Men in nursing

Introduction

Of the 2.1 million registered nurses in the United States, 5.4% of them are male. Men also make up 13% of all new nursing students. .

The History Of Male Nursing

Contrary to the perceptions of many, nursing has been a male dominated field for most of human history. When the world's first nursing school was opened in India in 250 B.C., only men were considered "pure" enough to be nurses..

Nursing was mainly done by males in the Byzantine Empire.

In Jesus' story of the Good Samaritan, he mentions a male inn keeper being paid to nurse an injured man (Luke 10:35-36).

During plagues that went through Europe, male nurses were primary nurses, and in 300 A.D. men in the Parabolani created a hospital and provided nursing care..

There were numerous other male nurses through out the Middle Ages. St. Benedict started the Benedictine nursing order. The Alexian Brothers, in the 1300ps, provided nursing care for the victims of the Black Death. Both of these organizations continue to work to this day.

Military, religious and lay orders of men continued to provide nursing care throughout the Middle Ages. Some of the most famous of these were the Knights Hospitalers, the Teutonic Knights, the Tertiaries, the Knights of St. Lazarus, the Order of the Holy Spirit, and the Hospital Brothers of St. Anthony.

St. John of God and St. Camillus de Lellis were both nurses who are now considered saints.. St Camillus invented the symbol of the red cross and created the first ambulance service.

Male nurses and nursing schools for men were common in the United States until the early 1900's.

In the early 1900's, female nursing organizations such as the Nurses Associated Alumnae started to descrimate against male nurses. Male nurses were banned from joining the organization until 1930. Traditionally military nurses had been male, but starting in the early 1900's these powerful organizations started to ban male nurses from the military, and this ban remained in effect until the Korean war of 1950's..

Reasons For The Increase of Male Nurses

As many Western nations are facing a shortage of nurses, many governments are actively recruiting more male nurses. Many males are attracted by the high pay, job security, and high status of the profession.

More men are entering nursing as they disover that its a competitive and challening career to be in. For example, then the University of Pittsburgh School of Nursing increased its admission requirement for the nursing program, the number of male applicants spiked significantly.. Many men are also attracted to the profession after learnig how important mathematics and science (fields traditionally dominated by males) are in nursing.

Prejudice and Descrimination Against Male Nurses

While overt descrimation against male nurses is rare, many male nurses still feel that they are not treated as equals. Some say they need to prove themselves more than their female counterparts, and that promotions are more likely to be given to female nurses.

Many men have struggled being allowed to work in maternity and gynolcology sections of hospitals.

Some men feel that thier family of thier career ambitions, and so suffer more isolation and financial hardship than thier female counterparts. Isolation is a major reason why men quit nursing school.