What do doctors & nurses look like? Challenging gender stereotypes in health has never been more important

What do doctors & nurses look like? Challenging gender stereotypes in health has never been more important

My 5 year old daughter spoke at school assembly the other week.  She told the audience that she wanted to be a doctor because her ‘mum is a very good doctor’.  Her dad is also a doctor, but apparently she didn’t have time to mention him. 

Aside from the pleasure in getting one-up on my husband, I was particularly pleased that my child has not yet absorbed gender stereotypes, at least in regards to career choice.  Because I don’t look like the stereotype of a doctor.  I’m not male, I’m not tall, I don’t wear suits and I don’t hang a stethoscope around my neck. 

Yet stereotypes persist; and two examples of their pervasiveness arose last week. 

The first was a poster detailing a way to alert medical staff of a patient’s deterioration.  It was displayed in some NSW hospitals. The concept is excellent, but the execution was not.  The text recommended contacting a doctor or a nurse, and was accompanied by a graphic of a white, male doctor in scrubs; along with a white, female nurse with a pink dress, pretty collar, pearl earrings and a nurse’s cap.  In this case the NSW Clinical Excellence Committee responded very appropriately and advised that this was an outdated poster and should not be displayed. 

The second example occurred in an ABC article about tax changes. Whilst the article made reasonable points about the effect on different earners and the likelihood of high earners being male, they also chose a graphic with a female nurse in a form fitting mini dress, nurse’s cap and pretty shoes, alongside a male surgeon in scrubs. 

There are several things to address here. Firstly, nearly half the doctors in Australia are female. Only 12 percent of surgeons are, but there has been a concerted effort to raise the profile of female surgeons in order to achieve better gender balance.  Surgical training has been male dominated since its inception and continues to face challenges in training flexibility, a safe and comfortable atmosphere for women and even equipment designed for men (not women) to use. Since we are trying to tear down the stereotype of surgeons being male by default, continued depictions of surgeons as male are unhelpful.

The stereotype of a nurse is perhaps even more problematic. Nurses are tough, hard working professionals and their job is often physical and demanding. Though over 80 percent of the nursing workforce is female, they do not conform to the highly feminised, almost fetishised, artist’s depiction. Nurses in hospitals wear scrubs – unisex, functional garments with lots of pockets. They wear comfortable shoes. They do not wear caps – a decorative encumbrance last seen nearly 50 years ago.  A depiction that has more in common with a Halloween costume than real life, is problematic.  

It’s easy to dismiss the occasional clumsy stereotype as unimportant, but there are real life consequences. These consequences start with who chooses what job. Children who are exposed to gender stereotyping are likely to limit their career choices, their self perception influencing what they believe they are capable of or suitable for. 

Once in healthcare careers – female doctors continue to be held in less confidence, suffer misidentification and have to put up with inappropriate comments and behaviour from both patients and colleagues pertaining to gender. This is despite multiple studies demonstrating better patient outcomes for patients of female physicians and surgeons.  

On the other hand, being a female dominated profession may have perpetuated the myth that nurses are some sort of ‘doctor’s assistant’, rather than autonomous professionals. Care work is thought of as ‘feminine’ and adequate remuneration has been difficult. Men who want to be nurses face negative societal attitudes around their masculinity, in spite of the fact that male nursing has a long history – the first nursing school in India only accepted men!

Stereotyping usually ends up devaluing women, as it tends to be driven by conservative and outdated perceptions. What may seem harmless can influence the career choices of young people, and the experiences and journeys they have in the workplace. We should call out erroneous stereotyping, and consider using graphics specifically to challenge stereotypes.  Because seeing ‘people like us’ doing something we aspire to, can actually result in change.

×

Stay Smart! Get Savvy!

Get Women’s Agenda in your inbox