# 'Male Nurses' In Other Countries? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 15, 2020, 5:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/male-nurses-in-other-countries/849521 "2020-03-15T05:30:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Aji\_de\_Gallina](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aji_de_gallina/32/260_2.png) [@Aji\_de\_Gallina](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aji_de_Gallina)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2020, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/male-nurses-in-other-countries/849521/41 "2020-03-16T18:47:10Z")
> [@Nava](#): > > In Spain there have always been _enfermeras_ and _enfermeros_. Yes, always since we started speaking Spanish: the Brother Nurse in all-male schools and monasteries has traditionally been, you know, a _Brother_. > > Nurses’ offices in my local healthcare center used to be labelled ENFERMERA. At one point, my mother’s doctor was assigned a nurse called Juan Carlos, 6’2" and bearing a full beard. I happened to be there with her on his first day at work. Protocol calls for the nurses to check periodically that the people for the next few appointments are there and take any relevant paperwork. When he came out and asked for the paperwork, one of the older patients exclaimed “oh no, this is wrong! The sign needs to be changed!” There was general agreement: the sing was wrong and must be changed. Signs say ENFERMERÍA now (nursing). I don’t know in Spain, but here in Peru if you say “enfermero” in a regular hospital it sort of means “orderly” or “not medical assistant.” You call the enfermero to restrain a patient or help someone on/off a wheelchair. It is changing, but they are not quite simply gendered equivalents in regular use. Military hospital have actual “enfermeros” who are male nurses in higher numbers. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2020, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/male-nurses-in-other-countries/849521/42 "2020-03-16T18:51:30Z")
> [@Teuton](#): > > Traffic warden? I think that implies broader duties, like directing traffic, than “meter maids” typically undertake. New York City has [Traffic Enforcement Officers.](https://www1.nyc.gov/site/nypd/careers/civilians/traffic-enforcement-agents.page) ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2020, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/male-nurses-in-other-countries/849521/43 "2020-03-16T18:51:30Z")
> [@robardin](#): > > …And… “Bylaw Officer”? Are you joking? I have never heard that term and would have no idea what it meant if I’d seen/heard it used out of the blue (here, I only know it because you told me it was the neutral term for a parking meter enforcer)… Bylaw officers enforce more than just parking. Things like, noise, smoking, pool enclosures, lawn care, fence heights, access and mobility, etc. ---
**Author:** ![doreen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/858c86/32.png) [@doreen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doreen)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2020, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/male-nurses-in-other-countries/849521/44 "2020-03-16T20:09:29Z")
> [@robardin](#): > > ) > > Actually, the colloquial term in NYC for the latter is “Brownie”, because of the brown uniforms they wear to distinguish themselves from police or traffic officers (the uniforms otherwise look very similar). They haven’t worn brown uniforms since somewhere around 1996 - they wear blue now. ---
**Author:** ![md2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/73ab20/32.png) [@md2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/md2000)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2020, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/male-nurses-in-other-countries/849521/45 "2020-03-16T20:47:50Z")
el nurse? le nurse? I recall a discussion with someone who was a professional in local theatre. She pointed out that (and this was 20 years ago) the term was “actor”, except for the Oscars which were stuck in the 1920’s, and words like “actress” like “stewardess” had overtones of sexism and put-down of female work. (She said “actress” sounded like it implied someone who worked their way up on the casting couch) One male nurse I knew said he had to regularly reminders to patients that he was in fact a nurse, not a doctor. OTOH, nowadays more than half the medical school students are female, and have been for over a decade. So, no reason to typecast. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/male-nurses-in-other-countries/849521.md?page=2)