So, men are the solution to an ever-more-worrisome nurse shortage worldwide. Currently, the workforce is along the lines of 90 percent female. Recruit more males into nursing, then.
That’s the argument of a blogger (and female nurse) on a website called The Conversation. And we agree—to the extent that men are more than welcome in our profession, and have been for some time. The male perspective can be an important part of diverse health care teams that anticipate, process, and respond to any patient and situation. We need more men just as we need more nurses from underrepresented minority groups, from the LGBTQ community, from the talented pool of returned Peace Corps volunteers, and from other walks of life.
But saying “hire more men” isn’t enough. We need to change minds, including perhaps our own.
Read the full article on The Huffington Post.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: PATRICIA M. DAVIDSON
Patricia M. Davidson, PhD, MEd, RN, is dean of the Johns Hopkins School of Nursing and a fellow of the Australian College of Nursing, the American Heart Association, the Preventive Cardiovascular Nurses Association, and the American Academy of Nursing. She is counsel general of the International Council on Women’s Health Issues and actively involved in the international activities of Sigma Theta Tau International. Follow her on Twitter (@nursingdean).