The Importance of the Male Travel Nurse in Nursing
By Lee Soren, Contributor
While male nurses currently make up less than 10 percent of the profession according to the most recent census, there are more men in nursing today than ever before. Thanks to better access to health care coupled with an aging population who have increasing long-term care needs, demand for nurses has risen over the last few years, and more and more, recruitment efforts are targeting men.
In particular, male travel nurses are vital to the movement toward inclusivity in this traditionally female field and are often welcomed at hospitals and care facilities that employ few permanent male nurses.
Male Nurses and the Benefits of Diversity in Travel Nursing
One reason male travel nurses are so important to the profession is the diversity they bring to patient care. According to the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, patients are generally more receptive to receiving care from providers who have similar cultural or ethnic backgrounds. The same is true for gender.
Male nurses can pave the way for enhanced patient comfort. When it comes to reproductive or sexual issues or sensitive procedures such as inserting a catheter, patients often feel more comfortable and will talk more openly with nurses of their own gender, which can lead to improved health care outcomes and a better understanding by nursing staff of men's health care issues. This is particularly true when it comes to pediatrics, where young boys may be more at ease talking with male nurses.
Differing Aptitudes
While it's long been understood that boys and girls are socialized differently, scientists have recently come to understand that male and female brains are actually wired differently. An article published by Stanford Medicine explains that where women excel in verbal ability, fine-motor coordination and perceptual speed, men have better visuospatial skills and are more effective at juggling multiple items in their working memory.
While this doesn't mean that one gender is smarter or savvier, it can mean that employing more men can enhance the workforce. Ultimately, combining gender aptitudes may provide additional insights into nursing, resulting in more complete treatment for patients.
Balancing the Numbers
While data from Becker's Hospital Review tells us that there are no states that have an equal number of male and female nurses, the ratio of professionally active female to male nurses actually varies widely from place to place. In states such as Nebraska, nearly a quarter of nurses are male, while other states, such as Iowa and North Dakota, have a staggering 16 female nurses for every male nurse.
Male travel nurses help balance those numbers out, bringing a masculine presence to states where men in nursing are few, encouraging gender inclusivity, breaking down stereotypes and challenging the stigma that lingers around male nurses.
Changing Attitudes Toward Gender Roles
While there are still barriers for men looking to enter the field of nursing, including resistance from some older patients and the persistent belief that this is a field for women, more progressive attitudes toward gender roles are paving the way for men to enter this female-dominant field in greater and greater numbers. Along the way, hospitals and care facilities are finding that men can be natural caregivers, bringing a new understanding of why men have been tending to sick and wounded patients throughout history.
Whether they're drawn to the profession by the rewarding nature of care-giving or the adrenaline of a high-pressure job, male nurses may be the key to solving the looming nursing shortage. In particular, male travel nurses can better balance out the gender ratio in regions where the permanent nursing staff is still predominantly female, bringing a fresh perspective on patient care to these areas.
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