Pass the torch!

I am constantly amazed at the opportunities I have to mentor another male into considering nursing. I take great pleasure in sharing with others how choosing a career in nursing was one of the best decisions I made as a young person.

One day, as I sat in my office, a young man happened by and stopped to ask if he could speak to me about men in nursing. You don’t need to guess what I did. I motioned him inside my office and sat him down. His face beamed as I shared stories about my days as a student, as well interesting clinical cases I had encountered throughout my career. I was thrilled by the numerous questions he posed. I could feel his passion for making a difference, and I thought to myself, “Yes, this young man will make a fantastic nurse.” As he left, I knew our chance encounter was just that, because I had not planned on being in the office that day.

As I reflect, I am glad I was there and, more importantly, that I had the opportunity to meet this wonderful young man, who is clearly on his way to becoming a nurse. You know, so often we get busy and do not take the time to talk to prospective students, or we are simply too overwhelmed by all that is expected of us and unintentionally make ourselves unavailable.

I remember learning from a wise professor a long time ago to always leave my door open, both literally and figuratively, because we never know who may come knocking. Looking back, I say my professor was right. After all, it was a chance encounter that influenced me to choose nursing. The individual was an ER nurse who told me to “hold to my dream,” that I would end up doing what I was meant to do. All I can say is, I will continue passing the torch, and I think you should do the same.

For Reflections on Nursing Leadership (RNL), published for the Honor Society of Nursing, Sigma Theta Tau International.

Cracking the glass ceiling

In my travels, I have had the opportunity to speak to a number of male nursing students who underscored the need for men in nursing to pursue leadership. While some nurse leaders dismiss the significance of the gender gap, it has a profound impact on how men progress in the profession. Seeing nurses, who are male, in leadership roles provides inspiration to budding clinicians and scholars. Additionally, it sends an important tangible message that, with hard work and perseverance, men can carve their path in a female-dominated profession. For men who enter schools of nursing or are employed at hospitals that lack gender diversity, it is not as easy as it may seem.

I recall one of my female colleagues in medicine sharing how she attended a conference where she was the only female on a panel. I could feel her angst as she described her discomfort. Reflecting upon our conversation made me realize nursing’s moral obligation to develop pathways that increase the number of men at the bedside as well as at the administrative level. There is no doubt in my mind that men in nursing still experience marginalization. However, I am encouraged by initiatives promulgated by the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) and others to diversify the profession by gender.

To dispel myths that, unfortunately, are still pervasive, it is essential that men be visible at the bedside and at academic and administrative levels. The transition has begun, and I am thrilled. I charge all schools of nursing to not only think about recruitment, but also consider developing clinical and administrative pathways that allow men to continue cracking the glass ceiling.

Photo credit: Comstock Images/Thinkstock
For Reflections on Nursing Leadership (RNL), published by the Honor Society of Nursing, Sigma Theta Tau International.