The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
Stereotyping is putting men off nursing careers
Recruitment crisis could be helped if attitudes towards nursing changed
Men could hold the key to solving Scotland’s nursing staffing crisis – but many are put off from joining the profession because of stereotypes about their sexuality.
The claim has come from Jacqueline Eccles, Dundee University lecturer in mental health nursing, who said male nurses risked being wrongly labelled gay or sexual predators.
She said 105 nurses were currently male but potential candidates were being dissuaded by outdated stereotyping.
“The perception that nursing is not for men persists and the experiences of men in nursing demonstrate how pervasive negative stereotypes remain,” she said.”
She continued: “The sexuality of females in male-dominated professions is rarely questioned but this appears to be a problem that persists for men in traditionally female-dominated roles.”
Ms Eccles is part of a campaign called Men Do Care, which aims to encourage more males to take up nursing.
Her comments for The Conversation website raised serious concerns about staffing on hospital wards.
In a survey of more than 3,000 members of the Royal College of Nursing (RCN), 51% said their last shift had not been staffed to the planned level and 53% said patient care was compromised as a result.
More than half of respondents reported they didn’t have enough time to provide the level of care they would like, while 47% said they felt demoralised and 54% said they are upset they could not provide the level of care they wanted.
Theresa Fyffe, director of the Royal College of Nursing in Scotland, said: “Nursing staff are blowing the whistle on how just how untenable the situation is for them and for the people they care for.
“The Scottish Government has the opportunity with its proposed safe staffing legislation to address these challenges and to safeguard nursing in Scotland for generations to come.”
Ellen Hudson, RCN associate director, added: “It’s really important that we encourage as many people as possible into nursing. Helping more men to understand what a rewarding and highly skilled profession nursing is, would certainly be one way of starting to fill the record number of nursing vacancies we’re seeing at the moment.
She added: “Regardless of gender, it’s about care and compassion, as well as the skills and knowledge that individuals bring to the job.”
Health secretary Shona Robison said: “The link between safe and sustainable staffing levels and high-quality care is well established.
“Scotland has led the UK in the development of nursing and midwifery workload and workforce planning tools, ensuring we have the right number of staff, with the right skills, in place.”
She continued: “We are committed to promoting and maintaining equality and diversity in all walks of life, including for students undertaking nursing and midwifery pre-registration programmes.”