Male matrons are urging more men to become nurses
PERSONALLY’
MALE matrons at Glenfield Hospital are urging more men to have a go at nursing.
Geoff Davison had been torn between becoming a nurse or working on a building site when he began his career at the Leicester hospital, which has proved to be rewarding for him.
Geoff said: “Nursing as a profession demands that you have a caring attitude, which is something not always attributed to men.
“However, nursing is a huge profession, with all types of different skills and experience required, no matter what gender you are and men and women can excel in their career at our trust.
“A career in male nursing has many rewards, such as interacting with patients and realising the great impact you have on people’s lives.”
Another male matron, Martin Smith, has been with the trust for more than 35 years, having started his nursing training at Glenfield Hospital in 1984.
He said: “Nursing shouldn’t be ruled out despite it not traditionally being so well rewarded in monetary terms and getting a more balanced workforce can only positively influence all aspects of the profession, including the pay.”
Ben Hyde, another matron at Glenfield, who manages about 60 members of staff, said: “The barriers to male nursing are varied and often stem from career advice experts at schools, as well as the language used in nursing.
“One of the best ways to give insight to young people who want a career in nursing is to visit local colleges and further education institutes. This can engage people in what nursing is about so they may consider it as a career choice in the future.”
Only about one in 10 nurses at the three Leicester hospitals is a man but new figures suggest an increasing number of men are hoping to become nurses – the number of men applying to study nursing went up by 9 per cent last year.
Conor Ward, head of recruitment services at University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust, recognises terms like “matron” and “sister” put men off, but more men in nursing would be a good thing.
He said: “We are keen to improve the gender imbalance that traditionally exists in nursing and encourage more male nurses to join our trust.
“We are working hard to attract male nurses and for them to look upon nursing as a viable and worthwhile career, but this can mean overcoming barriers. “For instance, the language used such as matron and sister can be off-putting for men, plus the perception in both schools and society is still that nurses are females. We are demonstrating nursing is a rewarding career for men and women both financially and personally.” The roles the Leicester hospitals are recruiting for include a Band 5 nurse to work in a 24-bed specialist hip fracture unit, a deputy sister or charge nurse in the Ambulatory Surgical Unit, a Band 5 nurse to work at the Cardiac Angiocatheter Suite at Glenfield Hospital and a new head of nursing.
The language used such as matron and sister can be off-putting for men
Conor Ward, from the Trust