Men in nursing - it's a simple phrase that can bring many emotions to the surface for nurses of both genders. You might feel that we need more men to level out the amount of estrogen on units across the country. Or, you may believe that the pay inequalities between male and female nurses are already enough of an issue that advocating for more men will only compound the discrepancy.
No matter what side of the aisle you land on, it's an argument worth discussing. According to the United States Census Bureau, the proportion of male registered nurses has increased from 2.7% in 1970 to 9.6% in 2013, and for licensed practical and vocational nurses, it has risen from 3.9% to 8.1% during the same time. And, whether you believe we are in the midst of a nursing shortage or not - there remain many nurse vacancies that could be filled by men.
So, what are some of the ways experts advocate using to increase the number of men in nursing? Let's discuss them below.
Starting Conversations Early
High schools help our young people choose professions. They complete personality tests that identify their strongest traits and passions to help determine a career that aligns with the strengths identified. But, are young men and women supported to break down the gender walls to choose the profession that is right for them? Are young men who score high in compassion and helping others encouraged to consider nursing as a career or are they encouraged to find a health and human services field more suited to men?
To increase the number of men in nursing, we must continue to break down gender roles. One strategy is to begin conversations with men from an early age about entering nursing school right out of high school or in early adulthood. Discussing non-traditional nursing roles with men might also be helpful. A few of the areas of nursing that tend to see a higher male population include intensive care, cardiac care, emergency rooms, and flight nursing. If we can attract men to enter nursing at an early age and sustain a long career, we will see diversity within the profession.
Offer Support in College
The first day of nursing school might be when many men receive the first glimpse into the future of their careers - one of being the minority. Whether you are in the U.S. or across the pond, nursing vacancies continue to be an issue, and many feel that attracting more men to nursing is a viable option to fill these vacancies.
So, how do we support men and offer encouragement to enter nursing school? Coventry University in the UK is offering male nursing students a $3,800 stipend for school to encourage men to choose nursing. The Oregon Center for Nursing launched their "Are You Man Enough to be a Nurse" Campaign in 2002 to inspire men to enter the profession. And, many schools around the globe are using their marketing dollars to run social media campaigns to attract young Millennial and Generation Zee's men to nursing programs.
Provide Mentoring
Every nurse needs a mentor. Finding a quality mentor is one of the best professional relationships you will ever have, regardless of your gender.
The University of Texas Arlington Online offers support for mentoring in nursing and states that one role of a mentor is to support minority and male students. Diversifying mentors and future nurses can lessen future health disparities in our society by providing diverse role models. It might also be a good idea for male nurses to find a fellow male nurse as their mentor. Offering strong male role models to new graduates can provide guidance in regards to all aspects of a successful nursing career.
Set Goals
If you want change in any area of life, you must set goals. Advancing Men in Nursing (AAMN) believed this and initiated a campaign to encourage men to enter the nursing profession. Their goal?
The AAMN wants to increase the number of men enrolling into nursing programs by 20% by 2020 - also known as the "20 X 20" initiative. As part of the program, they have created the Best School for Men in Nursing Awards Program. To be eligible for this award, AAMN will review the school's marketing material, strategic plans to increase gender diversity in nursing, course syllabi, and other information highlighting the program's dedication to expanding the diversity in nursing.
On Target?
Are we on the right track by offering stipends to men who want to become nurses? Should we continue to run campaigns and tell young men the benefits of a career in nursing? Or, should we stop and allow whatever happens to our profession happen? Tell us your thoughts about this important subject, we would love to hear them.
Extensive research demonstrates that the gender pay gap exists, but there are many skeptics who still think otherwise.
According to the Institute for Women's Policy and Research (IWPR) and the American University of American Women, U.S. women working full-time earned just $0.80 for every dollar earned by a man in 2016. At this rate of change, women are expected to reach pay equity with men in 2059.
The wage gap widens even more when broken down by race. Black women make $0.63 for every dollar, while Latina women earn $0.54 cents. For women of color, the timeline for pay equity is even longer; the IWPR found that Latina women would have to wait until 2233 and black women until 2124.
I believe the pay gap exists but one has to realize that their are many factors that play into it. For example, women are more likely to stay home with children which puts them at a career disadvantage. Men are more likely to sacrifice family time for their career which puts them at an advantage. Men are more likely to move and take higher risks etc.
It is likely that women are paid less not because of their sex but likely because of career choices.
I have a real life case study right now, I have two colleagues that recently had children and went on leave. The male came back to work after a short period of time and the female is likely to be off a couple more months. There is a position open at this very moment that the male is applying for and is likely to get that the female will not hear about until she gets back. She will eventually be promoted but he is jumping ahead because he put career before family.
I believe the pay gap exists but one has to realize that their are many factors that play into it. For example, women are more likely to stay home with children which puts them at a career disadvantage. Men are more likely to sacrifice family time for their career which puts them at an advantage. Men are more likely to move and take higher risks etc.
It is likely that women are paid less not because of their sex but likely because of career choices.
I have a real life case study right now, I have two colleagues that recently had children and went on leave. The male came back to work after a short period of time and the female is likely to be off a couple more months. There is a position open at this very moment that the male is applying for and is likely to get that the female will not hear about until she gets back. She will eventually be promoted but he is jumping ahead because he put career before family.
"because he put career before family"
Yes, and this is the societal and professional expectation for women, and women are penalized for it. Men are not expected to "sacrifice" their careers, the vast majority don't choose to "sacrifice" their careers (which is a WHOLE other ball o'wax) and women miss out on compensation for all of the work THEY do which allows the men and/or partners to go out and not "sacrifice" their careers...and spend decades trying to "catch up" when re-entering the workforce, which they are rarely ever able to do (catch up, I mean). Men get to have AND eat their cake. Women do not. The simple fact is that for women, having a family is a choice (or at least until this administration has their way). Very little that comes after having made that choice is a actual choice. Rather, it's a necessity. And men and society as a whole need to recognize that and stop pretending that the wage gap doesn't exist or that the wage gap is a reasonable consequence for bearing children and trying to live a fulfilling life outside of being a mother. Career and program opportunities pre-family or as a female are simply not the same as for men. And you can triple that for post-having a family or for other minorities. The wage gap is not some innocuous inevitability. It is a deliberate, systemic practice, and all the "but...women have babies and sacrifice their careers" is a form of gaslighting that every woman and rational, emotionally evolved man should reject.
Perhaps you need to look at the interactive results from the allnurses 2018 Salary Survey in which almost 17,000 nurses (including males) showed that male nurses do indeed make more than female nurses.
Can you add "eye color" to next year's salary survey? I would be interested to see if there is a wage gap between brown eyes and blue. There are so many variables in each person's salary to make a definitive claim of men making more money than women.
What exactly does attracting more male nurses to nursing have to do with a pay gap? Is anybody suggesting that these new nurses will be responsible for the continuance of this practice? I'm a male nurse and nobody has asked me about setting a pay scale for my female counterparts. I certainly don't take any personal ownership of a wage gap and honestly the only paycheck I feel responsible for is my own. Should I turn down my next pay hike and suggest that it be disbursed to my female counterparts? Ain't happening
But I think there's a great need for diversity in nursing. Patients come from all kinds of backgrounds, and the more nurses we have from different backgrounds, the greater the chance pts will understand what we are teaching about. The chance will be greater to connect with different patient populations if nursing were more diverse. That's just my two cents.
So are you saying that nurses can only be effective educating patients from the same ethnic or cultural backgrounds?
So men represent 9% of the entire nursing workforce, which means that most of the people in charge are women, and THEY are paying MEN more money? So why is no one asking why women are paying men more (allegedly)?
I've never worked in a hospital where everybody made different wages with same experience and job description.
You make what you earn. The gender pay gap (or feminists, take your pick) states that I can make more because I'm male, but I say I can make more if I show up, work hard, not complain, be reliable, and be a team player. I've succeded in every work endeavor that I've undertaken, and it wasn't because I'm male; So please don't chalk up my successes to my gender. It's insulting and undermining. I earned everything I've ever gotten, so just stop.
Specializes in Diabetes, Transplant, CCU, Neurology.
I am a male nurse. My wife is also a nurse. My first degree is in Business Administration. She studied Nursing from the onset. She has a BSN. Mine was an ADN. We both went back and got our MS in Nursing. She makes more than I do. She works in a Trauma ICU. Her manager hires quite a few men. Why? They usually can lift more, they are less prone to getting hurt by less than cooperative patients/visitors, and other reasons. I worked at a different hospital. I had also been a Nursing Supervisor (which my wife has not). We were both successful, both having certifications, and both moved to the highest notch on our clinical ladders. Now the hard part: Saying what I believe without insulting people. 1) Most male nurses focus on the important things in nursing care during report. Many of my female counterparts focus too much on little things during report that really have little to do with what is needed to take care of the patient. They go into a frenzy when the patient's sheets are not tucked in properly, or the activity board is not up to date. When I had a male person on the opposite shift, we'd go into the room together, take VS, update the activity board, talk with the patient, then go on to the next room. In 8 years on one unit, I never had a female nurse do this. Even when I tried, they'd say "let the tech to the VS", "why isn't the board updated", etc. 2) Male nurses can generally lift more, turn more. Not all hospitals have turn teams or equipment to lift and turn patients. 3) Most male nurses seem to like to help the other nurses more (my wife would tell you this too).
As far as pay: As I mentioned, my wife makes about $5/hr more than I do. She's been a nurse for almost 35 years now, me about 30. We are nonunion. When we left a state, one of my male nursing coworkers said, "Remember, all things are negotiable. They may tell you you get paid a certain amount for years of experience, etc, but if they want you, they'll find a way to get you more." How true. We went to a hospital that started every one as a Clin 1, with a Step equal to the number of years of experience you had. Each step was a little more money. The Clin 3 (out of 5) were part of each units' decision-making team. We both negotiated to be Clin 3s (it was tough, but it can be done).
Finally, should males be enticed into nursing programs? Personally, I think criteria should be made, and all references of gender, race, age, etc should be removed from the application. Diversity is great, but it shouldn't be obtained by decreasing obstacles for the minorities applying. You run the risk of not letting in a person who is better qualified. Do we really want that in a profession that is there to save and better the lives of seriously sick people? I don't think so. I want the best nurses taking care of me as a patient, whether she's black, white, male or female.
Regarding the pay gap. I once had a very open discussion with a nurse friend of mine. Without going into specifics, I deduced that he made nearly double what I did, granted, he has more experience than I do, so I wasn't equating our two pay rates. I asked him why he thinks men in nursing make more than women and he gave what I thought was an insightful answer. He told me he thinks men over all are more willing to negotiate, whereas women tend to accept the offered rate. I recently accepted a new position and the minute I got the offer letter, I accepted. It was almost an automatic response. I thought back to my conversation with my friend and I think he may be right. It didn't even occur to me to negotiate. It wasn't that I thought I wasn't worth more or anything... I just accepted it.
I'm glad you you touched on this because there is a lot of truth in what you are saying. ASK FOR WHAT YOU WANT! You'll never get it if you don't. Good post
Flatline, BSN, RN
375 Posts
I believe the pay gap exists but one has to realize that their are many factors that play into it. For example, women are more likely to stay home with children which puts them at a career disadvantage. Men are more likely to sacrifice family time for their career which puts them at an advantage. Men are more likely to move and take higher risks etc.
It is likely that women are paid less not because of their sex but likely because of career choices.
I have a real life case study right now, I have two colleagues that recently had children and went on leave. The male came back to work after a short period of time and the female is likely to be off a couple more months. There is a position open at this very moment that the male is applying for and is likely to get that the female will not hear about until she gets back. She will eventually be promoted but he is jumping ahead because he put career before family.