Men in nursing

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Of the 2.1 million registered nurses in the United States, 5.4% of them are male. Men also make up 13% of all new nursing students. ^[1].

1 Historical perspective
2 Increasing numbers
3 Prejudice and discrimination
4 See also
5 External links
6 References

[edit] Historical perspective

Contrary to the perceptions of some, nursing has been a male dominated field for most of human history. When the world's first nursing school was opened in India in 250 B.C., only men were considered "pure" enough to be nurses.^[2].

Nursing was mainly done by males during the Byzantine Empire.

In the Parable of the Good Samaritan, Jesus mentions a male inn keeper being paid to nurse an injured man (Luke 10:35-36).

During plagues that swept through Europe, male nurses were primary caregivers, and in 300 A.D. men in the Parabolani created a hospital and provided nursing care.^[3].

There were numerous other male nurses through out the Middle Ages. St. Benedict started the Benedictine nursing order. The Alexian Brothers, in the 1300s, provided nursing care for the victims of the Black Death. These two organizations are still in existence today.

Military, religious and lay orders of men continued to provide nursing care throughout the Middle Ages. Some of the most famous of these were the Knights Hospitalers, the Teutonic Knights, the Tertiaries, the Order of Saint Lazarus, the Order of the Holy Spirit, and the Hospital Brothers of St. Anthony.

St. John of God and St. Camillus de Lellis were both nurses who are now considered saints. St Camillus invented the symbol of the red cross and created the first ambulance service.

In 1783 James Derham, a slave from New Orleans, earned his freedom by working as a nurse. He went on to become the first black doctor in the United States.^[4].

Walt Whitman (1819-1892), a poet and a writer, volunteered as a hospital nurse in Washington, DC during the Civil War.

Male nurses and nursing schools for men were common in the United States until the early 1900s.

In the early 1900s, female nursing organizations such as the Nurses Associated Alumnae started to discriminate against male nurses. Male nurses were banned from joining the organization until 1930. Traditionally military nurses had been male, but starting in the early 1900s these powerful organizations started to ban male nurses from the military, and this ban remained in effect until the Korean war of 1950's.^[5].

The American Assembly For Men in Nursing was founded in 1971.

Men were banned at studying at some state-supported nursing schools until 1982.^[6].

[edit] Increasing numbers

As many Western nations are facing a shortage of nurses, many governments are actively recruiting more male nurses. Many males are attracted by the high pay, job security, and high status of the profession.

More men are entering nursing as they discover that it is a competitive and challenging career. For example, when the University of Pittsburgh increased its admission requirements for its nursing program, the number of male applicants spiked significantly.^[7]. Many men are also attracted to the profession after learning how important mathematics and science (fields traditionally dominated by males) are in nursing.

Male nurses on average earn more money than female nurses. This is because males are more likely to work in intensive care units, because male nurses generally have more education, and because they are more likely to be supervisors.^[8]

[edit] Prejudice and discrimination

While overt descrimation against male nurses is rare, many male nurses still feel that they are not treated as equals. Some say they need to prove themselves more than their female counterparts, and that promotions are more likely to be given to female nurses.

Many men have struggled being allowed to work in maternity and gynecology sections of hospitals.

Some men feel that their family is unsupportive of their career ambitions, which leads them to suffer more isolation and financial hardship than their female counterparts. Isolation is a major reason why men quit nursing school.

However, in modern times, male nurses in the US Armed Forces and in VA medical facilities are commonplace.

In the actual medical field, male nurses are very respected individuals because of the unique strengths they bring to the medical field. For example, in psych units of hospitals, male nurses are very prevalent as they sometimes are the only ones who can safely work with the patient. They also tend to balance out the normally female dominated work force. Overall, while those outside of the medical profession have a different opinion of male nurses, they are really valued greatly by other medical professionals.

Some men as patients might be modest about the thought of female medical personnel when it comes to being examined or treated in private areas and might feel more comfortable with a male nurse (or doctor) in that respect.