We all have been victims of gender bias, whether in the academic fields; our roles at home; or even in the clothes we chose to wear. This problem is not something that came up recently, rather it’s an issue that has been ongoing for centuries. As a child, if you are a girl, you wear pink clothes with flowers and play with Barbie dolls. A little boy on the other hand, wears blue and walks around with toy cars and video game controllers. Before we can choose our goals, we are assigned specific gender roles and career paths according to our sex. Nursing is one of those fields oriented mostly towards females, despite all the advancements made in gender equality; a male nurse is still frowned upon. According to the textbook, nursing originates from the Latin word “nutrix”, which means to nourish. Society describes the characteristics of women to be gentle, patient, and nourishing. Even though these adjectives bring justice and confidence towards women in the field of Nursing, there is no doubt men can also hold such similar traits, allowing them to become excellent nurses.
Nursing has been around since the 1800s. The formal education began when Florence Nightingale published books about nursing and healthcare, creating freestanding education. This idea helped open doors for thousands of women, creating a workforce of educated nurses. These admiral women provided for the casualties during Civil War in 1861. Historical figures like Clara Barton and Dorthea Dix served respectively as supervisor and superintendent throughout the Civil War, and are known for their phenomenal works. While the names of such prominent female figures echo throughout the history of nursing, men also play a very significant role in contributing to battlefield n...
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...g for our male individuals who are willing to participate the nursing program. According the census bureau document, efforts are being made to increase the employable workers in this field since there is a predicted shortage of nurses in the next few years. The high wages in specific areas of nursing and expanding the job opportunities is making this career path more appealing. The schools are actively participating in recruiting men into nursing programs as compared to many decades of keeping men out of the programs. Males in the nursing program is not the only stereotyping and generalizing issue that we face today, there are plenty other areas. Hopefully, this problem will completely be eradicated from this world and that will start by changing our own way of thinking and look beyond all of that. As Gandhi said, “Be the change that you wish to see in the world”.
In the todays century, the responsibilities, roles, and opportunities for nursing and nurse education has grown abundantly to that of modern day nurses. Many nurses in the eighteen century were not educated nurses and never attended nursing school; however, they still provided care for the sick, poor, and needy and played a vital role in health maintenance. With the hard work from many notable nurses in history such as Florence Nightingale, Clara Barton, and Isabel Robb and the persistence and dedication for change from influential nurses such as Mary Mahoney and Mabel Staupers; nursing today has transformed in many aspects of practice. Although nursing as a profession is continuously evolving throughout the years, the core foundation of nursing hasn’t changed in that nursing is a profession of caring for others and servicing those in need.
Nursing’s development from an occupation to a profession follows the devotion and sacrifice of many amazing women throughout history. Considered to be one of the oldest professions, women have performed what could be considered nursing duties since the beginning of time. Although there have been many events and many individuals who have contributed to nursing’s evolution from the occupation it was once considered to the profession that now exists, the development of formal education opportunities and scholarly resources and the women who created them is what fascinates me most. Without knowing, each of the following five women helped lay the groundwork for what Lucie Kelly, RN, PhD, FAAN, eventually termed the eight characteristics of a profession
Angelou once said, “The people may forget the nurses name, but they will never forget how that nurse made them feel.” Nursing is a profession. Unfortunately, nursing does not always get the credit it deserves because of these stereotypes. Nursing is not a gay profession for males. Due to the shortage of nurses, our society needs more nurses now than never. Nurses make a difference in almost every person’s lives just not in hospital rooms but also in schools and clinics. Nursing in not easy job but somebody has to do it. There has to those individuals who must take on this challenge and be the difference in someone’s life. People could not care if someone considers them a failure for being a nurse and not a doctor. Most doctors could not do their job effectively without the help and assistance of nurses. The money is there for those who think nurses does not get paid that much. Healthcare is one of the biggest factors in our world, and for our world to progress further, an increase in employment for nursing is necessary. These stereotypes should not and will not stop the field of nursing from
In today’s society the male nursing profession is sometimes portrayed negatively in the media. Male nurses are often viewed as more aggressive, incompetent and working in a predominantly female profession. The media source chosen was a movie called “Meet The Parents” (2000) The film was based on the idea that a male nurse would go and meet his future wife’s family, and upon meeting the family, things took a turn for the worse. reinforced the common male nursing stereotypes portrayed in the media.
Women Nurses in the Civil War." USAHEC.org. The United States Army War College, n.d. Web. 20 Oct. 2013. .
The modern nurse has much to be thankful for because of some of the early pioneers of nursing, such as Florence Nightingale and Jensey Snow. However, the scope and influence of professional nursing, as well as the individual nurse, has seen more exponential growth and change in North America since the establishment of the first professional organization for nursing, the Nurses Associated Alumnae of the United States and Canada, which in 1911 came to be known as the American Nurses Association.
Holder, V. L. (2003). From hand maiden to right hand-- The birth of nursing in America “.ARON journal, 20. Retrieved from Academic OneFile. Web. 16 Apr. 2011
...re opportunities for nurses. Today’s demand for skilled nurses significantly outweighs the supply of such professionals. In an economically challenged background, all nations are actively looking for ways to change healthcare by expanding value in the care delivery systems. For nurses, everyone’s role adds value to the patients, the communities, the countries, and the world. The development and evolution of nursing is associated with the historical influences throughout different ages. The study of the history of nursing helps understand the issues that confronted the profession. It also allows nurses to gain the appreciation they deserve for playing the role of caring for patients during wartime. The role of the profession has played an important part of history. Through the history, each nurse has efficiently established the achievements of the history of nursing.
women felt that there was a great need for nurses who were directly involved in
Nursing has always been a key career in the health care system. Although it is not often focused on media and stories surrounding health care, nursing is a career of great importance. If any patient was asked about their experience at a hospital or a care center, many would mention the capability and care that they received from the nurses. The health care system could not function efficiently, if at all, if nurses were not present to perform their part. Nurses are more than just physicians, support staff.
Nursing had not initially been a career option for me, but nursing had made an impact on my life, even at an early age. There was a picture frame that sat on my mother’s dresser with an image of her in her student nurse uniform. It was very formal, and she wore a blue cape with red satin lining. This image gave me my first impression of nursing. Helping my mother with the laundry, bleaching the white uniforms and starching the stiff white cap banded with a thin black velvet ribbon was another activity I associated with nursing. In 1979, my mother was sent to Hershey Medical Center for training to become the first certified Enterostomal Therapist in the state of Virginia. It was at that point that I realized that nursing was a profession, with unique career goals, education and training that was
The nurse’s uniform, when first created had a feminine design. There wore a long skirt, collar, and high heels. Kate Aid describes the uniform as “a touch romantic” when skirts were proposed to be shortened. The uniform presented an image of “well brought up” young women,
Just 2.7 percent of the working nurse population in the United States are men. To understand why nursing is dominated by women, we have to examine the its history. Male nurses may belong, but there?s still not many around. According to the U.S. Labor Department statistics, "6.7 percent of registered nurses were male"(statistics). Gender discrimination in nursing exists because of prejudices male students encounter in the classroom, in the workplace and with the patients.
According to Ralph Waldo Emerson, we live in a society of conformity that is, "in conspiracy against the manhood of every one of its members . . . the virtue in most request is conformity. Self-reliance is its aversion" (Emerson, 21). Since Civil War Nursing, women in the work force have been faced with this dilemma of self-reliance and conformity. As women have been discriminated against, and referred to as inferior to men, it has not been an easy task to over come the social barriers, without giving in to conformity, especially when it comes to the work place. As their role in the Civil War, nurses "fulfilled more of a replacement mother position, rather than a healthcare provider"(Hamway, 2001).
Gender bias has a long history and continues to occur in the workplace today. Research indicates that women remain significantly disadvantaged and mistreated compared to men in the workforce. How do the disparities of hiring, promotion, and salaries affect women in the workplace?