I think for the longest time people have been trying to figure out how women have negotiated their identity in the workplace that was until recently dominated by men. I think this idea of male nurses as not belonging to their occupation due to gender stereotyping is rather paradoxical. In the past, in order to manage the influx of women into the workforce, many jobs were feminized and eventually known to be jobs that require ‘feminine’ qualities. It is due to the enforcement of patriarchy that led to nursing being labeled as a subordinate occupation compared to being a doctor. In the case of male nurses, being the minority in the nursing occupation may actually lead to them being associated with the subordinate role, which ultimately was the result of patriarchy.

I was reading this book about men in caring occupations and how they negotiate masculinity in gender atypical jobs. In the book it stated that men in such situations either emphasise how their masculine characteristics may value-add to their job, or by de-emphasising the feminine qualities of that occupation.
In the case of nursing, male nurses are said to point to their ability to be rational and good management skills that allow them to work more efficiently than their female counterparts. When questioned about the feminine nature of the job, many chose to avoid that and emphasise on the many global opportunities to travel given the demand for nurses worldwide.
I think it is exciting to look further at the various strategies employed by men in other gender atypical jobs like air stewarding, teaching and as librarians, to negotiate their masculinity.

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