|
Have you ever felt discriminated against? I’ve experienced
sexual harassment, been considered inferior for mannish tasks
I was physically and mentally qualified to do and been in
situations where women were not allowed to participate (literally
or figuratively). Physicians are given more prominence and
considered to know everything I as a nurse know, plus a whole
lot more.The fact that professional nursing broadly emcompasses
health and prevention of illness/injury, or that we treat
through a unique caring relationship that attends to the physical/social
environments and range of human responses, doesn’t make
a difference. People (and many physicians) continue to believe
that nursing knowledge is totally encompassed by medicine.
Educationally, I’ve discovered a PhD isn’t worth
near as much as an MD,DO or DVM outside the university setting.
Having experienced such inequities, I was surprised to discover
the extent of discrimination in nursing toward men. I knew
men represent only six percent of the 2.3 million nurses in
America, but I had no idea of the reasons why.To my shame
I realized that I—an educated, professional woman who
supposedly hates inequality—have discriminated against
men in nursing.
I learned my women’s liberation attitudes exclude
my male colleagues. Men report they have to be careful in
their conversations and actions with female colleagues because
they don’t want to appear paternalistic or sexist.Then
we (the women) turn around and treat them as muscle. One nurse
said he would not open doors for female colleagues because
they think it’s chauvinistic. Men relay concerns about
how they touch patients and colleagues, fearing they will
be perceived as inappropriate or even homosexual.They believe
people think their female counterparts are more caring because
we’re mothers and naturally caring (see Haas and KSS,pp.
13-17).
In a discussion on www.MaleNurseMagazine.com,
a nurse wrote that when people say,“Oh, so you’re
a male nurse?” He replies, “No, I treat females
too!” He explains, “Saying male is exclusive.
I’m not a male nurse; I’m a nurse.” Another
nurse said patients think he is a physician when he enters
their rooms, and he has to repeat several times, “No,
I will be your nurse for the day.” People insinuate
men educated in nursing are underachievers. Some men combat
this by saying, “I’m a trauma nurse” or “I’m
an ICU nurse,” which communicates self-respect.
We also discriminate against men in nursing education and
employment. Men believe both the public and their female colleagues
continue to think of nursing as a female occupation. Educators
say open discrimination against men is disappearing but remains
imbedded in nursing schools. The American Assembly of Men
in Nursing says men report at their annual meeting every year
that they are denied equal employment opportunities, specifically
in advancement and promotions and working in women’s
health. Furthermore, the feminization of our conversations
in practice and education alienates them. Men would like to
say, “Nursing is not a gender-based occupation; nursing
is a profession!”
As I reflected on how I have treated male colleagues, I thought
about what the apostle Paul wrote at a time of great racial,
gender and economic discrimination: “There is no longer
Jew or Greek . . . slave or free . . . no longer male and
female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus” (Gal
3:28). He explained that dividing walls between people have
been abolished by Christ (Eph 2:14-17).
We need to recognize that Jesus eliminated alienation and
discrimination.We facilitate the ending of discrimination
in nursing as we look at Jesus and try to be like him. Jesus
greatly limited himself in becoming human, and then allowing
us to kill him with a cruel, degrading death on a cross (Phil
2). Jesus had the mindset I need to have: “Do nothing
from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility regard others
as better than yourselves. Let each of you look not to your
own interests, but to the interests of others” (Phil
2:3-4).
I’ve started thinking about what it’s like to be
a man working in nursing.And, I’m going to start trying
to look out for my brothers.—KSS
|
