Re: Male Nurse Demand?
Should there be a demand for more male nurses? How about these possible answers to that question.
Yes
Because any workforced that becomes dominated by one gender is not a healthy workforce.
Because a gender diversity in a workforce is a good thing.
Because some male patients would prefer a male nurse, especially for more private procedures -- just as some
female patients prefer female nurses. Right now that doesn't happen a good part of the time.
Because, generally, right now males in nurses are still novelities, they are merely tokens. Just look at the stats
of how many males and females in nursing.
Because when little boys and little girls go to hospitals or clinics or see advertisements about nursing, they're not stupid. They see the gender imbalance. But they don't see it as an imbalance. They see it as how things are and should be. The message to children is still that nurses are women.
Because if we really believe in gender equity than we should really practice gender equity.
Because the subtle, hidden message that comes out of nursing is that women are better suited as nurses. Is that true? If so, let's just say it openly and be done with the debate.
Because to open fields dominated by men, brave, couragous women political and social activists had to fight. It just didn't happen. It took political work, sometimes lawsuits. It took affirmative action and quotas. It took special incentives, including grants and awards to help women. That may be necessary in nursing.
Because we wouldn't accept it today if 95 percent of doctors were men, would we? Why should we accept that 95 percent of nurses are women.
If, as Roy says, our chromosomes don't matter, then let's spread the chromosomes around a little.
Because fair is fair. Women in male dominated work forces have added so much good to society. Males will do the same thing in female dominated workforces like nursing.
These comments are in no way mean to disparage the wonderful female nurses (and male nurse) in the field. But the data is in. Diverse workforces, gender-wise, are a good thing. Single-gender workforces tend to promote single-gender thinking, biases, prejudices, etc. Women and men have their differences. Let the differences work together to produce better solutions to the many problems healthcare is facing today.
Nursing News