Gender Roles in a Traditionally Female Occupation: A Study of Emergency, Operating, Intensive Care, and Psychiatric Nurses

Abstract

The gender roles of experienced Canadian nurses from four specialty teams were measured. Hypotheses concerning relationships with occupational fit and success were generated in accordance with three models of gender roles: congruence, masculinity, and androgyny models. Even though the nurses’ gender roles appeared rather androgynous, what was valued and rewarded was the masculine component. High femininity was associated with little experience, whereas high masculinity was associated with high pay and high contribution to group problem-solving. In addition, gender role relationships with work attitudes and organizational culture values were examined. The findings supported the proposal that gender roles represent complex self-identity schemata. Only femininity predicted level of organizational commitment and the value of commitment to the hospital, only masculinity predicted the hospital leadership value, and androgyny predicted values of innovation, change, patient focus and efficiency, and team relations. Implications of the findings are discussed.