The Low Status of Female Part‐Time NHS Nurses: A Bed‐Pan Ceiling?

Abstract

IntroductionO ver the last two decades there has been a significant increase in the number of women entering the paid working population of Britain. However, despite these increases in female participation rates, women remain concentrated into particular sectors of the economy. The resultant outcome of women's occupational concentration is that they receive comparatively lower rates of pay than men, and relatively fewer employment opportunities. Much of this is associated with the fact that the majority of the employment increase for women is in part-time work, with almost half of all women in the labour market now working part-time. The significance of part-time work is that, generally speaking, such jobs confer lower rates of pay, and little if any opportunity for training and promotion.This paper reports the findings of a recent study on the careers of qualified NHS nurses. It was found that part-time nurses were concentrated in the lower nurse grades. Explanations for this centred on the lack of 'family-friendly' policies and the actions and strategies of nurse managers who used negative gender role expectations in framing recruitment and promotion decisions. This perpetuated unequal outcomes for part-timers. Furthermore, not only did employers legitimize the process of channelling part-timers into the lower echelons of nursing, they also inhibited the possibility of facilitating these women's access to the higher grade posts.In fact, many managers did not recognize processes of discrimination within the workforce. Quite simply, these managers believed the low status of part-time nurses was a reflection of these women's own choices and preferences rather than discrimination. Managers, therefore, failed to recognize the need to change this situation, and thus, played a 'gatekeeping role' in maintaining gender-based disadvantage.This paper explores the factors affecting the career progression of female qualified part-time NHS nurses. Management attitudes and inflexible working practices are shown to limit the career progression of this group in significant ways. The issue of part-time work and the labour market is discussed below. Gender issues in the nursing profession are also examined, in particular, the paradox of gender-based disadvantage in a female-dominated profession.Despite increases in female participation rates into the paid working population of Britain women remain concentrated into particular sectors of the economy. Areas of the labour market where women predominate are also characterized by high levels of part-time employment. The significance of part-time work is that it is lower paid and offers fewer employment opportunities for women. This article examines the careers of 643 qualified female NHS nurses. It is found that respondents working part-time are the least likely to occupy the upper echelons of NHS nursing. Explanations for this centre on the actions and strategies of managers who use negative gender role stereotypes regarding part-time nurses to inform recruitment and promotion decisi...

Nurse administrators’ intentions and considerations in recruiting inactive nurses

“…Previous studies exploring nurse administrators’ (NAs) impressions of INs have reported inconsistent findings (Lane , Mokoka et al . ).…”

Public Sector Pay Bargaining and Regional Labour Markets: Regional Pay Differentials for Women Working as Nurses within the UK National Health Service

“…According to the empirical literature, the disadvantages of employment as a nurse are manifold (and there appears to be little evidence of advantages by way of part compensation). These disadvantages include the following: the times at which hours have to be supplied (ELLIOTT, 2003) and the lack of control over these times (BALL and PIKE, 2004); work patterns, notably late and irregular shifts (BALL and PIKE, 2004); working conditions -to include discrimination (PUDNEY and SHEILDS, 2000) and harassment (SHEILDS and WHEAT-LEY PRICE, 2002a, b), fears for personal safety (BUCHAN and EDWARDS, 2000) and the stress induced by these working conditions (BALL and PIKE, 2004); inflexible working practices (LANE, 2000a); the absence of childcare provision, important when the majority, by far, of the workforce are women and more than half of these have dependent children (BALL and PIKE, 2004); and insufficient training provision for certain groups (LANE, 2000a).…”

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Does the Sex Discrimination Act provide a right to work part-time for mothers?

“…Some studies have concluded that, particularly for women in more highly skilled jobs, a transition from full-to part-time work can often result in downward occupational mobility (DOM), i.e. a move down the occupational hierarchy to a lower paid job (Dex 1987, Lane 2000, Blackwell 2001). Dex (1987) found that women returning to part-time work after childbirth were more likely to experience DOM.…”

“…Both studies found that the incidence of DOM for women working as managers, particularly in the service sector, is greater than average. DOM contributes to occupational segregation, a key factor in decreasing the average pay of women working part-time (Dex 1987, Lane 2000, Blackwell 2001). …”