Frequently patients or family members think I'm a doctor as I walk in the room at the beginning of the shift, or they ask if I'm doing this until I go to medical school. Maybe it's because males are less than 10% of nurses or it could be my boring blue scrubs and demeanor. Face it women nurses tend to wear happy scrubs with lots of colors and patterns. Yes, that is a stereotype and that's my point. As a male nurse we are stereotyped a lot.
Everybody stereotypes or jumps to conclusions about something or someone, its human nature. We do it with individual people, races, cultures, communities and even whole countries, and of course the occupational stereotypes.
Teaching is still a women dominated profession and we keep hearing about the ones getting caught doing a little extra curricular activities with their students.
Is there anybody who doesn't know a lawyer joke or have something positve to say?
Body building and steroid use equals small testicles. Does anybody outside of bodybuilders think this is a profession?
Doctors have that God complex. Personally, I notice this trait more in the Neurosurgeons.
Try not to stereotype a secretary, cop, construction worker, flight attendant, cook, trucker, librarian, farmer or architect. They are all noble professions, but it seems every occupation can bring up some stereotypes so don't go postal on me.
If you are offended or agree then good, because nurses still have the worst stereotype. Look at this ad I found in the Vegas phone book a while back.
For every one person who associates Florence Nightingale with nurses, one hundred think of this stereotype.
