Sexism in Job Hunting for a CNA

[Jadams6]

So I'm just at the beginning of my nursing journey. I mean really beginning in that I'm start off looking for work as a CNA, as I've just gotten my license. I plan on getting my LPN next working my way to DNP eventually, but that's another story.

Anyway... I live in the Seattle area right now, and hopefully this isn't too common, but I've noticed it here: job ads specifying female caregivers only for entire facilities. I understand that if it were for a HHA position then discriminating gender is perfectly valid because of patient rights, but entire facilities to discriminate against men is a bit unfair, no?

I thought this sort of thing was illegal. What is the route of action one can take in these instances? I mean obviously I wouldn't want to work for a facility that didnt want me, but at the same time they have to be punished for their discriminatory practices, no?

Sorry if this comes off a bit "ranty", or has already been discussed. I'm just curious as to what one should do when running into this, as I have the feeling this will be happening quite a bit more than I would like.

[RickyC005]

can you post a link to the female only add or list the source? Sounds like an err in their HR dept.

[caliotter3]

This is the first time I have ever heard of such a thing. Most of the time I have observed that male caregivers are highly valued for their ability to lift heavy patients with less possibility for back injury. I would also like to see job ads with this blatant discrimination.

[Second Life]

I believe I also encountered sexism discrimination when I moved to Milwaukee and spent months trying to land a CNA job. I had a top notch resume, glowing references, a strong work history, 6 months experience as a CBRF CNA and 4.0 GPA taking 200 level pre-clinical courses yet I was ignored left and right by places that had a clear need for CNA's. I kept hearing the same line that "we had a flood of highly qualified candidates that unfortunately edged you out", yet there is no way you could convince me that the majority of my female peers at schools that got hired at these places even came close to comparing to me.

It seems that a lot of these HR managers are turned off by a masculine male, even if he has proven himself before as a CNA, because its inconvenient to schedule him around male-phobic patients/ residents and because there is probably serious doubt that a masculine male has the interpersonal skills to build a rapport with anyone other than love struck women. But keep your head up because the few places that were receptive to me worked real hard to hire me. I now have a CNA job where I have an inside track to working as a Nurse Tech and then an LPN, so that I'll have a strong foundation for my RN. A dedicated male with a fatherly rapport is much more than muscles and a commodity to a good facility.