As part of our campaign to bring back nurses, Ben Fitzgerald talks to male nurse Kevin Clark.

NURSING has traditionally been seen as a female dominated profession.

But the numbers of men entering the profession is on the increase, thanks in part to television hospital dramas such as Casualty, which have helped smash the stereotyped image of the profession.

Senior charge nurse Kevin Clark, 31, is one of a growing number of male nurses who have helped reshape the traditional image of the profession.

Kevin joined Princess Margaret Hospital three years ago and has risen through the ranks to manage the 20-bed Ramesbury Ward with responsibility for its 30 staff.

His decision to become a nurse is in keeping with a proud family tradition, Kevin's grandfather and great grandfather having worked in the profession.

"I decided to become a nurse quite early on, when I was still at school.

"As I was growing up, I spent a lot of my time around hospital, so deciding on nursing as a career seemed to be the natural choice."

Kevin, who lives with his partner and her three children, became a nurse after taking his A levels.

He trained at Portsmouth College of Nursing before taking up his first post at St Mary's Hospital in the town.

He later joined Princess Margaret Hospital as a staff nurse and has since become a senior charge nurse.

"For me, nursing is more than a job. The thing I enjoy is that no day is ever the same. There are always new challenges to be met. As a manager, I am not only responsible for looking after patients but also the staff on the ward.

"I think that people considering nursing as a career should be aware that it is hard work but it is also rewarding work.

"Being a male nurse is no longer seen as unusual. I do occasionally get called doctor or porter, but that does not bother me greatly.

"Essentially a nurse is a nurse and it does not matter if they happen to be male or female.

"The only exception is in the case of some intimate procedures which are almost always carried out by female nurses."

Kevin explained that when he was training, men used to believe that they would be given fast track promotion over their female colleagues.

He said: "That is definitely not the case. There is no discrimination.

"For anyone wanting to come into nursing, there are plenty of opportunities for career progression, not only progressing through the management structure but also developing different specialities. It is a great career."