The BLS attributes the increase to an emphasis on preventive care, increasing rates of chronic conditions, and the healthcare demand from aging baby boomers. While growth is positive, it comes with risks. As aging Baby Boomers retire, more nurses will leave the field. This has some states concerned of a looming shortage. For Instance, the Florida Center for Nursing FCN estimates 84, working registered nurses may start to phase out of the Florida workforce over the next decade.
Closing the gender gap and recruiting more men to join nursing could help the healthcare system keep up with demand and effectively serve an increasingly diverse and aging population. As history would have it, men were the first nurses.
Men were known to be caregivers as far back as Ancient Rome. They tended to the sick and dying when the plague swept through Alexandria, and they nursed the injured during the Crusades of Europe. The same was true in the United States, where the history of male nurses began on the battlefields of the Civil War. These battlefield nurses served in both the Union and Confederate armies.
Historical evidence even confirms that many male nurses served during the Spanish-American War in , but when the Army Nurse Corps ANC was established in , everything changed. Men were no longer allowed to serve as nurses. A field that was predominantly male was now exclusively female.
It took more than five decades—and many letters to Congress—but by , the Army Nurse Corps commissioned its first male officer. Lieutenant Edward T. This was a turning point for men in military nursing. Unfortunately, the effects did not ripple throughout the profession. For most of the 20th century, male nurses were relatively rare—a trend that continued into the 21st century. Though they do feature females as doctors, most of the male actors are cast as doctors and surgeons rather than nurses.
The Center for Nursing Advocacy stepped in and fought for Coors to change its ad. By the time they did, the damage was done. The message was clearer than the sweet drink advertised: women were nurses and nurses are sexual objects.
Gender roles are hard to ignore. Women have long been regarded as nurturers and natural caregivers, while men are expected to be the breadwinners. A literature review published in the International Journal of Nursing Sciences exposed role stereotyping as it relates to how male nurses provide care to patients.
Gustin sees this in his own hospital. Once that is behind them, there are some compelling motivations for becoming a nurse. Many men value careers with relationship-oriented components, something nursing offers in spades. There is also a highly technical side to nursing, another element of the profession that is often appealing to men. Men who had early exposure to male nurses may also find themselves more motivated to break into this female-dominated field.
Yes, there are barriers, such as gender stereotypes and lack of male role models, but with many individuals, these barriers have become an important reason to tackle them.
The nursing field offers many different patient care environments, some of which may be particularly appealing to men, such as anesthesia, flight, emergency, or trauma nursing. Other nursing specialties in the field that male nurses may want to explore include middle management, nursing education, nurse practitioner, oncology, psychiatry, pediatrics, and administration.
Certain jobs have gender stereotypes attached to them, and nursing has always been one of them. Unfortunately, male nurses have historically had to fight a stereotypical image when compared to other career choices. Department of Commerce, U. There are some errors in the form. Please correct the errors and submit again. By selecting "Submit," I authorize Rasmussen University to contact me by email, phone or text message at the number provided.
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