Gender Stereotypes: Men in Nursing - Essay Example

Running Head: Men in nursing Men in Nursing of the of the Men in Nursing Today, women fill many hard labor positionsand complete the job duties with the same, if not more, efficiency as males. On the other hand, men can also fill jobs that were thought of as “woman’s work” in the past. One of the jobs that fall under this stereotype is nursing. People used to think that nursing was only for women but today there are more men seen going into the nursing field as compare to the past. As we are making our way through the beginning of the 21st century, gender should not be a concern for any employer looking to fill a position. (Schermerhorn, 2005) Men, have mostly, been curiously invisible, in the history of nursing. General nursing may be viewed as a feminine role also, because specific job tasks involve washing and close physical contact with the patient. Mental health nursing could be viewed, as being more masculine, and therefore the role of the majority of male nurses, as they sometimes have to deal with physical aggression, so have to be physically stronger and remedy disturbances of the patients mind. As nursing is also perceived, as too poorly a paid profession, It could also be a strong likelihood, of why the majority of men are "put off" from pursuing it as a career, especially as society appears to focus on men as the main family wage earners. To encourage people into non-stereotypical employment or training especially in nursing, the environment needs to be one that welcomes the individual and which is readily accessible. The conditions need to be right for that person to feel valued, in an environment where they may be in the minority. In order to make this happen, the place of work should be neutralized, in this case new nursing practices could be introduced, changing the image of nursing, firstly the job title of nurse could be changed, to one more suitable to both genders, to perhaps "medics" as known in the states. Developing strategy, focused on members of the multidisciplinary team, in the process of questioning their own attitudes, beliefs and values, aimed at implementing cultural and structural changes. The government, could implement new pay scales inviting more applicants, an attractive salary will certainly steer more people towards nursing as a career. (Meldrum, 2000) In new age men seem to resume their historical role as carers and nurses, like women are now resuming their role as physicians. In twentieth century nursing as a predominately female profession is changing again. American Assembly for Men in Nursing is working to support and promote men in American nursing; this is an organization which is open to both the men and women who share their beliefs that nursing is a profession, and not a gender-based profession. However, certain areas in hospitals (such as delivery and labor and nursing units) are still closed in hospitals to most male nurses. (Hudson , 2007) A new documentary hopes to boost the number of men in nursing – who account for less than 10 percent of the nurse workforce in the United States.The 30-minute, DVD-formatted program, “Career Encounters: Men in Nursing,” was produced under the auspices of the American Assembly of Men in Nursing (AAMN) with funding from the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists (AANA), Kaiser Permanente, Johnson & Johnson’s “Campaign for Nursing’s Future,” Nurses Service Organization and Nursing 2006 Foundation. Male nurses from across the United States are featured in the program, including student nurses, nurse educators, RNs practicing in a variety of settings and nurse anesthetics and other advanced practice registered nurses. The men featured in the program, produced by Davis Gray Productions, explain how they chose nursing as a career, what obstacles they have faced in a predominately female profession, how their career paths are unfolding and what they find rewarding about being nurses. (The American nurse, 2007) As many western countries and America is facing shortage of nursing faculty, hospitals and nursing homes are actively encouraging recruitment of more male nurses. Men are attracted by the high pay scale, their job security, and a high status of the profession. More male staff is entering in nursing as they find out that nursing is a challenging and competitive career. For example, when the University of California raised its admission requirements and eligibility for nursing program, the number of male applicants increased significantly. Males are also attracted towards nursing profession after learning that how important science and mathematics (fields that are traditionally dominated by men) are in nursing. According to a survey male nursing staff on average earns more money than females. The reason could be, more males are likely to work in intensive care units, as male nurses are usually more qualified, and also they are more likely to be supervisors in hospitals or nursing homes. (Robinson, 2004) Another reason for males being hesitant in joining nursing is misrepresentation of male nurses in popular media; most of the male nurses complain that they are not fairly represented by the media. In the majority of the programs male nurses are seen as solitary figures, in blue "Scrubs”, caring or sympathetic and not necessarily well built. Although discrimination against male nurses is found to be rare, male nursing staffs in some hospitals still have a feeling that they are not being treated equally. Some of them claim that they need to prove their skills and efforts more than their female counterparts to prove themselves as better staff, and some say that promotions in the hospitals are more likely to be given to female nursing staff. Some males complain that their families are unsupportive of their career ambitions, which cause them to suffer more financial hardship and isolation than their female coworkers. Isolation is one of the major reasons why men quit nursing field. But reality is in medical field, male nursing staffs are usually given more respect because of their unique strength that they bring to this medical field. For example, in psychiatric unit of a hospital, male nurses are really required as they sometimes are only ones who can work safely with patients with challenging behavior. People outside the medical field may have a different opinion for male nurses, but the reality is they are valued greatly by medical professionals. Some male patients, while being examined or treated in their private areas feel more comfortable with a male nursing staff. References Schermerhorn, Jr, J.R., Hunt, J.G., & Osborn, R.N. (2005) Organizational Behavior (9thed). Hoboken, NJ: Wiley. Retrieved from https://ecampus.phoenix.edu/ /content/ eBookLibrary/content/eReader.htm Meldrum, C. (2000), London, Harper Collins, Chapter 19,pp 487 – 488 The American Nurse, March/April 2007, www.NursingWorld.org Robinson, Eileen. "Nursing 2004 salary survey", Findarticles.com Teresa Hudson, Staffing watch. H&HN: Hospitals & Health Networks, 10688838, Feb2007, Vol. 81, Issue 2 Read More