Male nurses breaking the ‘stereotype’
When 50 year old, Simon Lovatt, graduates with a Bachelor of Nursing at the end of this year, he will join a growing cohort of male nurses determined to break into the traditionally female dominated industry.
Fifty year old nursing student, Simon Lovatt, is breaking the male nurse 'stereotype'.
It took the father of two more than 25 years to realise his dream of studying nursing, after 18 years in banking and a further eight years in telecommunications (in which he was perpetually the first aider and work health and safety representative).
“I had always thought I would work in health care in some capacity. My father was a nurse, and later, a paramedic on board oil rigs,” says Mr Lovatt, who is studying at the University of Wollongong's (UOW) Bega campus.
Acting head of nursing at UOW, Dr Joanne Joyce-McCoach, says 382 male nursing students are currently enrolled at the university.
“About 13% of our nursing students at UOW are male, which is ahead of the national average of 10% in the workforce,” Dr Joyce-McCoach says.
Roy Brown, head of students for nursing at UOW, has been a nurse for more than 40 years. He says male nurses in the past had to contend with stereotypes; however more recently their positive contribution to the profession and to the Australian community is being valued.
“Representation by all aspects of the population in any profession is vitally important so that communities feel appropriately valued and supported. Male, as well as female, nurses bring a balance to that ‘community’ feel about care in our communities,” Mr Brown says.
“Many men in nursing come to this position, as did Simon, later in their lives when they have experienced another career – as I did in engineering in the South Yorkshire coal mines in the UK. That breadth of life experience is invaluable to the community,” he adds.
Mr Lovatt, recommends men and mature age students who want to study nursing to “go for it”.
“You may not think that your previous experience is relevant, but believe me, it is. People are people, and whether you are dealing with them as clients, customers, colleagues or patients, your previous people experience is invaluable,” Mr Lovatt says.
