Every year surveys come out and statistics are collected showing the number of nurses in the nursing profession. Nurseweek magazine compiles such statistics. They reveal that approximately 6 percent of nurses in the United States are men. That low percentage shows how minority they are in the profession. However, even with small numbers and a profession that tends to treat all of its employees as women, male nurses find benefits in working in a female-dominated environment.
attitudes are changing
There was a time when family and friends felt that nurses were “not good enough to be doctors.” After all, they reasoned, why would a man go into such a feminine profession as nursing? The nurses also seemed suspicious of the men and wondered if they were just looking for a wife. However, times have changed, nurses are viewed with a different level of respect. Women are also more empowered and less threatened by the men around them.
Communication is key
Women are generally more communicative than men and have a desire for more consistent and affirming communication. Nurses often report that they learn much more from female instructors than from men because they are willing to speak and teach more openly. Communication also helps men feel more comfortable in the work environment.
Child care and affirmation
Another positive aspect of a female-dominated environment is the things that hospitals offer to keep the main contingent happy. Men who are fathers can enjoy the fact that many hospitals offer child care and good benefit packages for children. They can also feel good about themselves as women create a positive work environment and tend to assert themselves more openly. Men report an ease in knowing where they are on their floors because they feel that women are more open and assertive about what is going on.
Satisfaction
Of course, the main reason men want to be nurses is the same reason everyone wants the job: the satisfaction of helping people in their healing process. Nursing is a grueling but fulfilling career that many men feel gives them both a sense of identity and a reward for doing something they sorely need. With the nursing shortage at its peak, nurses enjoy financial rewards, corporate benefits, and educational opportunities just like nurses. Nurses are also very pleased to see a patient’s opinion change. Some patients will say that they don’t want a nurse, but after having one, they will really open up to the idea that nursing is a job, not a gender.
In general, nurses have many benefits to come, and as society continues to alter its perception of them, we will see more nurses in the years to come.