Good morning all,
Currently, I am a CHPNA working towards my RN degree. I am enrolled in a Eng Comp class. One of the requirements is to write an Expository Essay; my topic is male nurses. Thinking about why I picked this topic, I have come to the realization a scene that had unfolded in front of me while my daughter was in Rehab, has driven me to write about this topic.
I'm sure I've peaked the curiousity about my daughter being in Rehab, so here's the scoop:
A week before my daughter's 18th b-day, in 2001, she was injured in a MVA, she was the driver and she had her younger sister, along with other friends in the vehicle. No one was wearing seat belts. The vehicle hit a road under construction, started swerving over the washer board like road, daughter's friend grabbed steering wheel and the car rolled 4 times. My daughter was the only one ejected from the car, leaving her injured at the C-4 level, breaking her neck in 3 places.
During her Rehab period, she had a male CNA. She really liked him, he was crazy, funny and made her smile alot during those gloomy days. One occurence, which sticks in my mind, happened when we first arrived at the Rehab. One of the older female nurses implied to me it was "not right" to have a male CNA cleaning my daughter up. I saw no problem with it as long as he was professional and there was no other ulterior motives. By the time I was done talking to the older nurse, I felt very confused and quite frankly very upset that a nurse had implied the aide was not professional. Wondering if she was in the best hands possible being at that Rehab, I approached the Charge Nurse and expressed my fears and concerns. I don't know what happened, all I know is he continued to be my daughter's aide and the RN continued to work on the floor, albeit she was very formal with me after that.
SO, I need your help, male and female alike. Here is my outline and answers that I need to my questions:
1.) History of male nurses2). Patients’ view of male nurses 3). Peer to peer view of male nurses a. performance on the job4). Interviews with male nurses a. why did they enter the field? b. are they treated differently by patients? c. are they treated differently by Doctors? d. are they treated differently by other nurses? e. how many other males in their graduating class?5). Potential employer perception of male nurses a. the ratio of male versus female nurses employed b. the difference between male and female nurses6). Competitive pay & benefits a. are they offered the same wage and benefits as female nurses?Any insight would be most appreciatedCindy