So what’s an ambitious woman to do? Knowing that hospital gender politics still exist is half the battle but there are things you can do to break into the boy’s club:
1) Market yourself: The merit-based system is long gone. Get yourself in the game by boasting about your accomplishments. Find a mentor and start hobnobbing with the bigwigs.
2) Anticipate conflict: Control hazardous waterworks and outbursts by planning ahead and foreseeing confrontations. You’ll remain on guard and armed with a quick response.
3) Ask for it: Men ask for what they think they deserve. Women ask for what is reasonable. Become a force by speaking up and speaking out. The cowardly never climb the corporate ladder.
4) Know when to zip it: Prattling on to fill a silence is the hallmark of insecurity. Be clear and firm with your ideas and let your genius do the rest.
5) Stop making excuses: If your idea falls flat, don’t attempt to rationalize or offer explanations for the misstep. No one cares why you fail, they just want you to fix it. Plus, making excuses opens you up for criticism.
6) Be selfish: Sure, being the hospital “Yes Woman” colors you eager and competent, but you’ll never roll out from under the pile of busy work if you don’t look out for number one. That’s you.
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That is a completely false. Men nurses are often thought of as nothing more than some muscle to help female nurses move and reposition patients. If anyone wants to make more money or secure a higher position on the company ladder, than hard work and dedication is the answer, NOT gender. Especially in a occupation that is dominated with women, it seems like it would be easier to move up.
Tim, I absolutely do agree that we women nurses ask for a lot of help from the male staff. However, to state that men nurses ‘are often thought of as nothing more than some muscle . . . ‘ is really unfair and a little cynical. I appreciate the personalities and professional abilities of ALL my co-workers, be they male or female.
What an interesting discussion. When I was a new nurse, I went on an interview and was told by the hiring manager she liked hiring men…I asked why…she said they approarch the job differntly (which is true)…I asked her to elaborate…she said they are more producitve. I didnt understand so she clarified with the following example. She said unstable patient gets admitted, the women complain about it and the men do the work. At the time I didnt think it was fair but after being a nurse for 15 years I know what she was saying.
I like and respect my coworkers in dependent of their being male or female. Now I work with people who i trade chores with. I do the male Foleys they do my female patients…
What I can tell you without question is that nursing is not advancing as a profession. Nurses are still struggling with the same issues they were 25 or 40 years ago…relationships with doctor, making the BSN the entry level for practice. Most nurses are not members of the ANA…..You get ten nurses togrhter and you cant get a consensus on any one topic…I have researched this for years and this is the one line answer (and I know I am going to get lots of hate as a result) but…It’s because nursing is a profession of women.
one more thought….men are more likely to be in management positions….thats why they tend to have higher profiles than the average female in nursing…
The article starts with a false premise. Men and women whose primary job is in nursing make about the same income from their primary job. You can verify this for yourself using dataferrett at http://dataferrett.census.gov/ Men whose primary job is in nursing work no fewer than 36 hours per week. (I think some do, but not enough to have statistical meaning.) However many women whose primary job is nursing.work as few as 8 hours a week. This may show that men in nursing are actually paid less per hour than are women nurses.