An elderly woman lies in her hospital bed. She knows it is time for her bath and is waiting for the nurse to come and assist her. The door opens, and in walks two young men, both nursing students. She knows they are here to help, but she is still not comfortable with male nurses assisting her with the task of bathing. So, she politely asks for a female nurse instead. One of those two men was Joe Lucas, a junior nursing major at Otterbein.
Stereotypes have created challenges in recruiting young men within the field of nursing, as it is often considered a more feminine role. In pictures, nurses have historically been depicted as nurturing, and that trait is normally associated with women rather than men. Some men shy away from the nursing field because they are afraid of being embarrassed by the stereotype. In the movie Meet the Parents, Ben Stiller’s character is a male nurse and is made fun of by the father of the woman he hopes to marry. Even though it is a fictional movie, teasing about being a male nurse is not uncommon.
Other than his one experience, Lucas said he hasn’t encountered much negativity from patients as a male nurse among a sea of women in the field. “Everyone has always been excited and says that we need more guys in the field,” Lucas said. “But I think the field is definitely growing now where people are excited to see men coming into the nursing field.”
At Otterbein, there are a total of 176 students in the undergraduate nursing department. From that total, 160 are women and only 16 are men. An increase in the nursing diversity at Otterbein is similar to that of the United States.
In 1970, less than 3 percent of men were in the nursing field, and in 2000, there were less than 8 percent. The number of men in nursing has increased over the years, but they are still considered a minority. In the United States, there are 3.5 million licensed, registered nurses and only 9.6 percent of those nurses are men.
Mark Fire, a sophomore nursing major, said that he sometimes receives attention from his friends for his choice in a career path that is not typical for men. “My friends razz me for being a nursing major, but it’s not outright bullying or anything,” he said. “It’s more respect I get if I tell people that I’m a nursing major and they’re like ‘Oh, there’s not that many men in the field. That’s great.’”
Lucas also said he thought he would be made fun of because of his career choice, but that wasn’t the case. “I think now, at this point in time, is when things are really turning around,” he said. “I think it’s kinda booming now that guys are going into nursing, and I think the reason for that is because of the job market. I think nursing is continuing to grow, which has changed the view of it and taken away the negativity and the stereotypical view of it.”
The nursing department at Otterbein has made significant efforts to encourage interest among men. “We try to highlight those roles that men are interested in, such as the emergency room, family nurse practitioner and the anesthesia department,” said Patricia Keane, head of the undergraduate Nursing Department. Keane added that Otterbein has two full-time and two half-time male faculty members which helps create an environment that is more receptive to men. “I think we need to overcome the gender imbalance and I look forward to those changes,” she said.
Lucas said that he chose to explore nursing because his mother is a nurse and he instinctively started thinking about going into health care. “It’s funny because that was the last thing I ever wanted to do growing up. When I told my mom, she told me not to do it because I am a guy,” Lucas said. “When she was in nursing school, she saw a lot of men who would work really hard but because they were men, they didn’t really get recognized for it. They had to work that much harder to be recognized.”
Other factors that led Lucas to choose his major were the opportunities that a profession in health care provides. “I was also looking for something I can incorporate into my faith (such) as missionary work or something, and give back,” he explained. “I thought that there is a very practical need that was out there, and I can learn the skills and give back.”
Similarly, Fire chose this major due to his love of sciences and the high demand of jobs in the nursing profession. “I obviously see (being part of a minority) when I walk into a room that’s just all girls — but I don’t have any problems with it,” Fire said. “I was raised in a rather liberal household so this doesn’t affect how I feel about my major. It doesn’t matter to me.”
Although the number of men that choose to enter the nursing field is comparatively small, the number further shrinks as some male students drop out mid-semester at Otterbein. “We started out with maybe five or six guys (in my class) but now we have two, so it’s me and another male student,” Lucas said. “As it started to dwindle down, I definitely started to notice that I was part of the minority.”
Even as he noticed this, Lucas said that it doesn’t feel that strange. He attributes this to the fact that he is in the same classes with the same set of people through each year. “I know all the people really well,” Lucas said. “I think if I had to meet new people and there were never any guys, it would be weird. But because I feel so close with everyone, it has gotten past that point.”
Lauren Hoover, a sophomore nursing major, said that females definitely seem to dominate the major at Otterbein. “It is important to take into account that females tend to dominate Otterbein in general, so I think that is a factor that also plays a role. I think it is great that men are joining the nursing profession,” Hoover said. “I think it will be good to break stereotypes because you don’t have to be a woman to be a good nurse. Just as you don’t have to be a man to be a good doctor.”
Sara Stevenson, a junior nursing major, said that she doesn’t think it is strange to work with men in nursing. “I think it is great that men are pursuing careers in nursing, as it’s historically a female role,” Stevenson said. “They may be breaking out of the social norm but I support this change. I feel the same about how more women are pursuing higher education to become doctors. I enjoy having the diversity in our class.”
Junior nursing major Rachele Gualtieri said that she has had the chance to work with male nurses in the emergency department at a hospital and has never noticed a difference. “I feel that it is completely OK to have men as nurses,” she said. “I actually think that it is great. Although it used to be (considered) a female role, there is no reason why men should not be nurses as well.”
Lucas said even though he is in the minority, he has never felt out of place as a nurse. “Someone’s life is in your hands and you are a part of someone’s life — that can be for the good or for the bad,” he said. “They didn’t ask you to be there, but you are there to be a part of the experience that they are having.”
