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As the demand for nurses surges and the outdated stigmas against men in the nursing profession begin to disintegrate, more male healthcare workers than ever have joined forces at the frontlines. Despite the progress made, all too often, male registered nurses find themselves caught in a firestorm of negative stereotypes, known to depict aspiring medical professionals—much like themselves—as wannabe doctors who failed to live up to the healthcare sector’s high expectations. Sadly, these snide comments of “You must be in touch with your feminine side” are far from one-time offenses. Male nurses take the heat at every turn, whether it be colleagues or patients launching these misconception missiles in their direction.
After bandaging the wounds left by degrading comments and snickers from the sidelines, up-and-coming male nurses must take a step back and realize that nursing is a profession with many benefits for men who pursue it. These benefits include, but are not limited to, high demand, excellent pay, exceptional advancement potential, and the opportunity to shatter stereotypes limiting men’s potential.
Are you ready to combat these outdated misconceptions and overcome adversity? If so, consider becoming a male nurse. Don’t know where to begin? A critical first step is partnering with Fusion Marketplace, a resource that will empower you to compare pay, benefits packages, and staffing agencies before kickstarting your healthcare career journey. With the right strategy in place, you can join the growing 12% of men in nursing in the U.S.
Once you’ve earned your nursing degree and proudly claimed your title of “male nurse,” shield yourself against an onslaught of unfair stereotypes by studying up on the common misconceptions mentioned below.
Male nurses lack the empathy necessary to succeed
Despite the thousands of women in the workforce that tirelessly chisel away at the glass ceiling above them, many still associate caretaking professions with female gender identities. By contrast, men are often linked with manual labor positions that require minimal empathy and maximum energy.
With men challenging traditional notions of masculinity (i.e., an emotional gruffness, a disregard for consequences, and an emphasis on power/dominance) at warp speed, no longer are the days of nursing gender prerequisites. In the modern workforce, women can sport a hard hat much like a male nurse can slip on muted pastel scrubs and a stethoscope.
While the 20th-century man may have shied away from caretaking positions in the past, the 21st-century male medical professional has embraced traditional facets of femininity (i.e., nurturing dispositions and an affinity for vulnerable populations, such as young children and the elderly) with open arms. As more male-identifying healthcare professionals with muscular builds and stereotypically masculine interests step into nursing roles, we can successfully pry the female gender from the nursing profession. With this opportunity for change in mind, male healthcare professionals should do their part to celebrate their own tenderness and supportiveness along with the nurturing qualities of their fellow male nurses.
Nursing is a female profession
Due to decades’-old stereotypes surrounding women in the workforce, the word “nursing” likely conjures up images of female nurses dressed up in pastel pink scrubs, cradling newborn infants. While it’s true that the majority of registered nurses are women (approximately 90%, according to the U.S Bureau of Labor Statistics), today, the modern nurse is being radically redefined.
One by one, male nurses prove they’re just as capable as their female counterparts by entering the nursing field with heads held high. By simply enrolling in nursing programs nationwide, these aspiring male healthcare professionals can successfully pave the way for a new generation of men in nursing and ensure that the next wave of male medical professionals feels more comfortable operating in a woman-dominated space.
For those anxious to tackle the stigma head-on, consider the benefits of becoming a male nurse. Besides spearheading a movement of male nurses, men in the nursing profession enjoy unparalleled job satisfaction, escape the mundanity of a 9-to-5-exclusive suit and tie, and gain a new perspective by working alongside powerful women in the healthcare field.
Male nurses are simply failed doctors
The all-too-pervasive stereotype that male nurses are aspiring doctors who lagged behind the rest of the pack is incredibly damaging, as it implies that a nurse is not highly skilled or qualified. In reality, the demand for male nurses today far surpasses the need for full-fledged physicians. Not to mention, nurses undergo rigorous training that usually involves a bachelor’s of science in nursing, challenging entrance exams, and intensive nursing programs.
Ultimately, without the help of registered nurses on the frontlines, a doctor’s healing reach would be limited in scope. That said, it’s critical to challenge this stereotype by viewing the relationship between male nurses and doctors as a partnership rather than a hierarchical relationship.
Becoming a male nurse is easy
A common misconception surrounding male nurses is that they chose this line of work simply because it involved less heavy lifting. For example, outsiders looking in may assume that male nurses ventured down this career path due to the less demanding higher education prerequisites. In other cases, spectators may jump to conclusions and believe that a male nurse’s lightened responsibilities, compared to physician’s or doctor’s, is a viable explanation for their career moves.
While seemingly harmless, writing off a male nurse’s job responsibilities as “easy work” diminishes the blood, sweat, and tears men in the healthcare sector devote to their jobs every single day. During a day in the life of a male registered nurse, one can expect to spend long hours on their feet, conducting physical examinations, analyzing a patient’s emotional and physical needs, and performing various health tests such as blood draws. With these physically taxing workdays in mind, correct outsider’s preconceived notions and urge those in your immediate networks to take a closer look at the physical and emotional demands a male nurse is subject to.
Male registered nurses are passed up for jobs
Because their female counterparts outnumber male nurses, a misconception that gender plays a pivotal role in the hiring process runs rampant throughout the healthcare sector. Rest assured, the idea that female nurses are favored over their male competition is simply untrue. Today, gender typically takes a backseat to skills, competencies, and can-do attitudes.
When gender is factored in, male nurses are considered assets to a hospital. For starters, men typically boast greater physical strength, meaning they can transport mobility-restricted patients with ease. Additionally, because male nurses are profiled as task-oriented, hospital leadership often looks favorably upon male candidates.
In conclusion
Despite these widely-circulated misconceptions, male nurses are still invaluable resources for hospitals nationwide. Though male nurse stereotypes can be discouraging to the average nursing student, these myths worth busting deserve to be overcome by male nurses themselves and the community at large.
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