Men in Nursing video aims to tackle perceptions and promote diversity
Universities in Northern Ireland produce video to tackle perceptions and show nursing as a rewarding career for men
Male nursing students and registered nurses are taking centre stage in a short film to discuss their careers with the hope of encouraging more men into the profession.
The Open University in Northern Ireland, Queen’s University Belfast and Ulster University have joined forces to promote diversity in nursing.
In a joint statement they said: ‘The three universities are aware of an under-representation of men in nursing. One video showcases the journeys of men through their nursing education and the inclusivity that they experience within the profession. Our aim is to tackle perceptions and encourage men to consider nursing as a rewarding career.’
Across the UK, men make up 11% (76,894) of the 675,803 nursing workforce.
Queen’s University Belfast nursing student Ryan Camdon says in the video: ‘It is very much predominantly a female profession but it is slowly starting to change. When you are actually working with patients there doesn’t seem to be any stigmas around male nurses or anything like that.’
The video is part of a wider initiative called Nursing in Northern Ireland aimed at encouraging more people to enter nursing, regardless of their age, gender or background. According to a 2020 report by the Northern Ireland Audit Office there were 2,114 vacancies for registered nurses in the country.
A diverse nursing family brings value to the profession and the care of people
The resource includes information on how to become a registered nurse and two other videos featuring nurses and nursing students talking about their experiences, such as joining the profession later in life. The universities behind the resource believe that a diverse nursing family brings value to the profession and the care of people.
Northern Ireland’s chief nursing officer Charlotte McArdle said: ‘I am delighted to support the launch of this new online resource promoting nursing as a career choice for all, and congratulate the universities on their creativity in coming together to oversee its development.’
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