Society has ingrained gender stereotypes that have affected and continue to affect the professions people enter. Attributing self-confidence, strength and rational thinking to males has pushed men into leadership positions. Perceptions of females as nurturers and caretakers has relegated women to less prestigious work. Since modern nursing began, women have dominated the profession. That’s partly because historically people have thought of nursing as almost an extension of domestic work, viewing nurses as little more than doctors’ assistants. To many, these implied women were best suited for the job. Gender bias and other stereotypes — including the notions that men don’t possess caring or nurturing traits and women belong in subservient positions — have distorted perceptions of the profession and who can be a nurse. Today’s nurses are a far cry from doctors’ helpers. With specialized knowledge based on extensive training, nurses have many duties independent of physicians and perform tasks that require advanced medical expertise. Nevertheless, gender stereotypes and misconceptions about the nature of nursing persist, perpetuating the problem of gender discrimination in nursing.

The Impact of Gender Discrimination in Nursing

Gender discrimination in nursing manifests in several ways. First, it unfairly excludes and marginalizes people. Though the number of nurses who are male has increased significantly in recent years, women still greatly outnumber men in the profession. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, in 2019 men accounted for a small percentage of nurses:

• 11 percent of registered nurses
• 12 percent of nurse practitioners

Men who enter nursing training programs and secure nursing jobs may experience gender-biased comments or find their sexuality or masculinity questioned. Additionally, nurses who are male may feel discouraged from pursuing subspecialties in nursing that are thought of as less technical, and therefore less masculine. Such gender biases have consequences for nurses who are female as well. They can easily result in supervisors overlooking women for leadership positions and assigning women to positions less likely to result in promotions. Among the most unfortunate consequences of gender bias is the compromise of the nursing profession as a whole. By associating nursing with femininity, it wrongly links gender to the work. This perpetuates misconceptions regarding the level of professionalism among nurses and diminishes its value. Historically, professions dominated by women have received less respect, lower salaries, and less authority than other professions. Perpetuating gender biases in nursing fuels outdated perceptions that nursing is little more than a subservient role, requiring only soft skills and compassionate nature. In fact, nurses are highly skilled professionals with in-depth clinical knowledge who perform vital, lifesaving work. Ultimately, preconceptions about nursing roles and duties undermine the authority of nurses and inhibit their ability to pursue leadership and autonomous roles.