CU Nursing - Commencement Spring 2020 - 4

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C O M M E M O R AT I V E E D I T I O N

To be honest, I saw nurses in
a whole new light. The cardiac
nurse practitioners earned so
much respect from their fellow
workers. They were hands-on
and could do so much."
- Ross Brightman

S
Bias Lives Anywhere
By Dana Brandorff

Ross Brightman
enjoys the
outdoors

Pam: So, uh, Greg. How's your job?
Greg: Um, good, Pam. Thanks for asking.
I recently got transferred to triage.
Dina: Oh, is that better than a nurse?
Pam: No, Mom, triage is a unit of the
E.R. It's where all the top nurses work.
Greg: Well-
Pam: No, they do.
Jack: Not many men in your profession,
though, are there, Greg?
Greg: No, Jack, not traditionally.
Jack: Mm-hmm.

- A classic scene from the hit 2004
movie Meet the Parents.

CU College of Nursing | May Commencement 2020

imilar to Greg Focker from the
hit movie Meet the Parents,
Ross Brightman has faced
bias because of his choice of
a nursing career. But the bias
wasn't from others. It was from
himself.

After graduating with an exercise physiology
degree, Brightman thought, "All I need is a
degree and I can have the best life ever!" He
soon discovered, "No one knew what to do
with me," and realized that he needed more
education. "I could be a cardiac technician or
EKG technician, but without a more advanced
degree and credentials, it was limiting." Years as
an athletic trainer connected him with doctors,
nurses, and orthodontists, who showed him he
could have a better career in medicine.
With a passion for helping people, Brightman
toyed with applying to medical school and PA
school. "To be honest, I was biased. The ageold stigma of men being physicians and women
being nurses was very present in my thinking,
and I still think it's really common."
While at Porter Hospital working as a cardiac
technician, he met several nurse practitioners
who changed his mindset. "They showed me
how amazing the profession could be. I knew I
had found my vocation." He saw nurses working
at full capacity and he loved it. "To be honest,
I saw nurses in a whole new light. The cardiac
nurse practitioners earned so much respect
from their fellow workers. They were hands-on
and could do so much." That's when the lightbulb turned on. "I can make what I want out of
this career."

CU Nursing - Commencement Spring 2020

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