Most healthcare fields today are dominated by men, aside from one field, which is one of the largest fields in the medical world. And that one field is the nursing industry.
Nursing seems to have been a primarily female occupation but recently, the field is undergoing some changes. Over the last few years, an increasing amount of men are becoming registered RN’s.
Nursing is slowly becoming known as an excellent career choice for men, since, generally, the pay is high, and the job is a fulfilling one. But there is a stigma which cannot be denied. The stigma is that “Only girls make good nurses.” Actually, nursing began as a male profession, and some of the best nurses are men.
The first nursing school recorded in the annals of history, which opened in India in 250 BC, was for men only.
The question is, is there anything being done to promote the male nurse today and to help get rid of the stigma that so badly hurts this industry?
Paul Priceman, a passionate murse advocate who works for the only men’s scrubs store in the US, and promotes the idea of being a male nurse and to be there for them.
He’s created a platform called Murse Life, where men in nursing share their stories. He also puts together a biweekly email in which a different nurse is featured.
“The purpose of this effort is to keep our men in nursing aware of their worth, to show the rest of the world how important men in nursing truly are, and to create a place for men in nursing to feel comfortable and rightfully proud of their position,” said Priceman.
You can fight the stigma by supporting male nurses, requesting one when you’re at the hospital, or by becoming a male nurse yourself. It’s a well-paying, fulfilling profession.
