By Nur Dianah Suhaimi

Twenty years ago, then trainee male nurse Edward Poon put up with jibes of how he was a 'sissy'. On the other hand, some patients called him 'doctor' even when he was in his nurse's uniform.

Men cannot possibly be nurses, they told him.

Now the nursing director at Dover Park Hospice, Mr Poon, 45, is glad more men are becoming nurses, with the number rising rapidly in the past few years.

Of the 18,400 nurses actively practising here, about 7.5 per cent are men. Singapore Nursing Board statistics show that there were 1,363 registered male nurses in 2007. In 2001, there were 998.

Male nurses account for more than 20 per cent of the 3,000-plus members of the Singapore Nurses Association. Said its president, Ms Penny Seet: 'We are seeing more men joining nursing and taking up key positions.'

The three institutions which offer nursing programmes - Nanyang Polytechnic, Ngee Ann Polytechnic and the National University of Singapore - are also seeing more male students enrolling.

Ngee Ann saw its male nursing student figure shoot up to 21 per cent last year, from 12 per cent when its diploma programme started in 2005. At Nanyang, the figure was 13 per cent in 2007 and 16 per cent last year.

The National University of Singapore started a degree programme for nursing in 2006. Seven male undergraduates enrolled last year, compared to two the year before.

Said Ms Seet: 'Our society has become more accepting of male nurses now compared to 20 years ago. There are still people who feel nursing is a woman's job but the stereotyping is not so bad now.'

Nanyang Polytechnic nursing lecturer Goh Yong Shian - a former male nurse with nine years' service - said more people are aware that nursing is a professional job with career advancement paths.

'The Ministry of Health (MOH) has made clear the possible career tracks that nurses can take. It's not a dead-end job,' he said.

Indeed, salaries are competitive. A diploma-holder's starting pay is about $1,800. University graduates can expect a starting salary of about $2,200 to $2,300.

Shift allowances have also been increased and flexible work arrangements implemented to improve work-life balance. Special awards are given to those who shine.

With an ageing population, demand for public health-care nurses is expected to increase by 34 per cent in the next five years.

In the case of male nurses, there are situations where they may be more handy. For instance, they can help lift heavier patients, especially in orthopaedic wards.

In mental health facilities, male nurses may better restrain violent patients.

Said Mr Jeffrey Ng, 45, a senior nurse at the National Kidney Foundation who has been in the industry for 25 years: 'Aggressive patients tend to be more intimidated by male nurses than female nurses.

'Sometimes, when a male patient is lecherous and is known to molest female nurses, the male nurses will attend to him instead.'

Because male nurses are hard to come by, they are posted to where they are needed most - in the military, emergency wards and the Institute of Mental Health.

On the other hand, at KK Women's and Children's Hospital, less than 1 per cent of the nurses are male.

Parents seem to be less resistant now to their sons taking up nursing. Said Dr Phang Chiew Hun, director of the School of Health Sciences at Ngee Ann Polytechnic: 'More parents now realise that nurses are not the doctors' handmaidens but they are the doctors' partners in health care.'

But much needs to be done to banish the belief that nursing is only for women.

Male nurses The Sunday Times spoke to said what gets them the most is the lack of respect that people have for the profession.

A male nurse in his 40s, who asked not to be named, said: 'Many of my male batchmates left nursing. They get tired of not being appreciated and respected.'

Although the attrition rate for nurses, male and female, is high, the figure has been declining. Last year, public health institutions lost 9.7 per cent of their nurses. In 2001, 14 per cent left.

Mr Poon said nurses have to earn the respect due. He said: 'We have some of the best nurses in the world. But they need to brush up on their communication skills and learn to make some decisions. Only then will people look at them differently.'

This article was first published in The Straits Times.