It’s (Not) a Man’s World

Without a doubt, the nursing profession is predominantly female. The profession is this way for a few reasons, but one of the greatest contributing factors is that women were left with little to no options coming out of primary school; the choices were to become a secretary, teacher, nurse, or stay-at-home spouse/homemaker and that’s it. This field is abundantly saturated with women, but times are changing. More and more men are sensing a calling and entering into the field.

Being a male nurse presents it’s own challenges. This might not be true for everyone, but we are often viewed in a positive and negative light: we are seen as higher than our counterparts by patients and but valued less by our coworkers. To be honest, I would see a male nurse as a threat if I were a woman; this field has been founded by women and a male coming into this line of work is yet another example of opportunities being taken from women. I am sorry, but it was not my intention to do this, as I do not intend to push anyone out.

I simply want to be seen as an equal to my coworkers; no one’s gender should influence their career.

There have been many times where I have gone into a patient’s room and the patient asks me for my opinion right after an answer was provided by the nurse who just left. Every time, that first nurse was a woman. It’s honestly disappointing; we have the same amount of training, and some patients feel the need to ask for my opinion over those of my counterparts simply because of gender.

Being a male also presents an obstacle from within the profession itself. There is a stigma around men advancing in the nursing field, especially when they specialize in Women’s Health; being a male should not disqualify me from providing care to women or babies.

In fact, in the October 2018 edition of NWH (Nursing for Women’s Health): Evidence-Based Practice For Women’s Health, Childbearing, & Neonatal Care, they focus on the issue surrounding strategies to overcome gender bias in maternity nursing. The one concept that stuck out to me was that it was not necessarily the patient who refused to be taken care of by a male nurse, but rather the nursing staff who create such hostile working environments for their male coworkers that the male employee quits or cannot gain employment in the maternity unit. I completely understand the stigma that surrounds this profession and that there are few male nurses; even more so in maternity. Women’s health is a sacred ground for female nurses and is protected. Yes, a female nurse (especially one who has experienced the birthing process) can sympathize with the patient as they go through the process of childbirth. But nursing is not supposed to be about sympathizing with the patient; it’s about empathy.

A male and a female nursing student undergo the same training; therefore, they should be able to provide the same level/quality of care to the patient. Even when I was participating in my Women’s Health clinical rotation at the hospital, the assigned nurse would treat me as an oddity: she would tell me to wait outside, enter the patient’s room, ask the patient if they were okay with a male nursing student coming in to learn, and then come back out and tell me that the patient said they did not want me in the room. Yes, it is the patient’s decision to determine who they want to care for them, but the way the nurse went about this was all wrong. The nursing journal touched on this topic too; nurses are supposed to ask if it is okay if a “nursing student” would be able to come in and learn, not indicate whether the student was male or female.

In the medical field, a medical professional is a medical professional; it should not matter what gender they are.

While I was participating in my rotation at this hospital, I inquired about seeking employment upon completion of my schooling; I was informed that a male nurse has not been given a job opportunity in the maternity ward for over 15 years and they do not see that changing anytime soon. Yes, there is validity to requesting certain medical care when it comes to certain cultural or religious customs, but for the most part, patients just want to be taken care of.

As a male nurse, my opinion (from the standpoint of a patient) seems to be valued higher than my female coworkers (outside of Women’s Health), but me being a man seems to devalue me as a nurse in the eyes of my female coworkers.

The journal mentioned above discusses the issue of the “Queen Bee” syndrome. The “Queen Bee'' Syndrome essentially is the concept that women who obtain a position of power will make it impossible for their female coworkers to advance and obtain higher positions. Research has shown that women who become managers or administrators in the nursing profession actually promote male medical professionals over their female coworkers. The article goes into describing how women in administrative roles in the nursing profession actually see other female nurses as a threat; go figure, right?

Hopefully one day nurses won’t be divided according to gender and will instead be seen as a united front.

There is certainly an unofficial hierarchy that exists in the world of nursing. There is the constant misgendering and discrimination of nurses, and it’s perpetuated by both patients and staff.

For instance, I constantly have patients call me “Doc” or ask their nurse if the doctor (referring to me) is going to come and talk to them since they refuse to believe what was just told to them. I have had many patients say that there is no such thing as a male nurse and that this is a woman’s job. There have been instances where female doctors (in white lab coats) have gone in to speak with patients and the patients refer to them as the nurse and me the doctor simply because of our genders.

This is unfortunately true for every profession; men are often valued higher than their female counterparts even if they have the same exact title; it is the result of a toxic society enabled by the overbearing patriarchy that has caused this and continues to add to the stigma. As a male nurse, I am somehow both seen as inferior to my coworkers and superior to them at the same time. I’d like for everyone to just be equal.

Trying to prove to my patients that I am worthy and capable of being a nurse, applying to various nursing positions and educational opportunities without coming off as a male taking over a female-dominated profession, and trying to not seem like a threat to my female coworkers, is a balancing act and is why nursing is my cardio.