The Middle Eastern nation of Oman is a challenging place to work if you are a male nurse. In 1970, this nation took steps to modernize its healthcare and medical technology. In the last ten years alone the field of nursing has produced more jobs than any other group of professionals in the country.
Since the seventies the population of Oman has grown substantially. What used to be one of the poorest countries in the world, has made a complete turnaround. Health care is now available everywhere, and the profession itself has added many new hospitals and doctors’ offices. Now Oman has a new problem. There aren’t enough professional nurses to meet the rising demand.
Nursing in Oman is a respected and valued profession. In the last fifteen years the government has sponsored many initiatives to educate and train more medical professionals. The Ministry of Health is responsible for implementing these changes in Oman. But there is still a shortage of trained professionals that are natives to this country. Despite the fact that are an increased number of trained nurses, both foreign and native alike, this country still has problems meeting increasing demand.
Right now the country of Oman has twelve schools that offer a degree to nursing students. The ratio of male to female students is about one in seven. This is a bit of problem for the male nurses. The government feels that female nurses are able to work in more areas of medicine than men can. This is the same gender discrimination that characterized other countries attempt to introduce males into what was formerly an all female profession.
The idea of male nurses in Oman may take some time for the people to get used to. In the face of the severe nursing shortages facing this country and many others, it would seem prudent for them to embrace any nursing professional regardless of gender. But sometimes old habits die hard.
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