In the last 50 years medicine has moved from a male-dominated profession to one in which medical school spaces are shared equally by males and females. Now some Canadian nurses want their profession to take a similar step and leave its female-dominated roots behind.
In the latest issue of Canadian Nurse (2001;97[5]:14-8), nursing student Matthew Davis and Queen's University Assistant Professor Wally Bartfay say that female nurses outnumber males by a proportion of 19 to 1, and in only 3 provinces is the proportion of males higher than 5%. “The disproportion is startling given the tremendous strides men have made in other professions once dominated by women,” they argue.
They say some nurses view their profession as a symbol of women's struggle to find a field that not only accepted them but was also respected and valued, “and hence believe it should remain a women's profession.” However, “there is a need to recruit men actively into all areas of the profession … to tap into the energy, strength and ideas they could bring to nursing.” They conclude that career counsellors must start promoting nursing as a viable career for men and recruiters must make greater efforts to portray males in nursing. “As male role models become more evident within our profession, the number of men joining will continue to increase.”