Males a rare gem in a ‘female’ profession

Zulkarnain and his female colleagues busily prepare wristbands for Covid-19 patients. — ZULKARNAIN HASAN

As frontliners and caregivers, they work hard to provide comfort and assuage a patient’s fear.

A noble profession that involves care and empathy, nursing is often thought of as a female domain.

Yet, there are a handful of male nurses who have broken this stereotypical mould.

They are passionate about their role in healing others, even though they are sometimes frowned upon by society for choosing a “weaker” occupation.

According to the Health Ministry’s 2018 statistics, male nurses make up only 2.6% (2,366) of the 87,878 nursing force in the public sector (not including university hospitals).

These men perform their duties just as well as their female colleagues, and are often called upon for their physical strength and being a confidant to male patients.

Just like women who might prefer consulting female gynaecologists, male patients might prefer having a male nurse to tend to their needs.

Today is International Nurses Day, but for Zulkarnain Hasan, it is just another busy day at the infection control unit of Hospital Sultanah Bahiyah in Alor Setar, Kedah.

The Covid-19 pandemic has seen the 37-year-old assigned to Hospital Sungai Buloh and Malaysia Agro Exposition Park Serdang (Maeps) in Selangor, and the Pokok Sena prison in Kedah.

He was finally posted back to his Alor Setar hometown in February.

He said: “I got into this field by chance after secondary school, and now after

16 years, I no longer think of it as a woman’s field, even though most of my colleagues are female.

“Initially, I had a culture shock, especially when I first entered the labour room and watched a baby being delivered.

“Thankfully, I didn’t pass out from seeing all that blood!”

The job is extremely rewarding, said the father of two, with many moments of joy coupled with tinges of sadness.

Having a wife as a nurse is a plus point, as she understands the important role he plays during this pandemic.

“I must say that male patients are much easier to handle because they are less demanding than females, ” he joked.

Zulkarnain, who is the vice-president

of the non-governmental organisation Malaysian Male Nurses, recalled a hilarious incident when he was attending to an anxious male patient with chronic constipation.

“I was administering an enema to him, and suddenly, he couldn’t control himself and rushed to the toilet.

“The sounds that came out were so loud that I burst out laughing, and when he finished his ‘business’, he was also laughing uncontrollably!”

The two bonded over laughter and the patient’s anxiety greatly reduced thereafter.

“It was a feel-good moment that helped calm him.

“For young males wanting to become nurses, I encourage you to go for it.

“You will be in demand globally for your skills, which are handy in many areas – when there is an accident, at home, on the road, etc, ” said Zulkarnain.

For more, read StarHealth this Sunday.