Many young men do not know that it is possible to be a male Licensed Practical Nurse. Challenges and opportunities for male Licensed Practical Nurses.

Abstract

The article deals with the topic of male licensed practical nurses (LPNs) and their experience in an environment almost wholly occupied by females. The main research question deals with the experience of working as a male licensed practical nurse. Other questions included are why they chose that occupation, what the challenges were and opportunities they met, whether they experienced prejudices, and what was their view towards trying to attract more males to become LPNs. This is the first study of this kind among Icelandic LPNs. There are, however, previous comparable studies among the mostly female professions of registered nurses and pre-school teachers.

Eight male licensed practical nurses of different ages were interviewed in early 2017. They were asked about their background and why they chose this field; the challenges and opportunities for them on the job; whether they had experienced prejudice on the job and socially for their choice of occupation; and whether it would be wise to try to attract more males to the field of licensed practical nursing.

Our interviewees chose this field for various reasons. Besides simply being interested in entering a health profession, some of them had kind of “ended up” studying to become an LPN rather than planning for it. They had worked in various jobs before entering their studies, jobs they had not been satisfied with. Most of them had been pleased with the studies although they tended to be forgotten as they were a tiny minority. They also mentioned that the job was satisfying and rewarding, in contrast to some of the traditional male occupations they had considered or worked at.

When we analyzed the challenges and opportunities for them as men in this occupation, our interviewees mentioned that men were not generally expected to work in this field. For instance, the working clothes had been designed for females, and at times the facilities to change clothes was very small or non-existent. They, for instance, sometimes needed to change at home before going to work. The work also offered them various opportunities and usually they were welcomed to the field of being an LPN. The interviewees’ experience was that males could administer delicate care and that they were as able as females to demonstrate professionalism and amiability. Although they were pleased with their job, their experience within a female occupation was in line with societies’ manifold stereotypes and gender roles. Also, among the advantages mentioned was the fact that the job did not include having to work in an environment of “dust and pollution”, as in an aluminium smelter, nor did it demand working outdoors in all sorts of weather, as for example in construction.

The results indicate that in almost all factors relating to the job, the consequences of some sort of societal essentialism to the effect that the job was a woman’s job, could be observed. Prejudices in this regard were obvious when for example either the users of the service or their relatives were suspicious towards men doing the job, and also when the assumption was made that being male meant that they could be more productive than females. The interviewees, however, did not seem to be bothered by the prejudices they experienced.

When asked why there were not more male licensed practical nurses and whether it would be desirable to increase their numbers and how to go about doing that, they often referred to ideas relating to masculinity and essentialism such as more responsibility and better pay. They thought that awareness of the job being suitable for both men and women needed to be raised, similarly to other jobs where care and feelings are strengths and assets to the job.