"The Nurse is the Engineer's Best Friend"

I had a friend – an engineer – who always said this. He said that it was a common saying among engineers. Now, I’ve got science degrees, but an engineering degree, too, and I have to admit that in my case it seems to have been true. An awful lot of the women I’ve dated have been nurses, or at least in the Health Care field (gerontology, dental, etc.) Pepper Mill, Brs. Meacham, definitely falls into this category.

Has anyone else heard this, or noticed it?

I’ve heard it too, but always thought of it as a way of saying that when an engineer screws up, it’s usually the ambulance and nurse that’re his/her best friends. :smiley:

Tripler
Maybe that’s just me, though . . .

Don’t look at me.

I’ve only had one girlfriend in my life; our relationship spanned almost 3 years. Currently, I’m a junior engineering student, and she is a sophomore nursing student.

I have a Masters in Mechanical Engineering and have been in the profession for almost 15 years. This is the first time that I have heard that expression and I’ve only known a couple of engineers who have been with nurses. My wife is an accountant.

Haj

'Round here, it seems the nurse is the muscians best friend.

'Round here, it seems the nurse is the musician’s best friend.

Heard that frosh week at university. Basically I think it comes down to 2 degrees predominately filled by a single sex. Mind you now that the entry class in my old schools engineering is about 40% women, maybe not so much any more.

Maybe it’s because the no-nonsense females who would have become engineers had the choice been open to them in the past became nurses instead. Both jobs require a certain technical flair and a just-the-facts attitude towards life, and I can easily see two techies (one engineering, one medical) falling for each other. Maybe after the engineer decided to ground a capacitor with some tender bits of anatomy…

Engineer here. And wudaya know, my wife is an R.N.

A former coworker of my husband was married to a nurse. Among my coworkers, I don’t think any are married to medical personnel. In fact, there are a good many 2-engineer families represented, and in several cases, husband and wife both work at this depot.

This was quite common when Hubby and I were engineering students back in the 70’s. Nursing schools were almost all women, engineering almost all men (I was the sole female engineering student). When dances were held at the nursing schools busses were sent to the engineering school to pick up guys and vice versa.

It seemed that all of our classmates married either nurses or teachers. Except for us.

I’ve dated like three med students (not at once), but I wasn’t actively seeking one. They never have any spare time!

The engineers (electrical and software) I know around here tend toward Teachers and Adminstrative Assistants: I know not of any big Engineer-Nurse coupling trend, although back in the mid-80s Manhattan College (‘Home of Leisurely Learning’) and College of Mount St. Vincent would run some combined events (usually on nights I couldn’t make it, dammit), and there would be a significant number of Nursing Students from St. Vincent, and conversely a significant number of engineering students from Manhattan, which may prove something or other.
At the Cooper Union, there were very few Engineer-Art Student match-ups (although Lord knows I tried… :frowning: )

Well, I’m a fireman’s best friend. :wink:
The saying may have more to do with innovation than heart strings. Its said that necessity is the mother of invention. Well, that Mother is a nurse. We often have to invent the means to an end, so we tend to think like engineers.
If we build it they will throw up on it. :slight_smile:

Wife’s a Rad Tech by licencing but I’m only a half-assed engineer anyway.

My best friend is an RN, and shes been with a Mechanical Engineer for 3 years.

My SO is a Software Engineer…I’m a biochemist, actually more of an organic chemist.

Hmmm. This may have validity. Dad is an EE, Mom was in Nurse’s training when they met.

I’m an engineer with two degrees, and my ex long-term “life partner” was a physician. I think perhaps the two professions can appreciate the incredibly hard work, amount of study, long hours, and dedication required to do a good job in the professions. Perhaps that is why there is an attraction on one level.

Many males at my job date (or have married) Admin assistants, perhaps because they’re about the only females that they see on a regular basis. I do, however, know of two engineers who did marry nurses. That by no means has any statistical value, though.

Never heard the expression.

I’m a civil engineer, been outta school prolly 15 years. Seems to me like most of the engineer guys I know married schoolteachers.

My first hubbie was a carpenter, and my second a computer programmer.

My fiancee is a diesel mechanic.

YMMV.