Abstract
BackgroundMacau and the Mainland China have different political and socio-economic policies but are both influenced by Chinese culture. By comparing the professional development experiences of male nurses from Macau and the Mainland, this study aims to explore factors influencing the recruitment and retention of male nurses.MethodsA collaborative, qualitative approach was adopted in which researchers from Macau and the Mainland were jointly involved in carrying out interviews and analyzing data. A total of 24 clinical male nurses were invited, with 12 each from Macau the Mainland. Recruitment was based on purposive sampling from various health institutions in the two regions. Semi-structured interviews were conducted in 2017–2018 with similar interview guidelines for both Macau and the Mainland sites. Thematic analysis was used for data analysis, and Nvivo11 Plus software was used to facilitate the analysis.ResultsKey facilitators/barriers to recruitment and retention of male nurses were clustered under the two research questions: 1) What are the factors influencing the recruitment of male nurses? 2) What are the factors influencing the retention of male nurses? Males in Macau and the Mainland experienced pressure while entering nursing because of the stereotype that nursing is a feminine occupation. However, males in Macau chose nursing as a college major under their own volition while males in the Mainland were mostly forced into nursing. The males in Macau hardly thought of leaving nursing while their Mainland counterparts constantly felt uncertain about their professional future. The males on both sides hoped to thrive in career development. While the Macanese tended to pursue advanced programs in specialty nursing for better health care in the frontline, the Mainlanders wanted to get promoted to leave the frontline.ConclusionMale nurses in Macau and Mainland share some common experiences in professional development but have different views and values regarding nursing.
Highlights
Macau and the Mainland China have different political and socio-economic policies but are both influenced by Chinese culture
It will answer two questions: 1) What are the factors influencing the recruitment of male nurses? 2) What are the factors influencing the retention of male nurses? A combination of the data from the two regions with similar cultures but different socio-economic contexts can enrich the findings on male nurses’ professional development
A relatively clear path of professional development can be captured from the male nurses, beginning from their college major choice to current career
Summary
Macau and the Mainland China have different political and socio-economic policies but are both influenced by Chinese culture. The nursing workforce shortage has been a long-term problem faced by both developed and developing countries and regions. As 90% of the nurse workforce worldwide is female [3], attention should be paid to recruiting men into nursing. There are differences in male nurse proportions in some of the Chinese culture influenced regions of Eastern Asia. More research is needed to explore why gender disparity still exists in nursing and why the discrepancy is more significant in some countries and regions than others. Such exploration would obtain in-depth knowledge of context-related facilitators and barriers influencing men’s decisions to join and stay in nursing
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