At a hospital, a male nursing student waits outside the maternity ward — prepared to put textbook knowledge into practice, but as patients come and go, he ends the day having seen only one, if so lucky.

For nursing students to observe or participate in a patient’s care, the patient’s consent is required. But when Jefferson Gabriel, 23, began his clinical maternity rotation — a compulsory part of nursing training — he found that the doors to learning were often closed to him.

“I try not to be [passionate], but honestly, I become very passionate when I don’t learn as much as I would have wanted to,” Gabriel told St. Lucia Times, reflecting on his experience.

Gabriel is part of a small but growing group of men entering nursing. He chose the profession after watching his father endure a serious medical crisis when he was young. Nursing, for him, was a way to gain the skills to help others in similar situations and to build a life around caring.

Realities of restrictive gender norms

Nursing students in Saint Lucia complete clinical rotations throughout their four-year programme, moving through wards that expose them to different types of care, from bedside assistance and patient hygiene to more advanced procedures.

“For the maternal rotation, I had a terrible experience,” Gabriel said. “It’s about the person’s privacy, and that needs to be taken into consideration,” he said, noting that some women are uncomfortable receiving care from a man — for personal or religious reasons. “But unlike other wards where I went through the full rotation and learnt as much as possible, on the maternity ward, throughout the entire day, I’d see maybe one patient. The majority just did not want me to participate in their care.”

Unlike his female peers, Gabriel said, “The only time I got to perform a skill was actually bathing the baby.”

Tradition and law

Sister Solomon, a nurse with over three decades of experience, told St. Lucia Times she has never encountered a male midwife in her career.

“I’m not aware of anything that would prevent them,” she said. “The only thing I know is that the [Registration of Nurses and Midwives Act] refers to a female — it doesn’t mention males.”

Still, Solomon believes skill and compassion, not gender, define a good nurse. “I’ve worked with male nurses who provide excellent care,” she said. “I’ve also been cared for by them myself. The level of attention, the gentleness, the professionalism — it’s something I’ve always admired.”

She recalls an emergency when her own mother was admitted to hospital. “It was a male nurse who took care of her,” she said. “I just sat there watching how he moved — how attentive he was. It reminded me that care really depends on the individual, not whether they’re male or female.”

Gabriel hopes to enter nursing education, using his experience to challenge gender bias and inspire the next generation of nurses.

Shifting perspectives

Gabriel acknowledges that biases within the profession go both ways. “There are nurses who don’t seem to care, and others who love what they do,” he said. “I always advocate for the ones who have that passion — male or female.”

Although he never intended to specialise in maternity care, he believes men can have deeply meaningful reasons for pursuing that field. “Some might have seen a mother or sister suffer during childbirth and want to be part of the solution,” he said. “Others may simply find the process of bringing new life into the world fascinating. It could even be a religious thing — seeing it as part of God’s creative work.”

Asked his thoughts on women’s discomfort possibly being linked to concern related to trauma or fear of violation, he shed this light; “For most of us, it’s work,” Gabriel said. “You don’t get aroused or anything like that — it’s professional. They would have seen it so often, it’s just part of what they do.”

Gabriel said he’s even observed a caesarean section and describes the experience as “amazing.”

A changing landscape

Gender imbalance in nursing extends beyond the maternity ward. Today, the vast majority of nurses in Saint Lucia and globally are women. In Gabriel’s class of more than 30 students, only five are male.

Still, there are signs of change. According to Sister Solomon, more people are entering the field overall, including men. Social media has also helped shift perceptions, with male nurses sharing their experiences and challenging stereotypes that once made their presence taboo.

Medical workers look on during a surgery. (Photo Credit: Millennium Heights Medical Complex)

Beyond the ward

For Gabriel, nursing remains a calling — but his vision for the future has evolved. Initially drawn to the operating theatre and anaesthesia, he now hopes to move into health education, where he can advocate for greater awareness and understanding — both among patients and within the profession.

That path, he says, allows him to serve his community while spending more time with family — and perhaps, to help shift the conversation about what care looks like, and who gets to give it.