#MurseLife: Stories of Men in Scrubs

As a guy in scrubs, it's easy to feel like it's a women's world out there. Whether your female co-workers ask you to kill spiders, or your patients call you doctor, or your family just doesn't understand, the struggles of male nurses and other medical professionals abound.


So, yes, it's tough, and that’s exactly why only the bravest and most daring of men—like you—choose these careers as their own.


As advocates for male medical professionals, we know first-hand how many tales about #MurseLife are waiting eagerly to be told. Whether it’s about how you used humor to make your patient’s stay less traumatic, a connection you formed with a patient, or the reaction when an elderly man found out he was having a male nurse, there are countless tales that deserve to be shared with the people who will enjoy hearing about them most.


Now, you can finally share these stories with the people who know just what it’s like to be a guy in scrubs on #MurseLife: Stories of Men in Scrubs!


#MurseLife, launched by Murse World, is the only platform created exclusively for sharing relatable stories of men in scrubs. Join the conversation by sharing your story today!



Your Stories

Ben Stevenson, RN

 

I have been a welder for most of my working life, working in heavy equipment repair and then moving into heavy manufacturing. Several years ago, my father fell almost 20 feet from an extension ladder while we were working together. His head was flayed and he was not breathing. After some basic first aid I learned from the Marine Corps and a Holy Ghost moment to get my father breathing again, I got a phone and called 911.

Meeting the paramedics and seeing how they took a dire situation and brought calm and hope was life changing. The care he received in the hospital was excellent. When the opportunities arose such that a career change was possible, I jumped at the chance to give back by becoming an EMT, and then a Registered Nurse.

Coming through the ranks of a female dominated profession, I have come to see that, as a male nurse, I bring a perspective that is quite different from my female counterparts. It seems that many have come to the profession out of the maternal instinct, to nurture, and to control. As a male, I come from the perspective of fixer, of training, of returning to work, and being a good friend; there is no drama and there are no games. Additionally, my heavy manufacturing background has helped me to simplify complicated health related concepts so that anyone I serve can understand them.

The thing I believe I love most about being a male nurse is the reception I get from patients who are facing tough situations. My deep voice, my beard, my calm and non-judgmental presentation, all come together to deliver a breath of fresh air in a time when it seems everyone must be mothered and micro-managed and controlled—from education, to government, to healthcare. As a male nurse, I will give my best to give you your life back, however much you have left. I don't judge. I will shoot you straight and give you the facts as simply or complicated as you need them. And then I will give you the freedom to make your decisions as you see fit. I won't mother you. I will be your brother, your good friend, your strong angel. I will be your nurse.

 

Nicholas Germinario

 

As a male nurse, I add a great balance to the unit’s morale. When the estrogen levels are high, I enter with a calm and fun attitude. Not only am I frequently helping to boost patients (because they “need someone strong”), but I also boost positivity!!

 

Jason Quinn, RDH

 

Well let me start by saying that I’m not a nurse - I’m a dental hygienist! Male hygienists (that aren’t currently in school) account for about 2.8% of all RDH’s in the USA! That’s a very small percent but it’s growing every year!!

The thing I love most about being a hygienist is getting to know my patients - creating a genuine connection with them and helping them get to optimal oral health (which is especially important since the bacteria everyone carries in their mouth can effect your overall health in very major ways)!

My favorite patients are the ones who are nervous or anxious anytime they go to a dental office because I know that after I clean their teeth a time or two they actual start to look forward to getting their teeth cleaned and to seeing me!

 

Anthony Perrin

 

I love that as a male nurse a lot of patients assume you’re their doctor.

 

Kyle Cass, CNA

 

What I love about being a male nurse aide is how differently some of my residents respond to me. At the facility I work in, many of the residents prefer a male nurse or nurse aide for more personal matters.Sometimes my fellow coworkers even seek me out to help with residents who will not respond well to female nurses/nurse aides.

Not only does this give me a special ability in my job, but it makes me a valuable asset to our team of healthcare providers and shows how important diversity can be in healthcare.

This is especially true since each patient or resident responds very differently different personalities and approaches. This is one aspect of being a male nurse aide which makes allows me to really enjoy my job.

 

Craig Lanzillotti

 

I'm a critical care nurse. I started my professional career as a chef and nutritionist, and I never thought in a million years I would ever be a nurse. I have to say I love being a murse.

I get to geek out at work every day.

I get to help people out of some of the darkest times of their lives.

I get to save people’s lives; and help them make the transition to their next one (whatever that may be).

There are ups and downs every day and I get to work with some of the most caring, intelligent, trusted, and dedicated people on earth. I’m not just a nurse. I’m a murse!

 

Ross Blair, RN

 

I have been a nurse for 3.5 years. That may not sound like a long time, but I have been working in several different departments, including Med-Surg, Orthopedic, Oncology, Emergency Department, and ICU/CCU. I have also worked in three different hospitals; Saint Thomas for two years, Maury Regional Medical Center, and Southern Tennessee Regional Medical Center in Lawrenceburg (formerly known as Crockett Hospital).

In my time as a nurse, I have learned that being a male nurse has its perks and its fallbacks. Most of the time, other than having a patient, my job load is helping with lift help, or helping security in the ED wrestle an unruly patient to the floor or back into the bed. Most of those things are the stereotypical jobs of a male nurse, or at least that’s what I thought starting out.

Now that I have gotten more experience, I am called upon by my peers, male and female, to help with other tasks, such as a second opinion with a patient’s condition, helping with bedside surgical procedures, and starting IV's on a difficult stick patient.

I currently work ICU on the weekends and ED during the week PRN. The other night in the ED, I was called to the floor to start an IV on a pediatric patient with pneumonia that needed her antibiotics. I was called because the house supervisor was busy with another emergency in the hospital. I got the IV first try (thank goodness). There is a certain satisfaction you get (at least I do) when you start an IV first try, especially on a kid. Moments like that makes me realize that this is why I became a nurse, to help patients. I also felt like my talents as a male nurse were appreciated. Sure, this job makes me question my career choice every once in a while, but there is always a moment or two that remind me why I chose this life.

 

A Adams

 

Okay, nursing is historically a women’s profession, but Flo & her 21st century colleagues are now sharing duties with Murses. From offering muscular benefits to our pound-generous patients, to adding flavor to lighten the estrogen-laced conversations during midnight chart charts, men offer the right ingredients when it comes impacting the nursing profession.

 

Murse Devin

 

I want to start off by saying that I work in the pediatric ICU for a children’s hospital. In this field, you really have to have that special ability to go from adult talk to baby toddler talk quick, fast, and in a hurry.

That, however, is not taught in nursing school, so I had to pick that up along the way. I learned it from many different patients, and from watching Paw Patrol and other shows loads of times.

What I love about being a male nurse is that when we have kids that come in with no family, or maybe abuse cases, I get to be the older brother, the father figure, the cool uncle, a male figure of authority that these kids can trust and even open up to, in a way that they couldn’t do with just anyone.

That feeling of connecting with these kids, whether it be them telling me about their brothers’ weird laugh, or how their auntie makes them wear bow ties to church, or just coming up with a cool handshake to help distract them during procedures; those small moments are what makes my job the best job ever, the reason why I love what I do! There are plenty of bad days where the emotional stress is high, because the kids are so critical or sick, but those small moments keep me going and keep me loving what I am doing!

 

Kenneth Dunkle

 

I am halfway through nursing school, and I work as a tech in an emergency department. Our hospital serves many small farming communities, and many of the guests and patients have very little experience with acute care settings. My favorite part of being a male healthcare worker is taking away someone's fear. Fear brings a certain kind of darkness with it, and we have the honor of being the light to alleviate those fears, and to truly care for someone. Explaining a process or a procedure, answering questions, telling an old farmer his wife of fifty years is going to be okay; these are the noblest of our calling. My beard has been stroked by many older ladies who are appreciative of the time spent in compassion.

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