Why are most nurses female?

Suppose he asks "how do we do this? What's the protocol?" or asks "What do you want me to do?".

Elderly Person do you have some medical procedure coming up which is preying on your mind? (Not prying, so don’t answer if you don’t want to) but I can assure you that 1) your dignity and modesty will be respected, 2) you will be given clear instructions about what to do and if it involves undressing and putting on a hospital gown, you will be given privacy to do this 3)) if you are still unsure about how far to strip down a simple “Pants on or off?” should be easy enough to ask.
The nurse will not be embarrassed nor will she in any way embarrass you - so please do not worry.
If an MRSA groin swab is to be taken and you are not sure about whether to drop your pants, you can ask “What will that involve?”
So don’t stress about it!

Staff do wear badges where my dd works and she always introduce herself - that’s standard good practice as taught in med school.

She has to wear scrubs provided by the hospital so no chance of anyone having their job written on them!

I think she’s now resigned to having to repeatedly explain her position and also to tell people she’s not twelve years old. Though one elderly man told her she’d left it too late to marry and have children - she’s 25! ?

Thank you.

Ah yes, I saw the green top with the word DOCTOR in white before the world changed.

Well, customised scrubs would be possible as a bulk order arranged by the government.

Do the doctors, nurses, healthcare assistants all wear the same colour scrubs, or does the colour indicate the role?

and everybody pretend that the nurses have not noticed his
private parts
Elderlyperson I'd only start worrying if there were no "private parts" for the nurses to notice and they'd forgotten to give me the leaflet before the procedure!.
OoRoo

Katie59

Whatever females were in the past, they are not now. I have a male carer, who is kind and loving and cheerful, though last week someone called him 'my friend' and for some reason I had to correct them.

The majority of female carers are not at all kind now. They are bossy, think they can say and do what they like. That is not all. When my carer went to Africa before Christmas I had a woman come in, and - foolishly as it turned out - gave her a key. The first time she presented me with the bill was when she came in early in the morning, and left without waking me up, and despite my saying no, she did the same another time. On one occasion she asked to clean the bathroom, and the next day she was wearing a diamond cross around her neck, which I was wearing myself just a month before, but changed it for another cross. I had the few pieces of jewellery which had not been stolen, in a case in the bathroom (which was not visible) and when I looked, the cross had gone. You cannot say anything to these people, because you cannot prove it was there in the first place. It was not the first time. She did no cleaning, and the next time I woke up to the sound of the washing machine finishing (it plays a tune), and she was scrabbling around searching through the cupboards and drawers the other side of the bed. I got up without looking in that direction and went to the bathroom, but saw her rush out of the room. When I came out, the washing machine had just started washing clothes, with hardly any clothes in it, so when I woke to hear it finishing, it was her washing! I don't mind that so much, but she had taken advantage of my kindness, and had she done some cleaning, it would be better. I gave her a key because on occasion I had had to get my carer in an emergency and he could let himself in. There was another problem, that she never mentioned that she was also working in a care home, and should have been more careful with protection. I am 80, and disabled since 1987, and to think my health was at risk at a time when vaccines were a pipe dream, was scary.
I have had many women from agencies who, though not quite as brazen, were very bossy. You lost your independence very quickly if you let it continue. I had to pluck up a great deal of courage to get rid of them.

Another thing women do is to put everything out of your reach. Why, I do not know. It is very common indeed. Cups and glasses put on the top shelves, and things you never need on the bottom. Why? I know several 'carers' put almost all the mugs out of reach, leaving me with just one, so that I would not leave so much washing up to them. At £25 an hour, I should be able to use as many mugs and dishes as I like, or anything else that I want them to do. I do not think any of them realise how difficult it is sometimes to stand long enough to wash up.

When my late husband needed care the women the SS sent in were disgraceful. They did not take their coats off, stunk of booze and cigarettes. I had no right to complain, apparently.

Men like to please.

ps: I have had carers and helpers for 35 years, and am speaking from experience.

That aside, once when I attended the cardiac clinic, the young African doctor who was learning was in the room and when he came to fix the electrodes on, he asked if he could put them where my bra was, so I said ''Wait 'til I brush the crumbs out'' and he stifled a grin, so I said ''You are allowed to laugh, you know, and they all laughed.

Elegran:

When I went into training school, nurses were paid while they trained. It wasn't a fortune, and we had to buy our books and shoes, etc, but as in industry, male student nurses had a higher pay than us, did the same hours, lived in the nurses' home and ate the same food.

When it appeared that after finishing training, the nurses went abroad, the NHS could not afford to train nurses who left, so now they have to take out student loans like everyone else.

It's because, like teaching and social work, it's poorly paid.
Traditionally males were held to be good at making money, while women were supposed to be good at being kind and good at looking after others in practical ways.

Also traditionally most often women are held to be the workhorses while men give the orders and do the clever work. You can see this attitude also in the stories Jane Austen told about how women could not inherit entailed family money. Also in some of the Bronte's stories.

Elderly Person wrote:

" I know that in everyday life there is the men's changing room and the women's changing room and so on, and that in hospital things are often different, yet there is a delicate balance between everyday and hospital and in my opinion that should not be disregarded."

I agree, and also how hospital decor and staff uniforms should reflect the special surroundings that a hospital is. What makes it special is that patients have to hand over much of their personal autonomy to the staff , and the decor and personel of the establishment should reflect its special status, so as to reassure the patients.

The time is not ripe for male nurses to bath women of any age.
Especially an elderly woman! This is an example of cost-cutting that is bad for patients.

When I was nurse if a woman was to be intimately examined by a male doctor she had a female nurse not only to assist the doctor but also to chaperone and reassure. The very good ale nurses I knew in the late 40s early 5os were never in female wards. Attitudes ahve changed but not veru much and patients' comfort is the forst consideration. Can you imagine the Queen would be bathed by a male nurse!

sorry for lots of typos

Can you say more about hospital decor please, I find that interesting.

How do you mean please?

I have seen somewhere that having each room door a different colour helps patients find their way around.

Curtains round beds, plain or colourful stripes?

Art on the walls?

Caleo

sorry for lots of typos

Quite alright ma'am.

The important thing is that you participated in the discussion and shared your experiences and views, for which I am grateful. Thank you.

I believe and hope that proper hospital decor is all you describe, and subtly more than that.

For instance I include language in "decor". The language that staff use to patients is not the same as the staff use in the pub or with their spouses. Staff , even volunteers, should convey efficiency, respectfulness, and dignity when they talk to patients. I don't mean they must not tell jokes, but they need to hold on to what rightly gives them their authority .

Visual decor besides diversional stuff like plants and pictures, should reflect the hospital ethos of cleanliness and efficiency, as these reassure patients.

I do agree that colours have immediate psychological effects on people, and I an sure hospital planners are aware of this.

I believe and hope that proper hospital decor is all you describe, and subtly more than that.

For instance I include language in "decor". The language that staff use to patients is not the same as the staff use in the pub or with their spouses. Staff , even volunteers, should convey efficiency, respectfulness, and dignity when they talk to patients. I don't mean they must not tell jokes, but they need to hold on to what rightly gives them their authority .

Visual decor besides diversional stuff like plants and pictures, should reflect the hospital ethos of cleanliness and efficiency, as these reassure patients.

I do agree that colours have immediate psychological effects on people, and I an sure hospital planners are aware of this.

Also traditionally most often women are held to be the workhorses while men give the orders and do the clever work. You can see this attitude also in the stories Jane Austen told about how women could not inherit entailed family money. Also in some of the Bronte's stories

What?
Jane Austen did not tell stories she wrote novels in a period when (however regrettably) women did not have control of their own finances. ( Actually some could and did but that’s another matter.)
Estates were entailed not money. This was designed to limit the inheritance of (property) over a number of generations so that ownership remains within a particular family or group.
"her father's estate was entailed on a cousin"
As for your suggestion that women were held to be the workhorses while men give the orders etc- really?
Sadly as late as the 20 th century it was not a case of being regarded as “workhorses” but intellectually inferior to men - for instance women could study for degrees but despite passing university examinations, were not allowed to be awarded degrees until 1878 at University of London, 1895 at Durham, 1920 at Oxford, and 1948 at Cambridge.
So to go back to OP’s question - traditionally men who wanted to study medicine became doctors, women became nurses.
Thank goodness those days are gone.

ElderlyPerson 'Why are most nurses female?' - simple, just look at the pay and conditions!

MawBe

^Also traditionally most often women are held to be the workhorses while men give the orders and do the clever work. You can see this attitude also in the stories Jane Austen told about how women could not inherit entailed family money. Also in some of the Bronte's stories^

What?
Jane Austen did not tell stories she wrote novels in a period when (however regrettably) women did not have control of their own finances. ( Actually some could and did but that’s another matter.)
Estates were entailed not money. This was designed to limit the inheritance of (property) over a number of generations so that ownership remains within a particular family or group.
"her father's estate was entailed on a cousin"
As for your suggestion that women were held to be the workhorses while men give the orders etc- really?
Sadly as late as the 20 th century it was not a case of being regarded as “workhorses” but intellectually inferior to men - for instance women could study for degrees but despite passing university examinations, were not allowed to be awarded degrees until 1878 at University of London, 1895 at Durham, 1920 at Oxford, and 1948 at Cambridge.
So to go back to OP’s question - traditionally men who wanted to study medicine became doctors, women became nurses.
Thank goodness those days are gone.

I remember watching the start of the live broadcast of the Conservative Party conference on television about 1989 or 1990. There was a procedural bit about accepting some report or other and a lady had asked to speak. She was allowed to speak.
Many members of the Cabinet, including The Prime Minister, Mrs Thatcher, were sat ,on the stage, facing the audience.
The lady started to speak. Something like "Before you is our great leader ..." etc and on she went. Mrs Thatcher looked quite embarrassed by the esteem with which she was being spoken about.
Then came the punch line.
"But at the end of the financial year her earnings have to be declared on her husband's tax return".
It was changed to separate taxation for married women within a year.
Up until as recently as 1990 if too much tax had been charged to a woman at her employment, the government sent a cheque for the refund to her husband not to her!

I always thought it peculiar that Mr Collins did not have the surname Bennet as the estate was entailed.

Are you aware of this website and its newsletters?

janeausten.co.uk/

The newsletters are full of advertisements for stuff but there are also articles. Lots to read and often very interesting.

Some doctors still don't understand that nursing is a separate career and nurses are not their handmaidens.
My nurse D was in the middle of a procedure with a very sick patient when a doctor told her to get some notes he wanted. She told him where they were and to get them himself.

Chardy

It's badly paid (and exhausting work), so men don't want to do it.

I think this is most likely the likeliest reason historically. Pay not sufficient to keep a home and family together if the'wife' wasn't working.plus the nom 'nurse' it sounds intrinsically female! Is there a masculine equivalent? I bet loads of lads and guys secretly would have loved to be a nurse but in days past we all know the flack they'd get! Thankfully that's all but died out.

AGAA4

Some doctors still don't understand that nursing is a separate career and nurses are not their handmaidens.
My nurse D was in the middle of a procedure with a very sick patient when a doctor told her to get some notes he wanted. She told him where they were and to get them himself.

My mum was red cross in WW2 then went on to be SRN up to 1970s she used to tell us of the utter rudeness of some(most) doctors and the disgracefull bullying by consultants-on matrons staffs and sisters ....whenever got bullied......she said they thought she was tantamount to the woman who cleaned the loos! The attitudes changed when the influx of docs from commonwealth started.she said they were absolutely fantastic! Courteous, respectful and not afraid to explain procedures etc to the nursing staff. A few used to say "if you want a professional to take blood or give injections, ask a nurse!" They understood the value of their years of practical experience. Class system still in play a bit now. One consultant told me my rheumatoid arthritis was worsening, I corrected him saying it's osteoarthritis.he looked at me as if I'd farted in church!!! Then said "it's the same thing" (little big head) I walked out slammed door and got referred to a true professional who was gobsmacked when I told him about his 'colleague'

MawBe, intellectual work is nearly always higher social status than manual work. Nurses are not and never have been expected to be as intellectual as doctors. Until recently a nursing qualification was not accepted by the Open University to be a reason for not having to do an introductory course for a discipline.

There is also a long standing snobbery about mind's being superior to matter which feeds the superior status of the more intellectual professions. Professional football has broken the mould in that connection.