Jul 30, 2014
Vancouver, BC – Langara College ran its first all-male clinical group this summer at St. Paul’s Hospital. There are seven male students working with Doug Yochim, Langara Nursing Instructor, in one of the hospital’s acute medical units.
This unique placement is a rare occurrence in Canada, as the number of males in nursing has been proportionately very low. Langara College has a higher proportion of male nursing students than other Canadian educational institutions, and those numbers are growing.
Research has shown that the reason the attrition rate among North American males in nursing education is so high is because there aren’t enough male mentors. Yochim attributes this to the fact that “male nursing students are looking for mentors. Often a man’s learning style can be managed better with a male instructor. Langara values mentorship, and is able to provide male mentors because there are more male nursing instructors on faculty than at other Canadian institutions. Many of these students requested this placement because it was being led by a male instructor.”
The reaction to this male clinical group has been very positive from the St. Paul’s hospital staff, and there are now enough male nursing students at Langara to make up an entire clinical group. Nursing students in clinical practice in an acute medical unit learn to take care of patients from all walks of society who are dealing with substance abuse, or are severely infected, or are failing to thrive. This clinical placement helps Langara students consolidate the information they learned in their first four terms and use it to take care of their assigned patients, provide rationale for their care, and present their case studies at seminars.
“These students are making history for the profession, and for Langara,” added Yochim. "It is the fullfilment of a dream for me - to see more men entering the nursing profession and being valued by patients and other members of the nursing team makes me proud to be a nurse."
You can hear Doug Yochim on CBC radio at the following link. Search for the July 31, 2014 program, and fast forward to 1:00:40.
http://www.cbc.ca/earlyedition/pastepisodes/.
About Langara
Located in beautiful Vancouver, BC, Canada, Langara College provides University, Career, and Continuing Studies education to more than 21,000 students annually. With more than 1,700 courses and 130 programs, Langara's expansive academic breadth and depth allows students of all ages, backgrounds, and life stages to choose their own educational path.
Media Contact
Wendy Watson
Communications Officer Communications & Marketing
604.323.5884 | wwatson@langara.bc.ca