MEN
IN NURSINGMEN
IN NURSINGI wanted to add a special page about men in nursing. Male nurses are still considered a bit of an oddity. The general public seems to suspect that male nurses are either gay or "wannabe" physicians who just couldn't cut the mustard in college or come up with the money it takes to get through med. school.
I think these assumptions are interesting, because they tell us volumes about our culture, and why it needs to change. However, the subject of men in nursing has a surprising amount of history. Click here to visit a site that gives an overview. It is informative, and establishes that male nurses are not a new phenomenon.
The Catholic Church has contributed richly to the history of men in
nursing. My particular favorite is St.
Camillus de Lellis, a 16th century mercenary soldier, gambler, and
wastrel who became a dedicated, splendid and progressive nurse. His emphasis
on clean bodies, a clean environment, meeting spiritual need and the role
of the spirit in healing foreshadowed the work of more modern nursing theorists.