Charlie the male nurse from BBC’s hit show Casualty may have gallantly done his bit to challenge gender stereotypes, but there’s no doubt nursing stubbornly remains a female-dominated field.
Only recently a leading academic said the future of NHS nursing in Scotland will become untenable unless more men join the ranks.
Currently less than 10 per cent of students and applicants to nursing courses are men, prompting Dr Anna Gavine from the University of Dundee to say by having such a low number of men in the nursing profession, the NHS was “essentially losing almost half the talent pool’’.
She added: “I think we need people to see the huge variety in nursing roles that are now available and increase the visibility of male nurses. Men also have characteristics and attributes that can have a real positive impact for patients.’’
To put her words into action, male nurses and staff from Ninewells Hospital and Medical School are out and about in Dundee to talk to men who may not have considered nursing as a profession.
Here at s1jobs we’re doing our bit to support their Men Do Care campaign by reminding everyone why we need more male nurses.
- Nursing requires empathy, resilience and a capacity for caring – and there’s no gender restriction on that. Men are just as caring and compassionate as females but they don’t always get to show it. Nursing offers the opportunity to do exactly that.
- The more male nursing role models there are, the more likely it will become a viable career option for men. The outdated stereotypes will begin to erode as the numbers of men joining the ranks start to rise.
- Don’t forget men have always been nurses. In ancient Rome frontline caregivers known as ‘noscomi’ were often male and in the American Civil War male battlefield nurses outnumbered female ones.
- Nursing offers a vast range of specialisms to suit every kind of personality. There’s paediatrics for those who respond well to children, A&E for those who work well under pressure and nursing anaesthesia for the more technically minded.
- You get to stand out – in a good way. Being the rarity that is the male nurse brings with it a kind of celebrity status on the ward. Think George Clooney in his ER days!
See all the latest Medical vacancies at s1jobs.com