Why Choose Nursing?

Why choose nursing as a career? As a new graduate nurse I was constantly asked that question by my
friends and family. The answer is just as clear today as it was thirty-three years ago! There is no other
professional career that I know of that offers you as much opportunity as nursing does. Very often
smart nurses are asked, "Why did you choose nursing and not medicine?" There is an easy answer for
that. While both nursing and medicine are needed, they are different. Physicians are focused on the cure
of illness while nursing is also focused on helping the patient and family adapt to illness.
How many professionals are given the gift everyday of being close to others in their happiest as well as
their saddest times-at birth and at death-during health and during illness? Nurses share the most
intimate moments with their patients and are the most trusted health care professional today.
I often ask my students why they chose nursing and what the essence of nursing means to them. Some
of their answers include: caring for others, teaching patients and families, advocating for the most
vulnerable of patients, and building relationships with patients, families, and other professionals. For
me, the ability to be present with patients and families at the best and the worst of times is what is
important to me. Sometimes you don't have to say a word. Just being there-knowing that it is best not to
say anything-listening, holding a patient's hand, crying and laughing and supporting a family member
is what is most meaningful to me.
When I ask my nurse colleagues what sustains them in job that is often difficult and stressful they
unanimously answer that they love what they do. They love being challenged. They are always learning
and when they become bored, there are many other job opportunities. The career options in nursing are
endless. Nurses work in a variety of settings ranging from the hospital to outpatient clinics, emergency
rooms, community health centers, visiting nurse agencies, schools, work places, nursing homes, and the
military. Just about anywhere! Nurses work in a variety of roles-staff nurses, nurse practitioners, nurse
anesthetists, clinical specialists, nurse researchers, nurse educators, nurse midwives, and nurse
managers. Some nurses have even started their own businesses as consultants or advanced practice
nurses.
Because there is such diversity of roles and increasingly complexity in health care, nurses not only
have to be caring but they must be smart. You often hear nurses say how difficult their work is. A nurse
is very often the first person who recognizes that a patient is having difficulty. The nurse will make that
initial assessment and will intervene with the appropriate medication or therapy until the rest of the
health care team arrives. Nurses must be highly intelligent, as they have to synthesize knowledge from
all of the sciences with their knowledge of nursing and medicine.
There are many routes to becoming a registered nurse today. The Registered Nurse (RN) license is
awarded upon passing the NCLEX-RN examination given following graduation from an accredited RN
Nursing program. The most common programs today are associate degree programs and bachelor
degree programs. While the associate degree program is shorter (2 years versus a typical 4 years for a
BS program) the Associate Degree graduate has a more limited role. The Massachusetts Association of
Nurse Executives (the nursing directors and VPs of hospitals) has endorsed the Bachelors Degree as the
entry level into nursing and many hospitals in the Greater Boston area are hiring only RNs with a
baccalaureate degree in nursing. Because of a nursing shortage, there are increasingly more
scholarships coming available for students going into nursing.
With this shortage of nurses expected to last well into the 21st century, nurses are in high demand and
start at an approximate salary of $50,000 in the larger metropolitan areas in the country. Most nurses
who work a full-time schedule work three 12-hour shifts per week and with overtime and night and
evening shifts they can make even more. Many hospitals provide signing bonuses and offer generous
continuing education benefits for nurses who want to continue their education beyond the associate and
bachelor degrees.
But even better than the salary are the many benefits a career in nursing affords you. With endless job
opportunities, variety in settings and roles, flexibility in work schedules, and many options for
advanced education, you are always learning and growing. There is never a dull moment as a nurse!
Most important of all-you are making a difference in the lives of others.
Editorial provided by Judy A. Beal, D.N.Sc., RN, Professor and Chair of Nursing Associate Dean of the
School for Health Studies, Simmons College, Boston MA.

Why Choose Nursing as a Career?

The number one reason to choose any career is because you love the work. A person who chooses a
career in nursing should love to care for and work directly with people, despite the many challenges a
job like this can present. That’s the best reason for anyone to decide to pursue a career in nursing.
If you already know you’re a good fit, you’ll be happy to see that there are several other reasons why
nursing as a career just makes good sense in today’s job market:
• There is a nursing shortage and this problem is expected to intensify over the next 15 years. “Baby
boomers” are aging and with the growing elderly population (coupled with people living longer),
nurses will be even more in demand in the future.
• Nursing is a recession-proof career. People will always get injured and become ill. There will always
be employment for medical professionals, including nurses.
• Due to the nursing demand, nurses are often in the driver’s seat with employers. For instance, there’s
a good chance that you’ll be able to set your own schedule. You’ll also have more job offers to choose
from.
• Your nursing skills can take you anywhere, and you can take them anywhere! As a nurse you are not
limited to living in or near a certain city in order to get a good job in your industry.
• There are many specialties to choose from and you have many opportunities to find the right fit.
• There are plenty of part-time, full-time, and traveling career opportunities.
• Nurses are paid well and have good benefits.
• Nurses help people which can be very rewarding. It is also a highly respected profession.

Nursing Career Choices

There are many avenues to pursue in nursing. If a nursing career is attractive to you, you should
certainly be able to find your niche! Consider the many nursing opportunities:
• Staff Nurse
• Nurse Practitioner
• Clinical Nurse Specialist
• Case Manager
• Nurse Educator
• Nurse Anesthetist
• Oncology Nurse
• Pediatric Nurse
• School Nurse
• Trauma Nurse
• Managed Care Nurse
• Occupational Health Nurse
….and many, many more. Your direction depends on the effort, time, and money you wish to put
toward education and certifications. With so much to choose from, there is certainly a nursing career
out there that’s perfect for you!
Lynn Mattoon is a Content Editor & Career Writer for HealthCareJobSite.com and NurseJobSite.com,
Beyond.com career communities. You can follow her on Twitter at BeyondCareers.

Why choose nursing?

As some risk is associated with nursing, so one should have complete knowledge about, what nursing
is? If you or one of your friends has decided to join the nursing profession then you should be
conscious about the risks involved with this field. Nurses have to work in hospitals or clinics where
they may have to take care of patients who are suffering from some infectious disease. In this
profession of nursing which is based on caring someone, gaining practical and scientific knowledge,
are the main and undistributed parts of the nursing profession.

One should consciously weigh the disadvantages and advantages before joining BSN program. If one is
conscious about opportunities associated with this course he will see the broader and brighter part of
this course. As numbers of people get enrolled in nursing course, it will decrease the workload over
nurses presently working in numbers of hospitals; number of older people getting nursing care will
grow quickly. For Example, the employment in hospitals are growing slowly as compared to other
health care firms due to which work load on presently working employees is more and facilities
provided by hospital becomes limited, therefore for the admission of new patient, the old patient has to
be discharged as soon as possible. Because of less employment, hospitals also have to face financial
pressure which in return increases the financial pressure on patient.

As the nursing field is continuously changing with change in technology and diseases, therefore one
should be conscious about the basic trends associates with this profession to choose right path for
future career in nursing. For example a nurse working in trauma or emergency department of hospital
has to deal with patients that are on high risk of losing life.

The support and help of senior and experienced nurses enables you to practice nursing at initial stage.
Working with experienced health care team will teach how to deal with ambulatory, serious patient and
also teach to develop home environment and care for patient.

To avoid any risk in the field of nursing, one should gain good nursing education from any reputed
institute, which is necessary to avoid any hazardous effect of nursing. But, the data available shows that
count of registered nurses is decreasing. This decrease in count of registered nurses quality of nursing
has also decreased. The education provided by each nursing school is actually based on the knowledge
which is necessary to ensure that local community will get good and safe nursing. Nursing schools
provide all basic education and level of knowledge that one good nurse should have. After completion
of academic course, the experience and practical education gain by any nurse help them to become
better and good in her profession.

Numbers of good career options are included by the profession of nursing. Only thing is to join a
reputed and good nursing school. The specialists are categorized according to type of treatment,
condition, disease, type of body system or organ with which nurses are particularly dealing. The main
motto of nursing is to serve needy persons and also help them get cured by caring.

MALE NURSES,
MEN IN A FEMALE DOMINATED PROFESSION:
THE PERCEIVED NEED FOR MASCULINITY MAINTENANCE

by Christopher Neighbours
Introduction
Nursing is perceived to be a subordinate occupation, both in relation to medicine, and to the world at
large. Whilst men may have greater power and prestige within the profession, I argue that they too are
subordinate. This subordination demonstrates itself in different ways than the subordination of women,
but it is there nonetheless. This essay will outline the various ways that male nurses are socially
disadvantaged, and the ways they attempt to maintain their masculine identity.
Nursing is seen as a feminine occupation and is thus devalued in male dominated patriarchal society. It
is stereotyped as having the traits of nurturing, caring, dependence and submission. This contrasts with
the perceived male traits of strength, dominance and aggression. Male nurses separate themselves and
the masculine sex role from their female colleagues.1
When someone forms an identity that is incompatible with society’s expectations, people become
uncomfortable and are unsure how to behave. In a society where nurses are seen as female, it is
difficult for people to know how to relate to a male nurse. They find it hard to understand why anyone
would choose a job dominated by the lower status sex, and make a choice that is likely to involve
negative sanctions.2
Men are deterred from the profession by believing that other people will see them as unmanly. They
may also believe that nurses only take orders from doctors, have limited career opportunities, and are
poorly paid.3 Children are often particularly puzzled by male nurses. To a child it is simple, this cannot
be a nurse, because he is a man.4
Tokens
Men are a small minority in nursing. About 3.1% of nurses in the United States and Canada are male,
and 8.77% in the United Kingdom. Women who work in male dominated occupations are usually met
with hostility. But men who work in female dominated occupations may not be disadvantaged.5
New Zealand statistics show similar trends to the United Kingdom. 7.76% of New Zealand nurses are
male. Meanwhile, 72.48% of doctors in New Zealand are male.6
“Kanter (1977) suggests that tokens are people who differ from the majority of the group members in
ascribed characteristics such as sex or race, which carry with them a set of assumptions about culture,
status, and behaviour.”7
The high visibility of tokens puts an increased pressure upon them to perform well. The characteristics
of the token group are given abnormally high importance by the dominant group. The stereotypes
surrounding tokenism are so strong that it is often much easier for the tokens to conform, and accept
their role entrapment, than it is to create dissention within the group.8
‘Appropriate’ fields for Male Nurses
Men in nursing are a privileged minority. In patriarchal culture, men have greater status and power than
women. Men are disproportionately represented in the specialties and in administration.9
Men are ‘tracked’ into what are seen as more appropriate fields for them to practice in. Uniquely, this
means their pay and prestige are enhanced. However, it is independent of men’s individual desires.10
Tokenism is relevant again here. Their role entrapment means they may not be able to do tasks they
would like to do as it does not fit in with their role.11
Kanter did not foresee that differentiation between dominants and tokens may be originated by the
tokens themselves. If the tokens have a higher position in society as a whole than the dominants, the
tokens will try to enhance their position. For example, a male nurse might say ‘I am a psychiatric
nurse’, hoping that his listeners will focus on ‘psychiatric’ rather than nurse.12
'Tracking’ however, is sometimes very blatant. During the 1980s, the American Courts ruled that
hospitals could refuse to employ men in maternity wards. In 1994, a California hospital’s ban on male
nurses in labour and delivery rooms was upheld by that state’s Fair Employment and Housing
Commission. The rationale was that having male nurses performing vaginal exams would add to the
patient’s distress and anxiety. This gives the message that male nurses are somehow less professional
than male doctors.13
Also in 1994, a male nurse filed a complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
against two Florida hospitals who had barred him from their maternity wards because of his gender.
The Commission accepted the hospital’s argument that the patients would be uncomfortable if a male
nurse looked after them. The hospital paid a settlement and offered the nurse a job in another ward as a
compromise measure. The Commission felt that this was enough, but if male nurses in the United
States want to work in maternity wards, formal action in the Courts is the only option open to them.14
The perception that it is unsuitable for men to work in maternity wards is widespread. Even male
student nurses are restricted in how much practical experience they may have in women’s health.
However, this may change as more men enrol in nursing programmes. There is an unconscious
expectation that men are not supposed to be nurses.15
People single out men in nursing as they are the minority. But men want to be seen as a nurse -not as a
‘male nurse’. They want to be part of the whole, not a highly visible minority.16
Nursing: The Female Profession
Nursing combines professional values as well as feminine values of caring and support. This combines
with the patriarchal construct that men are valuable and that women nurses support their male
colleagues, consciously or unconsciously.17
This is due to Oppressed Group Behaviour. Women are oppressed by their subordinate status in society
as a whole, and are also oppressed in the health care system, as it is controlled by male doctors.
Oppressed groups assimilate to the norms and values of their oppressors, seeing them as achievers and
wishing to be like them. Oppression is most complete when it is not even recognised.18
Indeed, women’s oppression could be made worse by their subordination to male colleagues. This
could result in nursing becoming divided between male management and female ward workers.19
Florence Nightingale felt women were intrinsically nurses, so much so that they did not require an
education prior to nursing training. They were taught by doctors under an apprentice system. The long
history of men in nursing has been ignored, which may have contributed to nursing’s feminine image.
Believing that nursing is an extension of the domestic role further devalued the profession in relation to
male occupations, particularly medicine.20
Even today, men are sometimes excluded within nursing. Nursing texts and articles frequently refer to
nurses only as women, and the history of men in nursing is often ignored too.21
The Male Advantage
The major rationale for attracting men into nursing is to raise the prestige of the profession as a whole.
Whether this will actually work or not is debatable. Some authors have argued that this puts more
pressure on men to ‘rescue’ nursing, yet others suggest that men entering the profession only elevates
the status of men.22
Men also have an advantage due to the stereotype that men are in the breadwinner role. Women
generally take primary responsibility for housework and childcare, giving men a distinct advantage.
They can stay at work, while their wives interrupt their careers. There is an overwhelming perception in
the United States (and the Anglo-Saxon world in general) that men are more dedicated to their work
than women. This is due to the unequal division of labour within the household. Thus, even in a
‘female’ profession, men have an unfair advantage over women.23
The top roles in nursing emphasize leadership, technical knowledge, and dedication to work, all seen as
being masculine traits. Attention to detail and showing emotion - which are seen as female traits - are
not seen as good leadership skills. Male nurses socialise more with doctors than their female colleagues
do. The men felt they did not have much in common with their women colleagues and preferred to talk
about sports and vehicles with men, particularly male doctors. This also provided advantages for career
prospects as doctors see male nurses as being more competent. But male nurses may identify too
closely with doctors and become disenchanted with the low status and pay of nursing. Thus the female
world is devalued and barriers are put up against women gaining leadership roles.24
Men choose nursing due to job availability and security, and some are attracted by nursing’s emphasis
on biological science, and the desire to work in a humanistic field. Some enter the profession with the
aim of gaining a job in administration. A few do become nurses as they can not become doctors due to
financial constraints and competition for places for medical school. However, many male nurses
interviewed stated that they could have become doctors had they wished to do so. They assigned the
values of the higher status profession to the lower status profession.25
Nursing’s image is also changing, from bed-pan scrubber to doctor’s assistant. The recruiters inside the
profession need men to become nurses so that they can fight for equal pay for female nurses. It would
be impossible to fight for equality if there were no men to measure women’s pay against.26
However, this the percentage of men in Administration does vary between countries. In the United
Kingdom, less than 10% of nurses are men, yet they hold over 50% of the top nursing positions. In
contrast, men occupied about 6% of nursing administrative positions in the United States in 1996.27
Role Traps and Stereotypes Of Male Nurses
Male nurses are usually locked within four role traps. These are:
• The Ladderclimber
• The Troublemaker
• The He-Man
• The Homosexual
All except the last category reinforce accepted male behaviour.28
Labelling male nurses as odd is a social control network. This implies that men who are nurses are
different to other men. Male nurses also have to cope with the stigmatising label of homosexual. To
avoid this, many specialise in fields compatible with the masculine image. For example,
anaethesiology, intensive care, or the Emergency Department. This dispels the labels of ‘deviant’ that
isolates them from other men. These specialties also have more prestige and better pay. This also
protects men from having to touch their patients, or giving intimate bedside care.29
But all this is secondary, for male nurses are trying to fit into the group of masculine men in general,
rather than fitting into the dominant workgroup of female nurses.30
These judgments are based on patriarchal ideas of what are appropriate masculine and feminine traits.
However, nursing’s stand on not permitting men in maternity wards could be seen as gender
discrimination.31
On the other hand, sometimes men are preferred as nurses. For example, some men prefer a male nurse
to do their perineal cares, as they would be too uncomfortable if a woman did this intimate and
potentially embarrassing task.32
The ladderclimber stereotype arose because men are expected to be successful in whatever they do, so
male nurses are viewed as ambitious. This is enhanced by a higher proportion of men in administration
positions compared to nursing as a whole.33
The troublemaker label was acquired because men do not put up with degrading comments and
treatment from male doctors, and are socialised to be more assertive.34
The He-man label arose as men are perceived to have greater physical strength. This translates into men
being expected to do all the heavy lifting. In reality however, male nurses use lifting aids as often as
female nurses.35
The stereotype that male nurses are gay is based more on ideas of what is masculine and what is not
than any objective assessment of sexual life styles. If a man has ‘feminine’ traits, such as empathy and
caring, they are assumed to be gay. This is a deterrent to men becoming nurses, but few male nurses
find this a day to day problem. It could be sidestepped by mentioning a girlfriend or wearing a ring on
the appropriate finger.36
Yet, men have nursed since ancient times. For example, a military order of male nurses staffed a
hospital for men who were ill on the voyage to the Holy Land during the Crusades (1096-1291). In the
United States, men nursed during the Civil War, but began to withdraw shortly afterwards due to the
influence of Florence Nightingale. Ms Nightingale believed ‘every woman is a nurse’ but ignored men
completely. 19th century society deemed nursing qualities of caring, compassion, and subservience to
be feminine, and many nursing schools stopped admitting male students. By 1941, only 68 out of 1303
schools of nursing in the United States admitted male students.37
Male nurses have to have a strong sense of self identity, or they will cave in to the pressures from
outside the profession.38
The stereotypes of Ladderclimber, Troublemaker and He-man are imposed on the tokens by the
dominant group. The homosexual stereotype is imposed from outside the workplace and by men rather
than women. This stigmatising attribution is given to all men who deviate from accepted masculine
behaviours, not just to male nurses.39 As a result, socio-cultural factors should be examined whilst one
is trying to explain group interaction patterns.40
It is difficult however, to see men as a disadvantaged group requiring preferential treatment, as they
have higher status and power than do women, or minority groups.41
Male nurses often get on well with female doctors, due to their shared ‘outsider’ status. Hospital
society is very sexist, but male doctors are the only group who do not see this.42 Female doctors, and
both male and female nurses are very aware of it, although from very different viewpoints.
Masculinity Maintenance
Male nurses base their masculine role on the separation of masculine and male from nursing, a
profession that embodies feminine values and the subordinate female role in patriarchal society.43
Male nurses emphasise their work as task oriented rather than people oriented to further masculinise it.
They distance themselves from a care orientation, which is perceived to be a female trait. Even when
male nurses work at the bedside, they emphasise different caring styles and lift patients more often than
their female colleagues. It is the job title and associated images, not the practice of nursing that deters
men from the profession. The uniform is another deterrent. Many male nurses select specialties where
they do not have to wear uniforms - so that they do not appear to be nurses. In particular, those who
work in the Operating Theatre wear theatre greens, and are thus indistinguishable from doctors.44
The role strain is reduced by choosing specialties that do not require personal care to be given, and
where non-traditional clothing may be worn.45
So men have created ‘islands of masculinity’ within the profession. The profession itself supports the
view that some fields are more suitable for men than others. As I mentioned above, several American
hospitals have been permitted to ban male nurses from its obstetric and gynaecology wards.46 Neonatal
intensive care is an exception however, as it is seen as more masculine due to its task related
orientation.47
However, some male doctors have a very hard time with male nurses. They believe only gay or
incompetent men would be nurses, and that if they were competent they would go to medical school
and become doctors. And then, they would be doing a ‘man’s job.’ Also, as male nurses have a high
status in a low status profession, many doctors try to push male nurses into positions in administration,
which are more prestigious, or even leave nursing altogether, in order to resolve this contradiction.48
Some patients share this view; that male health care workers are doctors or medical students, and that a
male nurse must be too lazy or not clever enough to go to medical school.49
If they are strongly suspected to be homosexual, men will be disadvantaged and discriminated against.
It could be that opportunities for men in nursing only extend to those who show traditional masculine
characteristics. This includes a heterosexual orientation.50
Relationships with Female Nurses
Female nurses generally respond favourably to male nurses, but feel some jealousy and resentment that
men take the better paying jobs. Men are accepted more easily when they are on the wards rather than
when they are in administration. In general, female nurses do not marginalise or reject male nurses.51
But sometimes men are asked to lift patients for the female nurses, or to catheterise the male patients.
Whilst this often annoys them, male nurses gain admiration for their ‘special’ abilities - which is
another advance. Male nurses are often invited to socialise with female nurses, which they often do,
although it often means attending a Tupperware party. The problem here comes from outside, the
husbands and boyfriends of the female nurses would become jealous of male nurses, who see more of
their wives and girlfriends than they do.52
This does not always occur however, and often men are excluded from these female events. The female
nurses may be able to use bridal showers, etcetera as good networking opportunities. This isolation
may be furthered as male nurses are uncommon, and there may only be one male nurse on the ward.53
Conclusion
Male nurses attempt to maintain their masculine role by distancing themselves from traditional bedside
care, and going into specialties. This means that they will not appear to be a nurse, and will thus avoid
the stigma associated with men who work in female dominated professions. Some work in
anaethesiology, where they wear theatre greens and are indistinguishable from doctors. Others work in
specialties such as psychiatry where traditional male attributes such as physical strength are used, and
where again, nursing uniforms are not worn. Many more go into administration, which requires the
attributes traditionally assigned to males; such as leadership, and dedication to work.
Male nurses face role traps and sex typing daily. Several American hospitals have been permitted to
ban men from their maternity wards, on the grounds of the patients possibly being uncomfortable with
the idea of a man looking after them. Many doctors, and people in general believe male nurses are
either homosexual, or incompetent, or both.
The label of homosexuality is assigned to all men who work in jobs emphasising attributes traditionally
assigned to females, such as empathy and caring. Men who work in a ‘woman’s job’ are seen to be
incompetent, because women’s work is ‘easier’. If they were true men, they would go and be doctors,
and do a ‘Man’s Job’.
Thus, male nurses have a strong pressure on them to conform to society’s norm at all times, and need a
strong sense of self if they are to resist this, and continue to work in an occupation they wish to work
in.
Whilst men have a high status in nursing due to patriarchal values infiltrating even a female dominated
profession, the benefits gained come at a heavy cost. Men deal with guarded acceptance from the
female staff, and often outright bigotry from male doctors. However, the most stigmatising stereotype -
homosexuality - comes from outside the nursing profession, and is imposed on male nurses by other
men, who feel threatened by men who step outside the traditional masculine role.
My own opinion is that of Michelle Davidson, RN.: