Male Nurse Evolution
Evolution of Male Nurses in the Army
Nursing was often considered to be a profession dominated by females. There were strong stereotype that promoted ideas about profession and gender type. Men that were nurses often face assumptions based on their jobs. In fact, male nurses have existed in the United States for nearly as long as female nurses. Prior to the early 1900s, men dominated the field of nursing. In fact during wars prior to 1900’s, men serving as frontline nurses, while female nurses were restricted to hospitals.
The military began to adapt these same stereotype ideas in the early 1900’s. The government as well as the military ignored the idea that a male could be nurse. In 1901 the United States Military reorganized the nursing corps and men were no longer allowed to serve as nurse. Florence Nightingale is widely blamed for the "demise of men" in nursing, because she believed that the organization and supervision of nursing care should be taken out of the hands of men (“Just call us nurses,” 2012). This contributed to the general feminization of nurses. Males nurses struggled to find their place in the military. Male nurses argue that they had the same training and hold the same State Diplomas but they were classified as orderlies and paid about half …show more content…
The government had to come up with a plan to recruit more nurses. There had also been several series of legislature from previous years that was not passed. Finally on August 9th, 1955 President Eisenhower signed into law an Act that provided commissions for qualified male nurses in the military. This allows the Army to commission its first male officer on October 6th, 1955. Lieutenant Edward T. Lyon became the Army Nurse Corps' first male nurse. This Bill allowed male nurses to be commissioned on a regular basis in the military. That stereotype barrier had begun to be broken and male nurses were proving their worth throughout the
Nursing was often considered to be a profession dominated by females. There were strong stereotype that promoted ideas about profession and gender type. Men that were nurses often face assumptions based on their jobs. In fact, male nurses have existed in the United States for nearly as long as female nurses. Prior to the early 1900s, men dominated the field of nursing. In fact during wars prior to 1900’s, men serving as frontline nurses, while female nurses were restricted to hospitals.
The military began to adapt these same stereotype ideas in the early 1900’s. The government as well as the military ignored the idea that a male could be nurse. In 1901 the United States Military reorganized the nursing corps and men were no longer allowed to serve as nurse. Florence Nightingale is widely blamed for the "demise of men" in nursing, because she believed that the organization and supervision of nursing care should be taken out of the hands of men (“Just call us nurses,” 2012). This contributed to the general feminization of nurses. Males nurses struggled to find their place in the military. Male nurses argue that they had the same training and hold the same State Diplomas but they were classified as orderlies and paid about half …show more content…
The government had to come up with a plan to recruit more nurses. There had also been several series of legislature from previous years that was not passed. Finally on August 9th, 1955 President Eisenhower signed into law an Act that provided commissions for qualified male nurses in the military. This allows the Army to commission its first male officer on October 6th, 1955. Lieutenant Edward T. Lyon became the Army Nurse Corps' first male nurse. This Bill allowed male nurses to be commissioned on a regular basis in the military. That stereotype barrier had begun to be broken and male nurses were proving their worth throughout the