Nursing wants gender-neutral rebranding, say researchers | Information

The research discovered the “inherent” notion of nursing as a lady’s job was one of many largest components deterring males from the profession, whereas the time period “male nurse” was recognized as reinforcing the feminine nurse stereotype.

“This report provides us with key insights as to how we can increase the numbers of males entering the profession”

Heather Whitford

The Men in Nursing investigation was carried out by researchers from 4 Scottish universities and commissioned by NHS Schooling for Scotland – by means of the Scottish Collaboration for the Enhancement of Pre‐Registration Nursing – to discover the causes of under-representation of males in nursing roles.

Views have been collected from nursing college students, college and school nursing lecturers, in addition to secondary faculty profession advisors and steerage lecturers throughout the nation.

Knowledge gathered for the report discovered lower than 10% of scholars enrolled on pre-registration nursing programmes in Scotland have been male ­– a figures that it said had been largely unchanged for the previous 10 years – and that male college students have been much less prone to full their programs than their feminine friends.

The report said: “The findings of the literature have been congruent with the qualitative information evaluation and confirmed that nursing is considered as worthwhile for males, offering a rewarding profession in a caring occupation, monetary safety and alternatives for journey.

“However, nursing is inherently seen as a female profession and this is a powerful deterrent for many,” it famous.

“Nursing is inherently seen as a female profession and this is a powerful deterrent”

Examine report

Researchers decided that optimistic male nursing function fashions, private experiences of care or caring, and encouragement from companions may assist to “overcome this societal view” that nursing was a female-only realm.

The absence of a male presence in promoting or college recruitment materials round nursing was additionally labelled within the report as “not helpful”.

In the meantime, discomfort round male nurses performing extra bodily intimate care duties was highlighted within the research as a potential barrier.

Nonetheless, proof confirmed these gender sterotypes weren't as damaging in psychological well being nuring, which was seen as a ”acceptable profession alternative for males”.

The doc units of a collection of suggestions designed to assist encourage extra males to affix the occupation, which is presently within the midst of a staffing disaster.

Report co-author Dr Heather Whitford, from the College of Dundee’s faculty of nursing and well being sciences, mentioned: “Attracting extra males into nursing is a large problem, however this report offers us with key insights as to how we are able to enhance the numbers of males getting into the occupation.

“By introducing more gender-neutral narratives we can show the potential of nursing as a worthwhile and rewarding career, regardless of gender,” she mentioned.

“I hate the term ‘male nurse’ – it has to go. I am not a male nursing student”

Craig Davidson

Craig Davidson is within the second 12 months of an grownup nursing course at Glasgow Caledonian College.

A member of the Royal Faculty of Nursing College students’ Committee for Scotland and college officer for his college’s nursing division, Mr Davidson is preventing to interrupt down obstacles standing in the best way of males beginning a profession in nursing.

The 33-year-old mentioned the suggestions made within the report would provide a “fantastic start” in redressing the gender imbalance within the occupation.

He added: “I hate the time period ‘male nurse’ – it has to go. I'm not a male nursing scholar; I can't be a male nurse. I additionally assume gendered phrases like sister and matron additionally have to go. In Scotland, we've already led the best way by scrapping these titles.

“Nursing should be a diverse, inclusive, genderless profession. I passionately believe we should represent the communities we serve,” mentioned Mr Davidson.

He added: “I also am pleased to see that the report highlights the need to go into schools, particularly primary schools. It is at this age where these societal opinions are formed, and we have years’ worth of opinions to undo.”

Mr Davidson, who was impressed to enter the occupation by his nurse mom, strengthened findings from the report that low pay in nursing could also be a “disincentive” for some males.

“Scotland, particularly the west of Scotland where I am from, still has a great deal of inherent male pride attached,” he mentioned. “Males both need to or could really feel they must be the breadwinner of the household.

“Nursing is not well paid, there is no real argument there,” he mentioned. “I think if this were addressed more men would consider the profession.”

Encouragingly, Mr Davidson mentioned he had by no means encountered any negativity in direction of his determination to affix nursing, though some sufferers had questioned him on why he wasn’t learning to grow to be a physician.

Researchers from Edinburgh, West of Scotland and Robert Gordon universities additionally labored on the research.