Why so few men choose nursing as their profesion Research Paper

Why so few men choose nursing as their profesion - Research Paper Example This paper evaluates the reasons why men join nursing profession, analyzes the challenges they face and allays the misconceptions about male nurses, to show that men equally qualify as effective nurses. Introduction The professional roots of nursing could be traced back to the 20th Century when Florence Nightingale came up with professional schools for nursing (O’Lynn & Tranbarger, 2007). This professionalization of nursing by Nightingale that saw nursing rise in status as a women’s respectable profession saw men being marginalized in the profession. This has caused a minimization of the role of men and their history in nursing in spite of documented evidence of men in nursing dating back to as far as 250 BC (Wolfenden, 2011). This marginalization has since become a systemic issue and has become endemic to the nursing profession and education. However, it should be acknowledged that men equally provide care as women in nursing professions and the contrary stereotypes, m yths and beliefs propagated over years are misconceived. Previously, nursing was seen as a respectable profession for the women. Even though men were accepted into nursing profession, the medical model encouraged women nurses as the ideal position. This pushed men away from nursing into medicine, considered as a more socially acceptable profession for men (O’Lynn & Tranbarger, 2007). Whereas this approach is no longer being practiced, the nursing profession remains largely female dominated. Moore and Dienemann (2013) observe that the 2008 US Census identified only 5.5% as male nurses from the total nursing population. This replicates in many other parts of the world. The current trends in nursing indicate a shift from overtly denying men entry into nursing to a covert approach where men are denied nursing positions deemed unsuitable for them in declining their matriculation into nursing classes (Wolfenden, 2011). Men join nursing as a career just like any other careers and do not consider the profession to be less masculine. The reason for men joining nursing profession as observed by Moore and Dienemann (2013) is purely the motivation to help others, the principle guide in nursing. Intrinsic motivation could arise from previous work experience of such men. A research study by Tworney and Meadus (2008) in a Canadian province indicates that men join nursing profession as a normal career like any other, for salary and job security. These extrinsic motivators resemble those that inspire people to enter into other professions. With the instability in economies, geographic mobility, financial security and career needs, men have found nursing as a career like any other that could provide the much needed solution. Various studies have shown the satisfaction of male nurses with their profession (Kouta & Kaite, 2011; Moore & Dienemann, 2013; Wolfenden, 2011), some further citing the subjects encouraging other men to join the profession (Tworney & Meadus, 2008). Thus, nursing is a profession where men could fit in just as any other profession. On the other hand, one of the reasons why few men exist in the nursing profession has been the stereotypes in the nursing profession. Wilson (2009) observes that the public perceives nursing as a sex-role occupation that remains exclusive to females, a perception that remains deeply entrenched in the society due to the traditional image of a nurse as being white and female. This has been propagated by the mass media which reinforces nursing images solely on female attributes. This influences the perceptions of the society and feeds the bias cycle limiting the role of men in the profession of nursing. Furthermore, nursing