Nursing is seen as a job made only for women.
This tends to give men the impression that if they take on the job, they will be looked down by the society when they are called a ‘male nurse’.
What people tend to forget is that nursing is a noble profession which involves a lot of care and empathy.
These are traits that should not only expected of women, but also men.
The numbers are disheartening for now: Out of 19.3 million nurses in the world, only 10% are male .
There is still a long way to go until the gender ratio in nursing can be balanced.
The simple fact is that, regardless of your gender, nursing is a great career option for its attractive benefits, a promising future and exciting challenges.
If your interest is piqued and want to find out why you should take up a career as a male nurse, keep reading!
Why Take Up Career as a Male Nurse
1. There is a Serious Shortage of Nurses
Shortage of nurses in the healthcare workforce has been a huge concern for the past several years in Malaysia
It has been predicted that by 2020, the nation will suffer from a shortage of nurses.
This spells potential trouble for hospitals who will inevitably have more patients to care for, especially when the ageing population will increase up to 15% by 2035 .
In order to provide better long-term care and respite care services to these senior citizens, Sarawak, for instance is looking to achieve the ratio of one nurse to 150 patients .
This is why more male nurses need to be recruited, as it will increase the number of nurses as a whole at hospitals, and allow patients to be given the proper care and attention they need.
2. Men Need to Break the Gender Stereotype
Men who have made up their minds about choosing a career in nursing will inevitably have to deal with gender stereotypes.
This usually comes in the form of male nurses being looked down by society for choosing a ‘weaker’ occupation (just because it’s usually done by women) or that they lack empathy and compassion compared to female nurses.
There is no evidence to support the claim about women being better as nurses than men.
In fact, there is no significant difference between quality of care provided by female and male nurse.
The increase of men in nursing will begin to balance the gender ratio of male/female nurses.
This may not immediately erase stereotypes, but it will gradually normalise nursing as a career for men, and eventually make it well accepted to the public.
3. Nursing Promises Career Challenges
Contrary to popular belief, being a nurse does not only mean long hours spent in hospitals and clinics.
Nursing offers possibilities of being in different work environments especially for men who like challenges.
Travel nurses, for instance, get to go to different countries depending on where their clients go.
Same goes with cruise ship nurses.
There are also different specialisations to be pursued according to one’s specific areas of interest.
Anaesthesia, flight, emergency, or trauma nursing may appeal more to men who want to be challenged in high adrenaline situations.
4. Nursing Offers a Competitive Salary and Job Stability
Nursing is a career that promises stability, and this has a lot to do with the ever-growing healthcare industry.
Advancement of technology and medical breakthroughs allow higher rates of survival for accidents and chronic diseases, which requires nurse-assisted medical care in the road to recovery.
This is how nursing continues being a career that is consistent and reliable with attractive benefits such as housing allowance, salary increment, and 14 to 25 days of annual leave, among others.
Nurses are also able to make additional income out of overtime shifts which pays according to number of hours.
The pay could go up to triple on public holidays (this, of course, depends on the hospital you would be working for)!
5. Male Strength and Preference Can be an Advantage
Men are also highly in demand to fill the void in the nursing profession to take up the job aspect that might require their physical energy and skills.
Having decent strength allows male nurses to perform certain tasks such as moving a person from one bed to another much easier.
Male patients might prefer having a male nurse who can understand the male side of medical conditions personally.
It is similar to a situation where women may feel more comfortable seeking care from female gynaecologists.
Full Scholarships are Available for Potential Male Nurses
Hospitals and nursing schools are actively recruiting students to join the nursing profession.
One in particular is Sunway Medical which is offering Full Scholarship for Nursing worth RM 100,000!
Your tuition fee and accommodation are all paid for and you will get an allowance to support you through your studies.
With this opportunity, it is time to break gender stereotype and realise that nursing is indeed fulfilling profession that provides financial stability.
You can apply for the scholarship through us here !