Nursing: The Male Perspective
Insights from a twenty-year veteran of the nursing profession
Nursing and Healthcare and the Coalition for Nursing Careers in California, conducted a survey of men in nursing. The results of this breakthrough survey prompted us to delve deeper into this important issue.
To further round out our knowledge on the state of men in nursing, we wanted to speak one-on-one with a man in the nursing profession. We chose Dennis Sherrod, professor and Forsyth Medical Center Endowed Chair of Recruitment & Retention, Winston-Salem State University. Dennis not only has more than 20 years of nursing experience, he has also worked in recruitment and retention for over a decade.
We caught up with Dennis to find out more about his experiences as a nurse and his opinions on the present and future of men in nursing.
Q. What first brought you to nursing?
A. While some men become nurses in a second career, I entered fresh out of high school. I knew health care was my area of interest and upon considering costs and negotiating higher educational programs, I considered nursing.
A friend informed me her brother-in-law was a nurse anesthetist at the local hospital and suggested I talk with him. I called, we talked, and he recommended I enter a local bachelor's in nursing program. I enjoyed the idea of being a male minority in a predominately female profession. The availability of grants and scholarships to nursing students at the time helped finalize my decision.
My nursing career has been rather nontraditional. I've worked in a variety of hospital settings, including the emergency room, critical care, and medical-surgical units. I've worked in the role of infection control nurse and clinical educator. For a few years, I served as an Area Health Education Center nurse, where I provided regional continuing education for health professionals. For 10 years, I directed nurse recruitment and retention programs at the North Carolina Center for Nursing and assisted with statewide nurse workforce planning and policy development. I now teach in the graduate and undergraduate levels, conduct research, and provide recruitment and retention consulting on a national basis.
Q. Can you give us a brief history of men in nursing?
A. Men have served as nurses for centuries. There's an interesting debate as to whether men or women were the first nurses. Some of the earliest examples of men caring for the ill and dying were the Parabolani Brotherhood in the Roman Empire during a plague. In Western Europe during the Crusades, monks cared for individuals suffering from hallucinations, military injuries and other maladies. Up until the 1500s, various orders of monks provided much of the documented nursing care.
In the US, the first male nurses recorded were utilized as medics in the Civil War. It is interesting to note that at the end of World War II, many of the nursing educational programs were established to educate the numbers of women interested in nursing.
Q. What major issues do men face in nursing? Is the United States unique in its small representation of men in nursing?
A. I don't think the small number of men in U.S. nursing is significantly different from other countries. Nursing continues to be viewed by many as women's work. Our cultural views of nurturing and caring are perceived to be maternal rather than paternal.
My nephew was a nursing student and I was informed by one of his instructors that I “should speak with him about being more compassionate--more caring.” I tried to help her understand that many times men demonstrate compassion and caring differently than women.
Recently, a male nurse colleague suggested we rename the nursing profession to something other than nurse. He felt that the term nurse was derived from breastfeeding and didn't adequately describe the contributions he made to health care.
Q. Have you noted changes in the status of men in nursing over the years?
A. I think health care colleagues and clients are more accepting of men in nursing. Sometimes it's the newness of having a male in that role. I remember when I worked in the hospital PRN Pool and was assigned to the OB-GYN unit for the day. As I walked to the desk, the head nurse stated, “We've never had men on this floor. What do you think you're doing here?” I responded, “I'm your help for today if you need it.” At the end of the day, she made a special effort to tell me she appreciated my expertise and to “please come back anytime.”
The stereotypes are changing. I remember a student came to me one day and stated that her patient told her I was in his room and attempted to “hold his hand.” As I recalled, I had taken his hand to evaluate his IV site. I think most people are realizing that both men and women have contributions they can make in nursing.
Q. Have you seen any changes in the numbers of men in nursing over the course of your nursing career?
A. More and more men are considering nursing as a challenging and rewarding career. In the late 70s, when I entered nursing, men made up approximately 3 percent of the nurse workforce. I think the national numbers of men now are around 5.6 percent.
It's not unusual now to see men make up 10-11 percent of nursing programs. At Winston-Salem State University, we offer a Paramedic-to-BSN program, of which approximately 39 percent are men. In our first two accelerated BSN cohorts, 50 percent were men.
The reason we are seeing these changes is that most jobs in the U.S. are becoming gender neutral. Women have moved within the last 10 years into male-dominated careers. The majority of medical students now are women. For the first time in the history of North Carolina, we now have more female pharmacists than male pharmacists. While nursing is moving more slowly, I think our profession is becoming more gender neutral.
Q. Is there an “old boys” network in nursing?
A. I don't know that I would call it an “old boys” network, but the American Assembly for Men in Nursing is a national organization that addresses issues relating to men in nursing. Both women and men may join.
Q. What, in your opinion, are the most critical areas that must be addressed to increase the participation of men in nursing?
A. First, we must inform youth--both girls and boys--that nursing is a challenging and rewarding profession. We need to determine marketing strategies and programs that appeal to men and women. We need to look at developing careers and workplaces that retain both men and women. We must encourage our nurse colleagues to mentor and coach both men and women into the profession of nursing.
Nursing education programs will need to look closely at admission policies, curriculum and clinical assignments to make sure there is no gender bias. At times, it may be as simple as including he/she rather than just she. It may be as complex as identifying individual learning styles and providing content in a method that addresses specific learning needs.
Q. How have the health care field and health care providers represented men in nursing careers via images and advertising?
A. Many times, when an organization is developing images or advertising, they use employees that are available. Many times in nursing, those employees are white females. We must make sure that we include a diverse array of nurse employees. That includes men, people of color, young and old. When considering a profession or job, you must see someone there who you can relate to or at least looks somewhat like you.
Q. Have you personally contributed to increasing the participation of men in the nursing profession?
A. Yes! I helped to recruit my nephew into nursing. I've also developed statewide recruitment campaigns to address diverse needs and interests.
Q. Would you choose nursing again?
A. Definitely, yes! There has never been a day in my 25-year nursing career that I regretted becoming a nurse. My career in nursing has been both personally and professionally rewarding. My earning potential has exceeded my initial career goals. My work in nursing has allowed me to travel and visit places that are beyond my wildest dreams. Oh, and I get to help people.
Q. What would you tell a young man about nursing as a career? How about a man considering nursing as a second career? Are the messages similar?
A. The message is similar. Nursing offers a challenging and rewarding career. Autonomy. Variety. Opportunity. It's hard work, but it's personally fulfilling work.
Q. Crystal-ball for us: Where do you see nursing and men's role in nursing in the next 10 years?
A. In 10 years, I see nursing as more heterogeneous, more diverse. Men and people of color will make up a larger proportion of the workforce.
Dennis Sherrod has more than twenty years of nursing experience and over a decade of recruitment and retention expertise. He currently serves as the inaugural Forsyth Medical Center Endowed Chair of Recruitment & Retention and professor in the Division of Nursing at Winston-Salem State University, Winston-Salem, NC. His position was established to research recruitment and retention issues relating to students, nursing faculty, staff nurses and nurse managers, and is the first of its kind in the nation. Prior to joining Winston-Salem State University, he directed the North Carolina Institute for Nursing Excellence, the North Carolina Recruitment and Retention Grant Program, and the statewide "Nursing: The Power to Make a Difference" campaign. Dennis has also co-authored his first book titled “Surviving the Shortage: Creative Recruitment and Retention Strategies,” and plans to release a new book titled “A Practical Guide to Recruitment and Retention.”
Subscribe to our feed