Encyclopedia of Women’s Health

2004 Edition

Women in the Health Professions

  • Martha Sajatovic
  • Susan Hatters-Friedman
  • Isabel Schuermeyer
Reference work entry
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-306-48113-0_3
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Introduction

Women make up 50% of the global population and 51% of the U.S. population, representing a large and diverse group of individuals (United Nations, 1995; U.S. Bureau of the Census, 1999). In the United States, employment patterns for women have changed tremendously over the last several decades. For example, in 1950, women represented 34% of the workforce compared to 60% in 1997 (Wagener et al., 1997). The occupational roles and working conditions of women also vary dramatically and have changed over the last decades, profoundly influenced by economics and sociopolitical culture.

Currently, women in the health care professions deliver a vast array of diverse services, including preventative care, primary care, acute and specialized services, and care in a variety of settings. In 1996, registered nurse was the fourth and nurse’s aide/orderly was the sixth leading occupation for women (U.S. Department of Labor, 1997). The growing trend for higher education among women has...

Keywords

Sexual Harassment Respiratory Therapist Female Physician Cesarian Section Rate Career Satisfaction 
These keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.
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Copyright information

© Kluwer Academic/Plenum Publishers 2004

Authors and Affiliations

  • Martha Sajatovic
  • Susan Hatters-Friedman
  • Isabel Schuermeyer

There are no affiliations available