Cincinnati Children's Named Best Place to Work for Men in Nursing
Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center received the 2007-2008 Best Workplace for Men in Nursing Award from the American Assembly for Men in Nursing (AAMN) at its annual conference in Philadelphia in October 2007. This award recognizes employers that have implemented significant efforts in recruiting and retaining men in a workplace culture that is supportive of men in nursing at all levels of practice.
Nominees submitted a portfolio documenting their organization's efforts to meet the needs of men in nursing, as well as statistical information for the current and previous year on the number of nurses employed, the percentage who are male, turnover rates and more. This was the second year the AAMN has given the award.
Cheryl Hoying, PhD, RN, Senior Vice President, Patient Services, says, "So many people have come together to make this a wonderful place for men to work in the field of nursing. It's great to see how much energy has gone into educating the community and young men, in particular, about the opportunities nursing has to offer as a profession. Receiving this award has also been an opportunity to highlight men's contributions to the profession."
Laying the Foundation
Cincinnati Children's began to explore recruitment and retention opportunities for men in nursing in February 2006. Men holding various nursing positions took part in focus groups, and Hoying encouraged Bill Lecher, RN, Senior Clinical Director, Specialty Resource Unit, to start a local chapter of AAMN.
The medical center has since hosted a high school career day that highlighted nursing as an attractive option for men. We have also established opportunities for male high school students to shadow some of the men working as RNs in our clinical areas for a day.
Additionally, in two year's time, the percentage of nurses who are men at Cincinnati Children's increased from 3.8 percent to 4.5 percent. This means that, of the 2,872 nurses employed at the medical center, 130 are men.
Joe Kroner, RN, Assistant Vice President of Operations in Patient Services says, "We are committed to making Cincinnati Children's the employer of choice for all RNs, and I appreciate this opportunity to showcase our efforts in developing a culture that supports diversity in nursing. Bill Lecher has taken on the challenge at both a local and national level of recruiting and retaining men in nursing through his leadership at Cincinnati Children's and the AAMN. I applaud his efforts in creating and growing the local chapter of the AAMN and his position on the national board. Cheryl Hoying's encouragement and Bill's work were instrumental in our receiving this award."
While this award singles out one segment of the nursing population at Cincinnati Children's, it is clearly a testament to the open and supportive culture throughout the organization. Lecher says, "When we promote diversity in our workforce, we enrich it. Men problem-solve differently than women, and we bring a different perspective. One way is not better than the other, but both of them together complement the strengths of each."
