At a workshop for nurse leaders, I read on Nursingworld Nigeria that a speaker had said, “Nurses are this country’s best kept secret, and we need to wake up.”

This statement Struck my subconscious and then i began to wonder how i had contributed to keeping "US' a secret. and by "us", i want to focus on the MALES in the profession.
Incidentally, the two giant institutions of Nursing in nigeria NANNM (Abdulrafiu Adeniji) and the Nursing Council (Jamaru Mustapha) are headed by male nurses.... yet In the eyes of the public, Male Nurses are unheard off. Fellow Male nurses would attest to how pain-staking it is to explain to people that guys do nursing.
It is even more shocking when i have to explain to fellow colleagues that males like me are also registered Midwives.
But who is to blame? The General consensus is Nurses are predominantly females, so there is already a culture bias on who should be a nurse.
Patients always belief every male health worker is a doctor and every female is a Nurse. But we have by our own inactions sanctioned this belief. Automatically, killing off the idea that male nurses exist.
I believe that the only logical and the moral path to fight this is to ascribe to the profession what belongs to it and the respect it garners by our individual and collective goods when we are mistakenly assumed to be doctors.
Here is how:

- when you provide life saving actions and the patients relatives say "thank you DOCTOR", tell them "I AM A NURSE"

- when you provide aid to an accident victim on the roadside and the people around appreciate your effort and say "God bless you Doctor", politely tell them "I am not a doctor;I AM A NURSE"

- When a police officer at the checkpoint pull you over in your expensive ride and refers to you as a doctor because of the big JEEP and stethoscope hanging on the center mirror, tell him "OFFICER, I AM A NURSE"let him know that we do drive expensive rides.

- When you attempt and successfully resuscitate a cardiac arrest patient in the market square and every one applauds you and discuss how doctors are life savers, do not walk away without clearing the notion that we nurses are life savers, tell them please!i am a NURSE

- When as an occupational health nurse, you go for hospital or/and accommodation inspection; don't leave the vicinity without letting them know that you are representing your organization and that you are doing such in your capacity as aNURSE

- When you are introduced at a public function as "Doctor ..." probably because you have a PHd, and the audience give you a standing ovation at the end of your presentation, please take time to let them know that you are aNURSE
Someone needs to start setting the records straight, because every good deed you perform as a MALE nurse would always be ascribed to the medical profesion since the patient and public see you as a doctor.
All am saying is this, whether you are RN, RM, BNSc or PHd: It high time we begin to make our presence felt in every little way possible, one step at a time. This is one way to redeeming our image, one way we can accord ourselves the respect we derserve and have earned.
Go out today and be a proud nurse, Let the public know who we really are and ALL that we do; a distant contrast to what they see in the movies and read in the media.
I am NOT a Doctor; I am a proud Nurse!

http://www.nursingworldnigeria.com/2014/03/i-am-no-doctor-i-am-a-proud-nurse-by-jude-chiedu&sa=U&ei=TawuU57KHqay0QX7sIEw&ved=0CAgQFjAB&client=internal-uds-cse&usg=AFQjCNG31Kctz5rJzEEMVWXpX8b-LV0J2w

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