Men in Nursing

DECEMBER 2019 | EDUCATIONANDCAREERNEWS.COM

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MEN IN NURSING Dr. Ernest Grant

The first male president of the American Nurses Association works to elevate the nursing profession

As maternal mortality rates continue to rise, male midwives play a critical role Online How a twist in Warren Hebert’s career path led him to a passion for nursing

Carrying the Torch in Med-Surg Nursing Surrounded by nurses as a young person, Wes Foster fell in love with medical-surgical nursing. At every stage of his career, he finds more reasons to keep that light alive, personally and professionally.

I grew up in a family of nurses, and I was always fascinated by the work my mom and grandmother did in nursing. I worked with terminally ill patients through the ups and downs of their disease; it is an honor to care and be there for them in those moments.

The spark inside to give care to others continues. Even when I am away from the bedside and working with nursing students in a classroom, it is there. When I see that they understand a difficult concept, or when the pieces of the puzzle finally fit, their passion ignites, and makes it so worthwhile. I know that they will go on with that same fire that was so bright in my mother and grandmother, and is always in me.

Charles “Wes” Foster, MSN, RN, CMSRN, CCCTM, OCN, Secretary, Medical-Surgical Nursing Certification Board (MSNCB); Member, Academy of Medical-Surgical Nurses (AMSN)

Opening the Doors: Bringing More Men Into Nursing Bringing more men into nursing is crucial to address the shortage in this vital profession.

Historically, nursing has always been a female-dominated profession, with women currently making up more than 90 percent of RNs, according to the latest data available from the National Council of State Boards of Nursing. Considering the fact that men make up 49.2 percent of U.S. citizens, today’s nursing workforce does not mirror the patient population it serves.

Barriers to entry Studies point to many reasons why men often do not pursue nursing careers, including role stereotypes, economic barriers, few mentors, gender biases, lack of direction from early authority fig-

Deborah Trautman Ph.D., RN, FAAN, President and CEO, American Association of Colleges of Nursing ures, misunderstanding about the practice of nursing, and increased opportunities in other fields.

Compounding the lack of gender diversity is the fact that nursing-school deans and faculty are also a gender-skewed group. Men only represent 6.5 percent of faculty and 6 percent of deans.

Recruiting efforts Fortunately, nursing schools have made recruiting more men into their programs a priority. Some

schools offer mentoring programs for male students, while others have created pipeline programs to transition military veterans into registered nurses, building on the individual’s previous healthcare experience.

The success of these efforts is beginning to show. Data compiled by the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) indicates that the percentage of male nurses in undergraduate and graduate programs is increasing.

Currently, men represent 13.4 percent of students in entry-level baccalaureate nursing programs. In graduate programs, men make up 12.2 percent of students in master’s programs and 11.2 percent of students in doctoral programs. At this rate, we expect a significant increase in the number of men in the nursing workforce over the next few years. n

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Why Veterans Should Consider Careers in Nursing Veterans are encouraged to consider second careers in nursing. That’s especially important because there’s a growing need for nurses.

Labor statistics predict the need for nurses will surge from 2.8 million to 3.6 million in the next decade.

“There isn’t a more noble profession to be a part of,” says Alan Bernstein, MS, RN, deputy chief nursing officer for the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).

“Nurses in general, not just VA

nurses, are always ranked as one of the most trusted professions in the United States.”

The VA, the largest medical provider in the country, employs 105,000 nursing personnel and serves over 9 million veterans.

With one active, unrestricted state license, VA nurses can work at any of the country’s 1,200 VA healthcare facilities.

Characteristics

“Military members often operate under some of the most stressful conditions imaginable,” says Bernstein. “The military

Benefits

really does train those people to handle and cope with stress.

That is a skill that very easily translates to VA’s busy healthcare environment.”

He says veterans have five characteristics that make them great candidates for nursing careers: they value teamwork, are innovative, are resilient, are great at problem solving, and are diverse.

“They can garner trust and they have a responsibility to work effectively as a team,” he says.

“They bring all of that and their sense of camaraderie to the VA.”

The benefits of a career as a VA nurse include flexible schedules, flexible salary tables, and education debt reduction, such as scholarships, tuition reimbursement, and loan repayment programs.

The VA also offers career development, such as helping military medics interested in becoming registered nurses get licensed and get hired. Through the VA Learning Opportunities Residency (VALOR) Program, registered nursing students with less than a year of experience can apply for a VA nursing residency.

“You can give back to our brothers and sisters that have served to protect the country if you work for VA,” says Bernstein.

“Or if you work in the private sector, you’re able to help your fellow human beings during a time in their life when they need the support of a nurse.”

For more info on the VA Nursing program, go to VACareers.va.gov. n Kristen Castillo

U.S. News & World Report

ranked #6 best

online master’s in

nursing programs for

veterans ucnursing.online MEDIAPLANET • 3

3 Nursing Experts Share Advice for Aspiring Professionals Benjamin Phillips BSN ‘18, University of Colorado College of Nursing

Charles Lanum Staff Nurse, Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center Emergency Department

Mark Erickson BSN, RN, DNP Student, Seattle University

How can men contribute to, and benefit from, a career in nursing?

Three male nurses tell us about their experiences in the field and why diversity in nursing is critical.

in the field when traveling with a team of health professionals that collaborated with locals to provide healthcare in rural villages in northern Vietnam.

What inspired you to pursue a career in nursing?

What has your experience been like in your program or in the field?

Benjamin Phillips: Like many nurses, I entered the nursing profession as a second career. I was looking for something that would be challenging, and more importantly, rewarding.

BP: The University of Colorado College of Nursing was both challenging and rigorous. However, I felt prepared to enter what can often be an unremitting profession.

Charles Lanum: After college, I was working with the mental health population but could not pay my bills and didn’t want to sit behind a desk all day. Psychiatric nursing was appealing because it allowed me to continue working with the psychiatric population.

Mark Erickson: I became interested

CL: As an ED psychiatric nurse, I do more than just pass out pills.

My job requires critical thinking and a broad range of skills and education in order to care for patients in crisis.

ME: Some days are challenging, but the hard work is rewarded by the positive influence I have on peo-

ple’s lives. As I have grown into the role, it has become a part of who I am.

Why do you think it’s important to encourage men to go into nursing?

Are there benefits to more diversity in the profession?

BP: A more equal distribution of gender and accurate representation of diversity in healthcare is a great emerging trend.

CL: Any field benefits from diversity. The job requires empathy, compassion, discipline, intelligence, and resiliency. Those are qualities of the people in healthcare, regardless of gender.

ME: In order to care for a diverse population, it is imperative that the nursing workforce diversify so all Americans have access to high-quality care.

RESEARCHER. EDUCATOR. PRACTITIONER. DEAN. NURSE. University of Colorado Nursing: Boldly transforming health — TOGETHER. Dean Elias Provencio-Vasquez PhD, RN First generation college student.

Pioneer in neonatal and pediatric care.

First Latino male Dean of Nursing.

Our programs surpass the national average of male nursing candidates.

Learn more at cuanschutz.edu/meninnursing

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Shattering Myths About Men in Nursing A more diverse nursing workforce provides better care and promotes health literacy. For that reason, it’s important that we recruit more men into nursing.

The American public has ranked nursing the most honest and ethical profession for 17 consecutive years. These results reflect the deep trust that the public has in nurses and underscore the urgency to promote realistic images of nurses.

As the first man to be elected president of the American Nurses Association, I work to

elevate the nursing profession and increase the diversity of nursing across ethnicities and genders. The statistics on demographics in the nursing workforce vary, but they do reveal that the profession is lacking balanced representation across genders. Previously, decades of legal barriers kept men out of the field, and nursing schools often refused to admit men, a practice deemed unconstitutional by the U.S. Supreme Court. Women currently make up 90 percent of the nursing workforce, while about 9 percent of nurses in the United States are men.

Health literacy It’s important that the nursing profession better reflect society

and our patients. Often, nurses are the first line of defense in providing lifesaving care and treatment in underserved communities and to under-represented populations that are disproportionately affected by health and healthcare disparities.

Role models It’s time to be deliberate in recruiting more men into the nursing profession to further dispel many stereotypes of nurses. Efforts should begin early, starting at the grade school level by letting boys see men who are nurses. This should be reemphasized at the high school level by guidance counselors or health occupation programs.

In those programs, boys and

young men can obtain more exposure to nursing or apply for admission into a baccalaureate program. In 2016, 12 percent of baccalaureate and graduate nursing students were men. I encourage men in nursing to visit K-12 public and private schools and take every opportunity to be thought of or seen as model nurses within their communities such as neighborhood gatherings, houses of worship, and local civic organizations.

There were many stereotypes about men in nursing and fortunately, you don’t hear them as much anymore. People know that men can provide quality, safe patient care. n Ernest Grant, Ph.D., RN, FAAN, President, American Nurses Association

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Celebrating the Contributions of Male Midwives Five male midwives tell us about their critical role in addressing the nursing shortage, providing services to families, and helping ensure maternal health in the United States.

Peter Johnson Ph.D., CNM, FACNM, FAAN

Jason Harvey Kennedy BS, BSN, RN, SNM, C-EFM, CLC

Derrick Pickering MSN, FNP-C, APRN, SNM

Al Runzel CNM, MSN, AAFP ALSO Faculty Advisor

Daniel Stec DNP, CNM, FNP-BC

“I found my calling to midwifery through my service in the US Air Force. I realized after being stationed in labor and delivery as a nurse that I had an affinity for assisting women in childbirth. This led to my career in midwifery and my subsequent master’s and doctorate degree.”

“Throughout my clinical assignments at NYU College of Nursing, I unknowingly had more female than male patients. When asked by a nurse manager if I’d ever thought about being a labor and delivery nurse, I replied, ‘I didn’t even know men were allowed to be here!’”

“I have gone through several events in life that led me to midwifery. My wife and I have struggled with infertility and experienced a long journey of heartache and excitement. From that, I gained a greater appreciation for the critical role women play in their community and their families.”

“Childbirth was always fascinating. When I was exploring nurse-midwifery, women had very little control over their and their families’ experience. I have made it my lifelong goal to facilitate families’ childbirth experience to let them decide how they will experience this very special time.”

“I was inspired during my OB/GYN rotation in nursing school to help improve the care that women received. I became passionate about midwifery and have continued to pursue more training and experiences in this field.”

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Navigating the Road to Nursing Leadership Nursing is one of the most rewarding career paths someone could choose.

We share advice for those looking to become leaders in this trusted profession.

T

he difference in one dreaming and one living out that dream is the ability to notice the door of opportunity and making the decision to step through it. I have found out that it is not always what you say to someone but how you say it. I have learned not to get caught up in the specific words of the conversation, but mean what you say based on your unwavering values and principles.

That is who we are as nurses. It is the reason why we have been voted No. 1 in Forbes for being the most trusted profession. We are trusted to lead because of

what we believe in and our genuineness towards others.

every day to demonstrate your value to patients and colleagues.

Advice to aspiring nurses 1. Someone else’s struggles are our struggles. Everything can be linked back to one’s well-being through the impact of our social determinants of health in our environment. Always think big picture and how you can impact someone’s life. Do not limit your impact to a patient’s acute stay or office visit.

3. There is no greatness without adversity. Nursing is a very difficult profession, but one of such great reward.

2. Show me, do not tell me. We do not get tenure outside of academia. We only have the leverage of our value. Bring your A-game

5. I live by the notion that I am the reflection of the top five people I interact with in my life.

When you change the people you

4. Complacency is the greatest threat to excellence. It is OK to reflect and be proud of what you have achieved or helped others achieve, but do not ever become satisfied.

surround yourself with, it leads you to change the environment to allow you to grow. The environment will then change your perspective on life, ultimately providing the experience and wisdom to change others’ lives.

Take the lead Do not wait for others to prepare and set the path for you.

You prepare yourself for the path. Life is not going to be fair, and sometimes the chips will be against you. If you prepare yourself to the best of your ability and surround yourself with great individuals, you will succeed at whatever you put your mind to.

The most important part is to make sure you share your journey to inspire others to pay it forward as those before you provided the opportunity for your growth. In the words of Chadwick Boseman from the movie “Black Panther,” “Let those who have been watered, be water.” n Blake K. Smith, MSN, RN, President, American Association for Men in Nursing

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