Recruiting Men in the Nursing Profession

Recruiting more males into the nursing profession: A Positive, Proactive Position Statement The aging population has caused a crisis in the healthcare profession. The population needs more nurses, that fact is clear even to individuals outside of the field of health. One way to increase recruitment numbers of any profession is to expand the targeted populations that are traditionally attracted to the profession. Traditionally, men have been underrepresented in 20th century nursing, although monks used to perform such functions before the evolution of modern medicine. (Whittock & Leonard, 2003, p.

243) Thus one way to increase the population of nurses is to increase the number of men in the profession. Nursing is a vocation as well as a profession, and it would be tragic if men who felt the 'calling' eschewed entering nursing as a profession because it was perceived as a female-only employment. Also, as nurses often present the human face of the medical profession to patients, and that face should resemble the patient not simply in race or ethnicity, but also of gender.

Consider the psychological as well as physical state of a young boy who was unable to save his sister in a car crash they were both involved in, even after his father said he was in charge of her 'like a little man' -- would not a male nurse be more ideally equipped to deal with the ensuing confusion faced by this young, male child? Substantiation "Effective communication," is key to good nursing and sometimes it is easier to communicate about certain matters to a friendly face of one's own gender, regarding particular personal matters.

(Milligan, 2001, pp.3-5) Engaging in the active recruiting of males to the nursing profession may seem like an exercise in political correctness, or mere confirmation that diversity is good without any reason to make such an assertion. But clearly, there are psychological functions males are well suited to perform, perhaps better suited than females at times, as in the example cited above. Also, physically, in terms of their generally greater strength than their female counterparts, males can be of assistance in moving incapacitated patients or restraining violent patients.

True, there are also some concerns about patient comfort regarding the male physical presence in the patient's hospital room. While most participants in a year 2000 recent study said that it made no difference if a male or female nurse took their temperatures, females expressed a strong preference for being bathed by a female attendant. (Chur-Hansen, 2000, p.195) But male doctors perform female examinations, including examinations related to gynecology and obstetrics.

Also, as men become more comfortable with the general presence of male nurses, they may even prefer having a male nurse in attendance during a colonic or proctologic procedures.

Attitudes towards males as nurses seem to be changing, as two studies conducted in 1984 and 2000, showed men were more tolerant in their attitudes towards nurses of their own gender, although older patients in 1984 whom were apt to say women were better suited to nursing than men because of females' greater thoughtfulness still showed a preference for female nurses, and regarded them as more caring and concerned about intimate matters.

(Chur-Hansen, 2000, p.195) Ironically, there is a long tradition of males in the nursing profession particularly in the United Kingdom, as stated before regarding the history and interrelationship of male monasteries and care for the ill during the middle ages -- but this tradition has not carried over into the modern health care system of England. (Whittock & Leonard 2003, p. 243) In the UK, there have been substantial recruitment drives to raise levels of male awareness regarding the suitability of nursing for persons of all genders.

Yet despite public relations and even legislative drives on the part of the government and private enterprise, the participation of males in the profession hovers at 10.2%. Most speculate this is because of the profession's low pay and also its lack of social prestige. (Whittock & Leonard 2003, p.244) The Unites States has been more successful in recruitment, largely because of the opportunities increasing male managers in the profession, as well as lower level workers.

This highlights yet another improvement increasing male members of the nursing profession could create -- increased prestige for the profession, more power for nurses, and better pay. Increased pay, benefits, and social prominence are all ways to increase the sheer numbers of the profession, but these specific methods would increase the profession's power and ability to weigh in on the direction of health care in the future.

Although it is discomforting to note that the male entry into a largely female profession might increase its power and prestige, it might give nursing important public and financial leverage, much needed by the profession. Some of the problems discussed in the UK study are pervasive to a lesser degree even in the United States, from.