The Sunday Mail
ACCORDING to the 2017 Global Health Observatory, 70 percent of the global health and social workforce are women compared to 41 percent in all employment to sectors.
Of the 43,5 million health workers, 20,7 million are nurses and midwives. Accordingly, nurses and midwives account for nearly 50 percent of the global health workforce.
More importantly, nursing and midwifery occupations represent a significant share of the female workforce.
In 2017, the Kaiser Family Foundation observed that there were 333 350 male nurses worldwide. And the figure apparently equated to just over nine percent of the cumulative nursing workforce.
Critically, women generally outnumber men in the field of nursing. The phenomenon is partly attributed to the stigma attached to men entering a seemingly woman-dominated profession.
And such negative perceptions potentially deter men from entering the nursing profession.
Though men patently occupy the minority posts in the nursing field, the number of male nurses has increasingly improved over the years.
According to a 2019 US Bureau of Labour Statistics, 12 percent of registered nurses are now men, up from 2,7 percent in 1970.
Today, nursing potentially offers endless growth that may be attractive to men seeking a stable career outlook.
On the face of it, nursing offers an unusual array of professional perks. These include high salary potential, advancement opportunities, flexibility and a wide variety of specialisations.
Of note, flexibility is the most attractive aspect of nursing for men.
Despite being the minority, male nurses considerably earn more money than their female counterparts, according to the US Census Bureau.
Male nurses naturally work more overtime hours than females. And usually take more on-call and high-differential shifts for premium rates.
In the US, male nurses make an average of about $84 000 annually. And their female counterparts take $80 000 yearly.
Essentially, nursing is considerably a rewarding profession. And men have since realised what women have ostensibly known since Florence Nightingale founded nursing in the 19th century.
Nightingale historically established schools that did not mix male and female students. And the tradition persisted extensively in many countries into the 20th century.
As a result, most of the nurses who work in health care settings are commonly females.
Nurse as a word originally came from the Latin word “nutrire”, meaning to suckle.
And the Turkish word for nurse is “hemsire”, which has two meanings such as “sister” and “woman” who renders care to sick people.
Florence Nightingale subjectively considered nursing as a suitable job for women. She unequivocally viewed nursing as an extension of their domestic roles – feminising the nursing profession.
Her image of a nurse being subordinate, nurturing, domestic, humble, self sacrificing and not too educated are totally opposite from those that are attributed to men in society.
According to Streubert, unfortunately, men who enter nursing typically face questions about their masculinity or sexuality.
In patriarchal cultures, the value given to women and her place in society is naturally reflected to the nursing profession.
The perception, in particular, presents problems to the image of nursing as a career (Girard, 2003).
Despite existing stereotypes, more men are joining the profession due to the global critical shortage of nurses and lack of employment.
The World Health Organisation estimates that the world will need an additional nine million nurses and midwives by the year 2030.
Although male nurses contribute significantly in the provision of quality patient care, they are yet to be accepted as nurses.
Sociologists academically described the sex role socialisation as “instrumental” for men and “expressive” for women.
Instrumental socialisation includes the ability to compete aggressively, and wielding power to accomplish tasks.
On the other hand, expressive socialisation includes learning to nurture and being sensitive to the needs of others.
Notwithstanding innate capacity and social constructs, male nurses are professionally socialised. Nursing scientifically offers critical care skills.
Apparently, male nurses are bringing balance to the profession which benefits the generality of patients. This is widely credited to both instrumental and professional socialisation.
In Uganda, researchers observed that male nurses were highly appreciated as expressing unique nursing care.
Nevertheless, it was also noted that they were being misunderstood as practitioners of other disciplines.
And regrettably, they were being maltreated by colleagues of the same profession and other health care workers.
Though many have ignorantly attempted to link nursing to gender roles, the field is purely a science. It is a legitimate scientific discipline rooted in theory, ongoing research and evidence.
Nursing involves the promotion of health, prevention of illness, and care of the ill, disabled as well as dying people.
Advocacy, promotion of a safe environment, research, and participation in shaping health policy are also key nursing roles.
In the meantime, as the coronavirus epidemic is still with us, remember to wash your hands with soap and water, wear a face mask in public, stay at home, and practise social distancing.
Everisto Mapfidze is a registered general nurse who holds a Bsc Honours in Sociology (UZ). For feedback: [email protected]/ Whatsapp 0774042111.
