Among twenty leading female-dominated professions, registered nurses (RN’s) are the second most occupation that employed women in 2006¬. Similar to many traditionally female professions, the percentage of male in nursing is small. In fact, male nurses only comprised eight percent of RN’s in 2008. Although much effort has been made to recruit more men into nursing, many contributing factors have driven them away from this profession. Those factors include poor nursing image, negative public perception, low economic status, and gender stereotypes. One of the most significant factors that deter men from entering the profession is stereotypes. Research shows that men might be more likely to encounter stereotypes than discrimination; however, gender discrimination throughout the society still exists, which may discourage them from entering the profession. Gender segregation has separated male nurses into the minority group that faces many obstacles within the profession, in which negative stereotypes are the primary obstacle for men who want to enter the nursing force.
Although women historically have been the majority in the nursing workforce, the earliest record of male nurses known to perform nursing duties was between the fourth and fifth centuries. The first removal of men in nursing noted in the sixteenth century due to the destruction of many monastic institutions . In the mid-nineteenth century, Florence Nightingale initiated the idea of nursing as an exclusively woman’s profession. Nightingale believed only women had the capability to do nursing work because it was natural to them. Her vision caused the complete dissolution of male workforce in nursing . Only until 1955, for the first time, the military allowed men to se...
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The author explores some stereotypes based on what types of jobs are more women’s type of jobs or more manly jobs. Careers such as carpenters and truck drivers are all almost exclusively male jobs, whereas careers in nursing or secretary work are all almost exclusively a woman’s type of work. Since the 1970’s, women have made head way into male dominated jobs. However, the author states that even though women have made it into male dominated jobs, this is not true for the reverse situation. The woman type jobs are still almost exclusively women’s jobs with men making little entry into them.
Louisa Mary Alcott wrote her book, “Hospital Sketches”, based on her experiences spent as a volunteer nurse at the Union Hospital in Georgetown during the American Civil War. Her account is considered a primary source that reveals the culture of nursing of the that time period. Nursing had a different definition by the historical American culture compared to today’s idea and principles of nursing. Women from various societal backgrounds were recruited into the nursing workforce to cure and heal the soldiers at war. Most of these nurses lacked proper medical experience and skills and were fairly unprepared for the unmanageable working conditions. Alcott experienced the crowdedness, poorly ventilated and rationed food as she severed as one of the nurses of her time.
In today’s society the male nursing profession is sometimes portrayed negatively in the media. Male nurses are often viewed as more aggressive, incompetent and working in a predominantly female profession. The media source chosen was a movie called “Meet The Parents” (2000) The film was based on the idea that a male nurse would go and meet his future wife’s family, and upon meeting the family, things took a turn for the worse. reinforced the common male nursing stereotypes portrayed in the media.
There is a shortage of all health care professions throughout the United States. One shortage in particular that society should be very concerned about is the shortage of Registered Nurses. Registered Nurses make up the single largest healthcare profession in the United States. A registered nurse is a vital healthcare professional that has earned a two or four year degree and has the upper-most responsibility in providing direct patient care and staff management in a hospital or other treatment facilities (Registered Nurse (RN) Degree and Career Overview., 2009). This shortage issue is imperative because RN's affect everyone sometime in their lifetime. Nurses serve groups, families and individuals to foster health and prevent disease.
Travis Beck works at Soin in the ICU. When I asked him how did his friends or family react when he told them he wanted to be a registered nurse? Travis responded with “very supported but some friends in high school gave me a hard time but they respect my choice now.” Male nurses are sometimes classified as homosexuals. Male nurses are considered feminine which will discourage males to enter in the nursing field. Male nurses encounter verbal abuse which could limit the amount of care given to the patient
The biggest stereotype about nurses is that they are all women. According to the website Esquire.Com, people believe that men should be doctors, algal field monitors, independent
The nursing shortage most likely does not mean a great deal to people until they are in the care of a nurse. The United States is in a severe nursing shortage with no relief in sight due to many factors compounding the problem and resulting in compromised patient care and nurse burnout. Nursing shortages have been experienced in the past by the United States and have been overcome with team effort. However, the current shortage is proving to be the most complex and great strides are being made to defeat the crisis before it becomes too difficult to change. Researchers anticipate that by 2010, the United States will need almost one million more registered nurses than will be available (Cherry & Jacob, 2005, p. 30).
Current literature continues to reiterate the indicators of a major shortage of registered nurses (RNs) in the United States. The total RN population has been increasing since 1980, which means that we have more RNs in this country than ever before (Nursing Shortage). Even though the RN population is increasing, it is growing at a much slower rate then when compared to the rate of growth of the U.S. population (Nursing Shortage). We are seeing less skilled nurses “at a time of an increasingly aging population with complex care needs and an increasingly complex technological care environment” (Mion). According to recent data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the Department of Health and Human Services, it is estimated that “more than a million new and replacement nurses will be needed over the next decade” (Diagnosis: Critical).
Stereotypes are beliefs that associate a whole group of people with certain traits, as stated in the book. Specifically, gender stereotypes is when there is a generalized view about roles that are considered to be possessed and performed by only men or women. Gender stereotypes can have a harmful impact on women’s achievements in their occupations. Currently, there has been an increase in women dominating work fields in which males were traditionally dominating. However, women still encounter many obstacles when achieving success in these fields because majority view female-dominated jobs such as nursing, teaching, and as secretaries that require more female physical and personality traits. Occupations such as being doctors, lawyers, and business executives are seen as male-dominated jobs and ones that require personality traits of men. It’s due to these stereotypical roles that have been set that both males and females show a bias towards male applicants in occupations of higher-reputation. So when it comes to who will be hired, males are preferred over females due to their masculine qualities, even though they have the same qualifications. In cases where females have been hired for these high positions, women are faced with other obstacles, such as having less authority, recognition, and salary compared to men. A study that was conducted of both male and female managers in 500 corporations showed that women still didn’t make as much money as men did, even though they were both equal when it came to their education, experience in similar fields, and had the same commitment. This relates to the dental health field, because according to the bureau of labor statistics, female dentist make less money compared to men and are seen as being less in charge. According to The Implications of Gender Stereotypes for the Dentist-Patient
There was seldom a mention of male and male students choosing to become nurses. Along with the belief of nursing being a career choice more female-directed, there was also the repeated mention of the career being for middle-class women (Price, 2008). Historically, women have been the dominant face of nursing and it has always been considered a suitable career for women, whereas most careers in the past would never be acceptable for a female. For some of the female students who were interviewed, this stereotype was part of a deferent to choosing nursing. They did not want to be thought of as a stereotypical women, and be casted into a mould of what most women choose (Price, Hall, Angus, & Peter, 2013). In a modern society, more and more women are wishing to push the boundaries on what use to be referred to as a male dominated territory. This is true in careers as well. Many females second guess their decision in choosing nursing due to
Since the 1990’s, the interest in nursing and the profession as a whole has decreased dramatically and is still expected to do so over the next 10-15 years according to some researchers. With this nursing shortage, many factors are affected. Organizations have to face challenges of low staffing, higher costs for resources, recruiting and reserving of registered nurses, among liability issues as well. Some of the main issues arising from this nurse shortage are the impact of quality and continuity of care, organizational costs, the effect it has on nursing staff, and etc. However, this not only affects an organization and community, but affects the nurses the same. Nurses are becoming overwhelmed and are questioning the quality of care that each patient deserves. This shortage is not an issue that is to be taken lightly. The repercussions that are faced by both nurses and the organization are critical. Therefore, state funding should be implemented to private hospitals in order to resolve the shortage of nurses. State funds will therefore, relieve the overwhelming burdens on the staff, provide a safe and stress free environment for the patient, and allow appropriate funds needed to keep the facility and organization operational.
Just 2.7 percent of the working nurse population in the United States are men. To understand why nursing is dominated by women, we have to examine the its history. Male nurses may belong, but there?s still not many around. According to the U.S. Labor Department statistics, "6.7 percent of registered nurses were male"(statistics). Gender discrimination in nursing exists because of prejudices male students encounter in the classroom, in the workplace and with the patients.
When Florence was born nurses weren’t seen as anything more than prostitutes. Due to her war efforts, and overall healing abilities she began to give nursing a face. She was known as the ‘lady of the lamp’ to men and women throughout the war. Male doctors came to her and offered her full compliance if she would assist in aiding their ill. People took note of this and realized that these nurses were crucial in the healing process. All the men who even so much as witnessed the caregiving power of these nurses had to give their respect. Because of Nightingale’s efforts the world began to shift its view on nursing. Nursing became a respected line of duty, and something women could be proud to be a part of. Nightingale is often talked of as one of the first great feminists of the world because of how empowering she was to other female nurses. She gave women chances and a drive to be something other than a maid or a stay at home mother. These were the first positive outlooks on nursing, which lead to nursing becoming something more than just a position in the health
According to Ralph Waldo Emerson, we live in a society of conformity that is, "in conspiracy against the manhood of every one of its members . . . the virtue in most request is conformity. Self-reliance is its aversion" (Emerson, 21). Since Civil War Nursing, women in the work force have been faced with this dilemma of self-reliance and conformity. As women have been discriminated against, and referred to as inferior to men, it has not been an easy task to over come the social barriers, without giving in to conformity, especially when it comes to the work place. As their role in the Civil War, nurses "fulfilled more of a replacement mother position, rather than a healthcare provider"(Hamway, 2001).
Stereotypes of taking up a female position, lack of male interest in the profession, low wage, nursing job nicknames, such as Sister and Matron, and the assumption that male nurses will have a harder time in the workplace carrying out their duties are just a few examples. There is a shortage of male nurses at the moment, but there is no sign that they suffer in their career. Despite equal opportunity legislation, nursing has continued to be a female-dominated profession. For instance, the male-to-female ratio of nurses is approximately 1:19 in Canada and the United States. Evidence suggests that male nurses can be fast