Order 781320: Exploratory Essay, males in nursing

Would an increased proportion of male nurses benefit the profession?

Christian Duffin canvasses opinion on how best to strike a gender balance in the nursing workforce

such as sexual health or their bodies, with a woman.

'Boys would rather talk to someone like themselves.'

Men were allowed to ¡oin the same nursing register as women 60 years ago. According to the Nursing and Midwifery Council, the proportion ofmen on the register over the past ten years has remained fairly static at around 10 percent.

This is in contrast to the medical profession. According to figures for 2009 published by the General Medical Council, 41 per cent of doctors are women, up from 33 per cent ten years ago.

A major survey of almost 2,000 nurse specialists this year showed that there were huge variations in bow men are represented in nursing across different disciplines. The survey, carried out by

In the comedy ñ\m Meet the Parents, the character played by Ben Stiller faces the nervy prospect of being introduced to his girlfriend's mum and dad. When he tells them he works at a hospital they assume he is a doctor. Their faces drop when he reveals he is actually a nurse.

The film sums up perceptions among some sections of society that men must have a crisis of mascuJinity if they ¿ire drawn

to a profession based on n iirturing and caring.

The union Unite, which represents community practitioners and health visitors, wants to challenge this notion and highlight the issue ofmen in nursing.

Last week, it submitted evidence to the prime minister's

Commission on the Future of Nursing and Midwifery drawing attention to the under-representad on ofmen in the profession. The union hopes the commission will suggest that theimageof men in nursing needs a boost when it reports its findings to the prime minister early next year.

Representative

Unite professional officer Obi Amadi says that healthcare staff should reflect the patient population they care for. She points out that there are only around 15 male school nurses in England.

'Boys may need a male nurse to confide in,' says Ms Amadi. 'They might not want to talk aboutcertain issues.

12 September 2 :: vol 23 no 52 :: 2009

NURSING STANDARD

Works Cited

Duffin, Christian. "Would an Increased Proportion of Male Nurses Benefit the Profession?." Nursing Standard, vol. 23, no. 52, 02 Sept. 2009, pp. 12-13. EBSCOhost, aurarialibrary.idm.oclc.org/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=aph&AN=44540559.