Abstract
The lack of gender diversity in the nursing profession has long been recognized as a cause for concern. Female nurses in many practice settings across nations continue to outnumber their male counterparts. Male nursing students may have perceived differences in the way they are treated in clinical practice; however, limited studies have been conducted to determine the unique perspectives of these students in terms of gender bias in their clinical learning. To address this knowledge gap, this study employed a qualitative descriptive approach to explore the experiences of male nursing students in clinical learning in an Asian context. Specifically, we examined the insights emerging from the thoughts and feelings of male nursing students from interactions with their clinical mentors, patients, and peers in their encounters during their clinical placement. From November 2019 to July 2020, data were collected through semi-structured interviews from 22 male participants aged 21–30 years (mean age: 22.7), enrolled in a prelicensure Bachelor of Nursing (honors) program in Hong Kong. Four themes emerged after a qualitative content analysis: (1) while the School of Nursing welcomes men, clinical settings are another story due to pragmatic considerations; (2) you are welcomed because you may be seen as a helper with greater physical strength; (3) male nursing students feel alienated in the obstetrics and gynecology practicum; (4) more male role models are desired in the clinical setting. Our findings indicate the need to promote gender awareness among faculty and clinical mentors, understand the factors hindering and facilitating the clinical practicum for male nursing students, improve the male nursing experience during the maternity practicum, and ensure access to more male role models to boost role socialization and learning.
Highlights
The World Health Organization [1] indicates that only 10% of nursing professionals worldwide are male, with some variation in rates across regions and countries: 10.6%of nurses in the UK are male, while the figures are 10.9%, 1%, and 12.7% in Australia, China, and Hong Kong, respectively [2,3]
The exclusion criteria were: (a) female nursing students; and (b) nursing students who completed less than 25 days of clinical practicum
Obstetrics and Gynecology (O&G) specialty); second, male students may feel uncomfortable in wards that admit largely female patients; and third, they believe that they are sometimes excluded from areas of clinical practice, those relating to women’s health
Summary
The World Health Organization [1] indicates that only 10% of nursing professionals worldwide are male, with some variation in rates across regions and countries: 10.6%of nurses in the UK are male, while the figures are 10.9%, 1%, and 12.7% in Australia, China, and Hong Kong, respectively [2,3]. It is not explicitly expressed as “caring;” instead, it is described as a meaningful way to achieve professional fulfillment [5]. Despite this similarity in terms of motivation for entering the profession, male nursing students have perceived differences in the way they are treated in clinical practice, which may be attributed to gender stereotypes [6,7]. Further instances of gender bias include male nurses being assigned to observe rather than undertake handson roles, being asked to leave a bedside even when the patient did not request it, and being excluded from labor wards and neonatal units [9]. Multiple studies have found that male nurses wish to be addressed and referred to as “nurses” in clinical settings, the adjective “male” is routinely affixed—partly because it is commonly assumed among patients that the males in the wards must be doctors [7]
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
