In the United States, nursing has historically been a role that is dominated by females. As time goes on, more and more men have decided to make the decision to go into this career and become a nurse. Even though gender equality is becoming more prevalent throughout the nation, unfortunately, a slight stigma still exists when it comes to men being nurses. In reality, the gender really doesn’t matter in this field of work. As long as you have the right amount of training, qualifications and you are great with people, whether you are male or female should not make your career decision for you. Nursing is an open field and it is said that more men should look into joining this profession. Today we will be exploring some of the reasons why men should take a look and consider going into nursing and making it their official career choice.
Nurses Are in High Demand
As an industry, nursing is continually growing. The long and unusual work hours many nurses have to take on can put many people off this field of work, especially those who have families or other responsibilities that can be hard to fit around the job. With people living longer and medical advancements improving, more nurses are needed to help the growing surviving population. Both the pay and job outlook are promising as a nurse. Men who decide to go into this field of work can rest assured that they are becoming a part of a dynamic profession that is on the upswing. Nursing isn’t a settling career, it is striving. Apart from the growing demand of the nursing job market, nursing has such broad and versatile types of employment and specialties. While some nurses like the stability of the traditional working hours and full-time employment, some find their schedule more at ease working in per diem jobs and thrive to experience different working environments and challenges. Regardless of your specialty and type of employment, a nursing career ensures a wide variety of perks, career prospects, and income opportunities.
Male Nurses Are Nothing New
Due to the rarity of male nurses, many people think that men in nursing has become a new trend. However, men have always been nurses and if you do some research, you will find a rich history of male nurses. For example, in ancient Rome, there were front-line caregivers who were referred to as ‘nosocomi’ and these caregivers were normally male. If you take a look at more recent history, you will find male battlefield nurses who took part in the American Civil War. The male nurses actually outnumbered female nurses. The fact remains that it isn’t unusual for male caregivers, now known and labelled as nurses, to exist and that there is a history rich in information to prove so. Unfortunately, there have been stages where this has been forgotten and that is why male nursing has become so rare. This occurred over the last century through discouragement and in some places, male nursing has actually been banned. Luckily, people are becoming more open-minded and times are starting to change for the better.
Male Patients Appreciate Male Nurses
Patients normally see a nurse when they aren’t in their best state. It is normal for a lot of physical and emotional discomfort to be experienced during this time. All nurses will have to go through and deal with this on a daily basis. Some men may not like showing their vulnerability to a female nurse and may find that the presence of a male caregiver will put them at ease. It isn’t rare for people to feel this way and is something that a lot of people feel in a range of situations we face in life. Having someone of the same sex to help you through a difficult or uncomfortable situation can be a lot more comforting and easier to discuss and deal with. Of course, every nurse, regardless of gender, is allowed to treat whatever patient, but coping with human frailty and our completely natural insecurities is a simple and common fact of life for all kinds of healthcare workers. If there are more male nurses, male patients will be able to have their requests to have a male nurse fulfilled, which can improve their experience and can make some patients feel much better about the situation they find themselves in.
There Are a Number of Specialties
There is a vast field in nursing. When you join this field of work, you will have the choice of pursuing a number of different career paths and job opportunities. There is always going to be something out there for you to choose from and if it isn’t something you end up enjoying, there are many other options available. For example, if you like children, then you can make the decision to go into pediatric nursing. If you are good at working in a high-pressure environment, then you can look at a career in the emergency room. Do you do well when it comes to taking charge? Then you can study a range of online programs in nursing leadership. With so many possibilities in the world of nursing, it’s clear to see why many gaps exist within this field and one thing that they all have in common is a lack in the number of males.
Shattering the Stereotype
We mentioned the stigma that still persists when it comes to males becoming a nurse. If this didn’t exist, then you wouldn’t be reading this today. This stigma isn’t helpful when people are being hired by hospitals or clinics and it doesn’t help them provide us with better healthcare. They only thing that does do this is by keeping the number of talented people in this field of work high by encouraging people to get into this noble and highly respected field. As more men join the profession, the stereotype will begin to wear away and hopefully, the bias will eventually be a thing of the past. If you are a man and you want to be a nurse, then you should just go for it. There are a number of ways to become a nurse, including studying through online programs in nursing leadership. With so many ways to study and so many things to study, becoming a nurse and shattering the stereotype is more than possible, as long as you take the step to do so.
Male nurses aren’t something people should be afraid of seeing. They are just as skilled and knowledgeable as females and there is no reason they shouldn’t exist. Every person is capable of caring, and providing that service to people in need is something that is honored, regardless of gender.
