SOCIETY has been pushing to empower the girl child but often times not as much attention is extended to boys or men who defy stereotypes and take up female-dominated professions.

Kenroy Anthony Moseley is a living example of a man who has defied the stereotype when he ventured into the nursing profession many years ago. After careful consideration, Moseley heeded his mother’s advice to enroll in the Charles Rosa School of Nursing in Linden leaving behind his desire to work with electronics.

Enrolling into nursing school was not an easy decision. Nursing was and is still widely viewed as a profession for females. Even as a student, Moseley was tempted to drop out but thanks to a strong support system he remained- a decision he is pleased with.

“To be a nurse was never my dream. I had a love for electronics and even graduated from the Linden Technical Institute, but, it was my mom who saw an ad in the newspaper requesting persons to register in the Nursing Programme being offered at the Charles Rosa School of Nursing and suggested I should join,” he said.

Moseley seriously pondered on this seemingly unusual suggestion of his mother’s. The thought-provoking career choice resulted in him seeking advice from Mr. Hilary Christopher (now Principal of the Charles Rosa School of Nursing) over a game of dominoes. During one of his many domino games with Mr. Christopher at a friend’s shop, Moseley related the possibility of him joining the nursing profession.

“I spoke to him because I knew he worked at the hospital but I wasn’t sure what he did at the time. He was excited about my intentions and he revealed that he was a Registered Nurse working in the Operating Room. He also identified some doctors who started out as male nurses,” Moseley added.

That conversation encouraged Moseley to register to be part of the programme. As was expected, Moseley was the only male in his batch. The truth of the nursing profession being dominated by women was upon Moseley. However, he was able to secure the friendship of two males who were two batches ahead of him. Sharing different perspectives was necessary as Moseley was developing as a young man.

Today, Moseley is employed as a Nurse at the St. Joseph Mercy Hospital. He is currently pursuing a Degree in Emergency Nursing at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation. The programme is being done in collaboration with the University of Guyana. He works about 40- hour days and 60-hour night shifts. Sometimes, he is required to work more hours depending on the situation at the hospital. Even as he spends many hours caring for others, Moseley has a family of his own. The 39-year-old is married and has three children.
Moseley loves his job. He no longer views it with respect to gender. He believes that nursing is a profession for anyone who genuinely wants to help. Every day, different situations allow the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of complete strangers.

He related, “Being able to provide that support, compassion, being empathetic and assist patients (and even their families), who come with whatever illness or complaints and making a difference, impacting positively in their lives. Going that extra mile to ensure their wellbeing in and even out of hospital.”