Men Nurses in Atlantic Canada

Abstract

The health care industry is facing a worldwide shortage. Despite a repeated call for a greater effort on recruitment and retention of men nurses to aid the nursing shortage, men remain a minority within the profession. In Canada, less than 7% of the nursing workforce are men. Using a survey, all men registered nurses in the Atlantic provinces reported on why they chose nursing, barriers they experienced, strategies to improve recruitment/retention, recommendations to others, and career satisfaction. The most common reasons for entering nursing were helping people, job security, and a challenging profession. The most common perceived barriers were being seen as “muscle,” inadequate recruitment, and sexual stereotypes. Most subjects were satisfied with career choice and had no hesitation in recommending the career for other men. Respondents stressed that recruitment strategies should focus on factors such as helping others, job security, and career opportunities. Findings may help with future recruitment strategies designed to attract more men into the nursing profession.