[nursebedlam]

Outdated culture blamed for male nurse shortage

Friday, July 16, 2004. 8:08am

A nursing academic has blamed an outdated culture for the huge shortage of men in the nursing profession.

Kim Walker from Sydney's St Vincent's Private Hospital says men make up just 9 per cent of nurses, a figure that has barely changed in a century.

He has told a nursing conference in Alice Springs that authorities have to find new ways to lure men into nursing by providing better career paths and promoting a more positive image of the profession.

"The workplace unfortunately in most Australian health care systems is still pretty sort of 1950s hierarchy," he said.

"We've still got fairly rigid ladders of promotion and opportunity and people find that all a little bit too much hard work, so the actual structure of the health care system I think is a little past its use-by date and probably needs to be renovated."

http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems...7/s1155113.htm

[Destinystar]

Sounds like its time for a change. Like nursing needs to get on the cutting edge and find a way to change its image. If we would only loose the word "nurse" that would be a good start. Seems like males are attracted to similar fields such as paramedic, EMT, radiology, respiratory therapy, physician assistant, etc. and I would attribute this possibly to the fact that the names for these professions do not sound as if they are gender biased. The "nursing" image isnt only a deterent to men but it is holding women down as well.Hmmmm think I will start a pole and see what word we could use in place of "nurse" for our profession.

Originally Posted by nursebedlam

Outdated culture blamed for male nurse shortage

Friday, July 16, 2004. 8:08am

A nursing academic has blamed an outdated culture for the huge shortage of men in the nursing profession.

Kim Walker from Sydney's St Vincent's Private Hospital says men make up just 9 per cent of nurses, a figure that has barely changed in a century.

He has told a nursing conference in Alice Springs that authorities have to find new ways to lure men into nursing by providing better career paths and promoting a more positive image of the profession.

"The workplace unfortunately in most Australian health care systems is still pretty sort of 1950s hierarchy," he said.

"We've still got fairly rigid ladders of promotion and opportunity and people find that all a little bit too much hard work, so the actual structure of the health care system I think is a little past its use-by date and probably needs to be renovated."

http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems...7/s1155113.htm

[oramar]

In the USA the outdated culture is responsible for the shortage of nurses that happen to be female as well.

[jnette]

Originally Posted by oramar

In the USA the outdated culture is responsible for the shortage of nurses that happen to be female as well.

True, ... you nailed it.

[earle58]

Originally Posted by oramar

In the USA the outdated culture is responsible for the shortage of nurses that happen to be female as well.

thank you oramar!!!!!

[resqrider]

First of all I am a male and a nurse.
Why is the term "male nurse" so stereotyped.
Why can't there just be a nursing shortage.It seems that when the term "male nurse" conjures up a man that has an alternative lifestyle or can and might be slightly perverted. The term also conjures up the ideology that "men don't understand the women's health issues and may not know how to treat them. I for one am sick and tired of the stereotyping of us men who have taken up this most honorable and noble profession. Remember the very first nurses were monks in a monastary.

I really don't consider it an outdated culture, I consider it a stereotype gone to far.

[RN4NICU]

Originally Posted by Destinystar

Sounds like its time for a change. Like nursing needs to get on the cutting edge and find a way to change its image. If we would only loose the word "nurse" that would be a good start. Seems like males are attracted to similar fields such as paramedic, EMT, radiology, respiratory therapy, physician assistant, etc. and I would attribute this possibly to the fact that the names for these professions do not sound as if they are gender biased. The "nursing" image isnt only a deterent to men but it is holding women down as well.Hmmmm think I will start a pole and see what word we could use in place of "nurse" for our profession.

I totally agree.

[RN4NICU]

Originally Posted by resqrider

First of all I am a male and a nurse.
Why is the term "male nurse" so stereotyped.
Why can't there just be a nursing shortage.It seems that when the term "male nurse" conjures up a man that has an alternative lifestyle or can and might be slightly perverted. The term also conjures up the ideology that "men don't understand the women's health issues and may not know how to treat them. I for one am sick and tired of the stereotyping of us men who have taken up this most honorable and noble profession. Remember the very first nurses were monks in a monastary.

I really don't consider it an outdated culture, I consider it a stereotype gone to far.

I think it really is an outdated culture.
People think "nurse" and they either think of a doctor's handmaiden, a prostitute in spiked heels and a short white dress (don't forget the cap ) giving a sponge bath, or a woman breastfeeding an infant.
That is why people think it is "girly" and think men have to be "girly" to want to be a nurse.
This will not change until nurses are recognized as college-educated, licensed medical professionals capable of independent thought rather than a bunch of dolts that just follow doctor's orders.

While we are at it...how about renaming "doctors orders"? - we are not in the military. Maybe it will cut down on the "doctor is god and the nurse is his servant" way of thinking.

[resqrider]

You call Nursing an outdated culture, as well as others, however until the likes of Claire Barton and florence Nightingale, most bums were wiped by men and most daily cares were performed by them too. I will admit that many of the female duties were prformed by what we refer to as midwives, however in times of crisis in many areas it was the men who took care of the sick and injured.
Suggesting that it is an outdated culture, is to me the same as saying men can't cry, or don't have compassion to do the Job. and that all men are glory seekers. I choose the Nursing Profession because, I believe that no matter what gender you are, You can make a major difference in a patients recovery. As for the doctors who think there GOD. I have something to say about that. they need to look at the Nurse Practioners who have taken just as many collegiate hours as they have, or the RN or LPN who has probably been in the profession, even before they came out of diapers.

Have a great shift Gang!!!

[resqrider]

Sorry about the spelling in the above reply.