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Once a rare breed, there are more male nurses now because of a new mindset, reports Esther Au Yong
 HISTORICALLY, nursing has been a woman’s job, but in modern times, it has grown to be a rewarding career for men as well.
Says senior nurse educator Jonathan Sim Guan Hua from the National Heart Centre: “I am glad that this perception has changed and that society today is more accepting of male nurses. More men are becoming nurses, with the number rising rapidly in the past few years.
“We are seeing more men take up key positions as well. Actually, there are situations where having male nurses around may be more helpful. For instance, they can help lift heavier patients, especially in orthopaedic wards. In mental health facilities, male nurses may better restrain violent patients.
“Besides that, some male patients find it more convenient to talk to male nurses.”
Mr Sim, who is in his 50s and single, says his parents initially objected when he joined the profession in 1984. He was inspired to become a nurse after a stint as a medic during his national service.
“Being a nurse is one of the most rewarding and meaningful careers,” he says.
Mr Sim, who motivates and educates other nurses now, has had a long and rewarding career, including working in a neurosurgical intensive care unit and being part of the team that evacuated the victims of the SQ006 accident in Taipei in 2000.
He says: “My parents have accepted my job as they grow older and experience the care I give them when they fall sick.”
Mr Tan Wee Tai, a senior staff nurse at Changi General Hospital, also had to overcome parental misperception when he decided to embark on a nursing career in 2003.
“My family, as well as my friends, were generally supportive of my decision.
“However, my parents did express their concern initially as they felt that it was a ‘dirty’ job, especially when dealing with blood or human waste, and feared that I was not up to the task,” says the 30-year-old bachelor.
While he can care for his patients competently, including cleaning those who are dependent on him, Mr Tan says that a nurse also has to see to the needs of a patient’s family.
“In nursing, it is not only the patient that we have to nurse, but also the patient’s family members. For example, on one occasion, a terminally ill and dying patient had requested to pass on in his own home.
“His family members decided to discharge their father and bring him home.
“However, they were not sure how to take the best care of the patient at home and expressed their concerns.
“ We addressed their concerns. Though the patient subsequently passed on, the family wrote in to express their gratitude for our efforts,” he recalls.
“ I am proud that my team had worked well together and made possible for the to be fully present, in making patient’s last moments as gentle as possible.”
This is why Mr Tan sees nursing as “a service to mankind”, regardless of a nurse’s gender.
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