Recruiting and retaining men in nursing: a review of the literature

A review of literature published primarily since 1980 was conducted to identify (1) historical events that have influenced the sex imbalance in the nursing workforce, (2) the existence and types of barriers affecting the recruitment of male nurses, and (3) feasible strategies that might form the basis of intervention studies in the future. Nursing continues to be undervalued as an end-point career by some, and most potential candidates lack exposure to male nurses and nursing in general. Family resistance and salary remain concerns, but they may be as important a deterrent for some women as for men. Significant barriers to men exist in nursing education and practice, and the language and history of nursing have sexualized nursing practice itself by labeling it as women's work. The latter pattern has influenced legal decisions affecting the clinical practice of male nurses and has contributed to perhaps the most significant barrier to the recruitment of male candidates: the job title and its associated images. Proactive recruitment from selected target groups, the use of role models, and the exploitation of appropriate media sources are but three feasible strategies identified from the literature review that might be considered if nurses really would value changing the sex imbalance in the nursing workforce.