs or animals puke though... :lol:

Does a nurse have to scrub people's privates, if commanded by the patient.
(i have no prior knowledge of this situations, please don't flame me)

[thechampion116]

if your happy who cares what others say.

the pay is definitely decent when compared to the common paying jobs most people have.

[lunaris]

live your own life.

die your own death.

[BornRuff]

Exactly... What if one had a baby, dog, or worked on a farm? It's a everyday routine by now... Not that dogs or animals puke though... :lol:

Does a nurse have to scrub people's privates, if commanded by the patient.
(i have no prior knowledge of this situations, please don't flame me)

Cleaning someone's privates is a pretty important part of dealing with bodily functions.

Either way, as a nurse you will become very intimate with the human body. You certainly at some point will be required to clean and care for every part of the human body. Cleaning is certainly not the only thing nurses do.

Once people start to recignise how highly trained nurses are, they will get more respect. People seem to think of nurses in the old school sense when they were simply helpers trained in the hospital.

[magic18]

i know what you're talkin about....
i'm in med school and a lot of my colleagues look down on nurses in general...

i personally think that as long as you're happy, you dont need to care about what others think of you...

[Xtreme2001]

I'm a male nurse - here is my input.

It's a great profession with loads of advancements. 12 hour shifts are great - lots of days off inbetween. Your constantly on your feet (I work ER). You hear the odd 'male nurse' comment, but it's rare. Typically comments come from the elderly, which often they love males anyways. I find alot of individuals feel 'safer' with the presence of a male. I can't remember the last time someone had made a comment - if they had, it's their opinion, I could care less.

Pay is decent and there is always ample amounts of O/T if you're willing to work.

Best place to work right now is Alberta. They will be the highest paid nurses in 5 years time, have exceptional benefits, and they strive on education advancements.

As the saying goes, it's what you make of it.

Best of luck with your decision.

[ranjeet2000]

You can live life making other people happy and satisfying their expectations or you can live life making yourself happy.

I know tons of people that went into professions or jobs because their parents wanted them to or because it was prestigious. After a couple of years they got tired of it. You only have one life to live.


I'm now into nursing BScN program after deciding between RN or Med Lab technologist (was accepted to both).

I was inspired by nurses who attended to my dad's well being after he was hospitalized.
I learned that there were so many opportunities available.
You could specialize in many fields (surgery, ICU, emergency room,...).
There's also the job stability which I like.
I can travel and work pretty much anywhere in the world.
I think the pay is pretty decent too.

When I explain to my friends and others that I'm a nursing student studying to become a RN, they look down on me or even make (ex. gaylord fokker) jokes.

As more and more men go into nursing, will people look at male nurses differently... more accepting?

[sleepyguy]

Do your own thing man, who gives a fvck what those 'friends' think. Personally I think you made a great career choice. -sg

[red120]

You only need to convince yourself that your choice is correct, and not "unmanly" in any way.

Then you'll radiate the confidence that all your friends won't dare to say anything.

Anyways, support!

[Bullseye]

Wife is an RN, there are two male nurses on her floor. They are much appreciated by the female nurses, because they are generally sronger, and they get called in to deal with rowdy (delusional or psych issues) patients.

Wife says patients rarely care, but some do have an issue with it, and request a female nurse (generally older female patients).

Your friends are likely young, and just immature, they will grow up and wise up. Nursing is a perfectly acceptable career for men these days in most social circles. In those that aren't, you probably don't want to be around them anyways.

[petergriffin]

Lol.. If you really think that nurses get paid that much, than you're sadly mistaken. I believe it starts out about $50k a year now. After maybe 10+ years of experience a person might have a good enough salary to be able to afford those luxuries.


They start out with 55k. That's the least they can get. The ones with 6 years of service are paid with 70k base (for FT), and the ones with 8 years of experience are paid with 79k base. The current top pay for RNs is slightly over 80k, but if you have extra responsibilities/OT+on calls you can get a lot more. Thus they should be able to finance a new 3 series if they're not overwhelmed with housing mortgage.

[ullyeus]

I've spent almost everyday in the hospital for several hours for the last monthish.

I had zero issues with the male nurses and in fact found them to be generally more helpful and upbeat than the female variety (which of course is a gross generalization).

Also found that since they were usually stronger they had a much easier time lifting or moving people and equipment, seemed like everyone appreciated having them there.

If your friends made fun in anything but jibing humour I assume they are no longer your friends?

[ullyeus]

A friend is into Nursing, and she works over 10 hours a day ($55 per hour) lol.

Your 'friend' is pulling your leg ;)

[angekfire]

I'm going to have to agree with everyone here. Yes, there are generalizations and stereotypes about male nurses, but they aren't fact, they are due to people's misconceptions and ignorance. I think a lot of people think "A man should be a doctor, a woman should be a nurse. If a man is a nurse it means they failed to be a doctor". Obviously, not true, but I think some people believe that. As you've already decided, it is best to do what you want.

A nurse is a very important job. Definitely underappreciated by many. I'd say in the market, male nurses probably are in higher demand than female at this point. As Ullyeus mentioned, males are typically stronger, and thus able to do more of the heavy lifting, which can be very useful in the situations nurses often find themselves in. Plus, equal opportunity and diversity, there are less males in the industry, therefore employers who are for equality will try to find male nurses to balance out their larger amounts of female nurses.

Male or female, I have a lot of respect for nurses. They do a lot of work many people wouldn't want to, and it is a hard job, but it is a job that must be done. And for that, I respect the people who can do it, regardless of gender.

[petergriffin]

Nurses are paid above average salaries, but the average in canada is surprisingly low, around 42k a year. Experienced nurses can pull in around 80k a year pretty easily, with great benefits. There is no limit to how much a Nurse can work in private sector opportunities or healthcare administration roles though.

Average 42k is not low. If you compare this to Australia & New Zealand, you'll be surprised at how "rich" we are (CA median family income is 1/3 more than that of OZ & NZ, if the PPP factor is considered then we make even more). Compare to the States, we only make a little bit less (about the same without considering PPP).

[steevee]

There is certainly a stigma associated with males being nurses, which is evident from the gay jokes that immature people tend to put forth. However, you should go after something that you want. The inspiration alone is enough to motivate you to chase after nursing as a career. Throw in the benefits that you've already mentioned, I think you've found your dream job. Not many people can say that.

[Huge Westinghouse]

Next time someone makes fun of you for being a male nurse, ask them how much they make, laugh your ass off at them, flash some of your cash in his face+bring up the fact that you're one of the most highly demanded professionals in North America. Then leave.

[angekfire]

Average 42k is not low. If you compare this to Australia & New Zealand, you'll be surprised at how "rich" we are (CA median family income is 1/3 more than that of OZ & NZ, if the PPP factor is considered then we make even more). Compare to the States, we only make a little bit less (about the same without considering PPP).

United states make a bit more than us, but cost of living is significantly lower as well, and they aren't taxed nearly as much as we are.


Next time someone makes fun of you for being a male nurse, ask them how much they make, laugh your ass off at them, flash some of your cash in his face+bring up the fact that you're one of the most highly demanded professionals in North America. Then leave.

That is completely unnecessary, and will just make him look like more of a douche than the person making fun of him in the first place. Plus, if they DO make more than him, BACKFIRE'D!

[beetfarm]

Not to beat a dead horse, but who cares what other people think? As long as you love what you do, pay no mind to the stupid comments because there are jack asses on every corner, you just have to ignore them.

[broc]

I'm a male RN, for 5 years now. Work on a surgical floor (post-op).. there's pros and cons to being a nurse. I made a list somewhere else.. I can find it again if you want.

[broc]

Here's something I posted last summer:

I've been an RN for 5 years now. Yes, I am male.

It has it's ups and downs. I currently work on a surgical unit, my fiance is also an RN and she works ICU and ER.

Pros for nursing:

- no day is the same
- many different specializations to work in (gyne, obstetrics, clinics, health units, surgery, medicine, psych, OR, just a few off the top of my head)
- a job you have to think at. Lots of critical thinking involved and decisions you have to make. So, you're not doing some brainless factory line job, bored to death all day.
- pay is okay (though still not enough)
- HOOP is a great pension plan
- get to bond with patients/family during tough times
- many days you feel like you've made a real difference for people
- usually lots of opportunity for overtime if you make yourself available
- get to use/develop many skills, always evolving healthcare areas

CONS with nursing:

- most places are 12 hrs shiftwork, so be prepared to work a lot of 1900-0700hrs shifts
- be prepared to work half your Christmas', New Years, Thanksgiving, etc for the rest of your career
- be prepared to kiss half of your weekends away the rest of your career
as well

- HEAVY WORKLOAD. working shorthanded is more and more prevalent. some places it is a daily occurence
- physically demanding job
- you often care for people isolated with infectious diseases (C. difficile, MRSA, VRE, etc)
- the threat of litigation from unhappy/unrealistic families (somewhat rare though)
- staffing is going to get WORSE with time, not better
- some patients treat you like a servant
- be prepared to be declined most vacation days you put in for during summer months. In my hospital, fulltimers with 30 years seniority got 1 week during prime summer months
- many areas are high stress environments
- you get to see people in your community from all walks of life. Can be good or bad. From normal folk, to the homeless, to the drug addicts, mentally ill, alcoholics, and lots of people with abusive personalities
- risk of physical violence against nurses is very real
- when there are meetings/courses/seminars for nurses, they usually want you to come in for them on your day off. some won't want to pay you for them either.
- difficult to find daycare when you leave for work at 0615 and return at 7:30pm or later

[thelaw604]

The above reply is why I have so much respect for nurses. I definitely cannot deal with the things you have to deal with.

[kkvvpp]

The above reply is why I have so much respect for nurses. I definitely cannot deal with the things you have to deal with.

^^

I always wondered if I should have gone on to do more noble =/

[gflux]

As a 40 year old who just spent time in the hospital I can say I don't care if the nurses were male or female - I just wanted to feel better. One of my best friends is a nurse after years of not quite finding the right job - he's pretty happy now.

[miss_swan]

Male nurse working in Federal Corrections = big money.

My cousin is an RN working in Cardiac. They are paying for him to go and specialize in the area as well. My wife is an RN/RPN and we told him to check it out since he wasn't sure what he was going to do after HS.

Needless to say, he's bought a condo, he's 25 years old, has a nice car, and has all the hot female nurses/dates he can handle. Yeah, he was maybe 1 of 3 or 4 males in his program out of 40+ females ... but that's the way it is. More males in psychiatric nursing though.

[petergriffin]

Hey you got to think this way, the male to female ratio in nursing departments is probably like 1:70~100 or something on average! That means a lot more hot chicks (Joey Tribbiani: SLUTTY NURSES!) for you!

[unowned]

I'm now into nursing BScN program after deciding between RN or Med Lab technologist (was accepted to both).

I was inspired by nurses who attended to my dad's well being after he was hospitalized.
I learned that there were so many opportunities available.
You could specialize in many fields (surgery, ICU, emergency room,...).
There's also the job stability which I like.
I can travel and work pretty much anywhere in the world.
I think the pay is pretty decent too.

When I explain to my friends and others that I'm a nursing student studying to become a RN, they look down on me or even make (ex. gaylord fokker) jokes.

As more and more men go into nursing, will people look at male nurses differently... more accepting?

just wave the money in their face (assuming you make more than them).

Seriously though, these stereotypes will persist past the point of when you retire most likely. If these benefits/reasons are good enough for you to deal with the attitude faced towards male nurses (is murse a derogatory term?) then go for it.

One of my friends who was studying to become a paramedic once made fun of another student friend of mine who was studying to become a nurse (male). Paramedic student couldnt make it as a paramedic, nurse student had no trouble finding a job at all. I keep making fun of my paramedic student friend for karma biting him in the ass lol.

[RiCHC3]

My brothers a nurse and he snags all the ladies =/.

Then again, you usually don't want to hook up with nurse girls from my experience...

[Jin]

Many people who work in banks (and even low level accounting) do not even have postsecondary education aside from training courses. Nurses, especially these days, need to have university and many receive extensive training beond that, with so many opportunities to specialize.

Anyone who thinks a banker, who is basically a glorified sales person, who makes 40-55K a year has accomplished more then an RN who makes 75-100K is crazy. Give the banker a CFA or a CA and the story changes fast though.

The only reason that RN's are kind of downplayed is because of the low high-end income. The best RN's usually don't pull in much more then 100K.

[airodus]

A female nurse once told me that male nurses do very well and tend to land the leadership roles. She stated that they don't get involved with female type workplace conflicts and that's why they do well.

Not sure if this is true.

I noticed this as well. I've worked with close to 50 different emergency rooms and a disproportionate amount of male nurses are in a leadership role. Never really thought about it till now, but it's true.

[airodus]

Anyone who thinks a banker, who is basically a glorified sales person, who makes 40-55K a year has accomplished more then an RN who makes 75-100K is crazy. Give the banker a CFA or a CA and the story changes fast though.

The only reason that RN's are kind of downplayed is because of the low high-end income. The best RN's usually don't pull in much more then 100K.

Not sure if this is in Alberta only, but nurses are unionized and make mad money/benefits. But I think you're right about topping out around 100k

[toastt]

i know what you're talkin about....
i'm in med school and a lot of my colleagues look down on nurses in general...

i personally think that as long as you're happy, you dont need to care about what others think of you...

Sorry it's not you, but as a patient and a caregiver of a patient, I have come to realize I have lots of respect for the nurses and despite the doctors. Nurses take care of the patients all days, and the doctors, they usually show up for no more than 5 minutes, with a snobby attitude.
As for the male nurses, they are very handy when the patient is heavy. so male or female, they gain my respect.

[UrbanPoet]

Anyone who thinks a banker, who is basically a glorified sales person, who makes 40-55K a year has accomplished more then an RN who makes 75-100K is crazy. Give the banker a CFA or a CA and the story changes fast though.

The only reason that RN's are kind of downplayed is because of the low high-end income. The best RN's usually don't pull in much more then 100K.

low high end?
It takes most people (even ones in professional fields) a while before they hit that "low high-end income". They usually have to get pretty far ahead in their careers to get to that point.

Where as in nursing its not all that unheard of for a nurse to be making that 'high low end' income within a few years.

[petergriffin]

Anyone who thinks a banker, who is basically a glorified sales person, who makes 40-55K a year has accomplished more then an RN who makes 75-100K is crazy. Give the banker a CFA or a CA and the story changes fast though.

The only reason that RN's are kind of downplayed is because of the low high-end income. The best RN's usually don't pull in much more then 100K.

Healthcare distributes its $$$ evenly. Very few RNs are able to make over 100k in Ontario, but pretty much all of them are able to make 80k (40.5$+) base after 8 years of working. If you include the shift benefits, over times, on calls & such, you'll be looking at 90k on average.

Healthcare jobs provide you with a guaranteed min income, while other industries don't. However there're way more oppurtunities in other industries though.

[tataynik]

Like what other posters said, who cares what other people say or think.
It is a job, a career, a profession. It does not define you as a person.
My wife's bro-in-law is a male nurse, big dude, aikido & kali practitioner, ex-military, great dad, all around nice guy.


Oh, and this is Phillipe Nover, Filipino UFC fighter, MALE NURSE
http://mmafrenzy.com/files/2008/12/phillipe-nover.jpg

[miss_swan]

i know what you're talkin about....
i'm in med school and a lot of my colleagues look down on nurses in general...

i personally think that as long as you're happy, you dont need to care about what others think of you...

(forgive me, i'm going to vent here)

This is part of the problem, in general. I liked your post but the former part has me seeing red.

Bad attitudes, infected by ingrained, heirarchical and historical arrogance rubber-stamped in medical school.

Colleagues? You're a student! You're still in med school. They are your fellow students. You haven't even worked on a unit yet making dollar one and your fellow "colleagues" are already "looking down on people".

Nice. That's great.

The problem is that there's a dichotomy going on in this world ... it's true that I would prefer an arrogant doctor, to some degree, than a doctor lacking confidence. I'd rather have a doctor who is arrogant in that they know what they are doing and have no problem expressing it ... rather than a doctor who doesn't have a clue and is shaky.

There are some good doctors and some bad doctors ... same with nursing in general. But it's distressing the way you describe the prevailing attitudes you experience in school serving as a precursor to attitudes potentially being expressed in the workplace ... when teamwork is extremely important.

I hope you become one of the "good" doctors who work with a team rather than exclusive to it. I've seen a GP rewrite a methadone order and increased it (!) just because a client complained of not being able to sleep through the night.

If that's not messed up thinking I don't know what is.

(hint for those who don't know)

- methadone is typically dosed in the AM (morning!)
- not for sedation
- supposed to titrate it down, not up. Drug addicts will tell you anything to get more from you.

[adamtheman]

My brothers a nurse and he snags all the ladies =/.

Then again, you usually don't want to hook up with nurse girls from my experience...

Yeah lots of psycho female nurses out there... I think it's the "all female environment"... work environments with 80% or higher female ratio are horrible...

[warnabrotha]

i know 3 male nurses. 2 are gay.

therefore there is a 66% chance you may be gay.

[tcharged]

I'm going to grad from McMaster next year, but I was thinking of totally just getting into nursing. What type of marks do I need, and how do I apply to get into nursing??

[UrbanPoet]

Like what other posters said, who cares what other people say or think.
It is a job, a career, a profession. It does not define you as a person.
My wife's bro-in-law is a male nurse, big dude, aikido & kali practitioner, ex-military, great dad, all around nice guy.


Oh, and this is Phillipe Nover, Filipino UFC fighter, MALE NURSE
http://mmafrenzy.com/files/2008/12/phillipe-nover.jpg

maybe he wouldnt have a 5-1- record if he wasn't a nurse! j/k

To OP, you can laugh your way home when you make more money then your friends. :D