However, Li feels that in the fast-paced, high-pressure world of ICUs, emergency rooms oroperating rooms, male nurses have an advantage.
“In ICU, there are paralyzed patients that need to be moved or turned over quickly,which cannot usually be done by a female nurse on her own,” he said, explaining why moremen work in such departments.
Hospitals are also more willing to place male staff in these high-pressure environmentsbecause they require less communication with the patients or patients’ families, therebyreducing the chances to a male nurse suffering abuse or discrimination. “Most peopledidn’t mean to humiliate us but their words still hurt our feelings. Hospitals don’t wanttheir male nurses quitting because of this,” added Li.
After the May 12 earthquake in Sichuan province in 2008 (the second anniversaryfalls on the same day as International Nurses Day), nearby hospitals sent their male nursesto the disaster zone to help rescue victims as it was believed they would work better inthe harsh and dangerous environment, said Yu Mingcheng, a former male nurse with theMianyang Central Hospital.
“Every five minutes after the earthquake, a truck full of at least 20 casualties droveup to our hospital. Several male colleagues and I had to carry the victims to the operatingrooms,” he said.
Although still few in numbers, male nurses are welcomed by the majority of hospitalsin China, said Zheng Shanhai, an ICU doctor at China Meitan General Hospital inBeijing.
Women provide wonderful support but “it’s undeniable that in some importantoperations that could last eight hours, male nurses are more likely (to have the stamina) topersist to the end,” he said.
Nationwide, hospitals are hiring more men onto their nursing staff, (Zheng said hisunit recently accepted a handful of male interns), yet experts say many quit just a few yearsinto their career.