Sexualisation in nursing. What are the issues?
Nurses have been sexualised in western culture for decades. The profession is approximately 90% women, and the gendered stereotype of nurses impacts how some patients treat nurses, touch them and speak to them. There is also sexual harassment and sexual assault in the workforce by patients which is why the Australian College of Nursing produced a Position Statement in 2019.
“According to Safe Work Australia, women are more than twice as likely to have to file a claim for workplace violence than men, and some states are reporting that up to 95% of health care workers have experienced physical or verbal assault. Nurses also experience more occupational violence than police officers and prison guards.”
“At the same time, the Workplace Gender Equality Agency shows that women are paid on average 22.8% less than men and are dominantly placed in part-time or casual roles over full time. The flow-on effects of the casualisation of
