LOOKING AT MALE NURSE DISCRIMINATION AMONG NURSING STUDENTS WITH O’CONNOR’S FINGER DEXTERITY TEST: FUTURE OF GENDER DISCRIMINATION

Abstract

Background and objective
 Hand dexterity and hand–eye coordination are very important in nursing profession. In nursing education, equal conditions for gaining experience should be established regardless of gender difference. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of gender difference on hand dexterity and hand–eye coordination.
 Material and methods
 This study included 100 undergraduate nursing students from the Trakya University, and they were evaluated using the O’Connor’s finger dexterity test.
 Results
 Previous study results demonstrated that males were careful and willing to take care of their patients, but they felt that they had to be at the backstage because the occupation is a female-predominant one. They were very careful during the O’Connor’s test. The average test duration for both the male and female students was similar. Students with longer hand and palm lengths had better hand dexterity. The larger wrist circumference and wrist width in male students than female students provided an advantage to the male nursing students. The O’Connor’s test results demonstrated that gender discrimination in nursing profession is meaningless in terms of dexterity.
 Conclusion
 This study approaches gender discrimination in nursing with a different perspective. Male students are not less successful in hand and eye coordination and hand dexterity. It is important for males to have clinical learning without having sexual discrimination in order to provide high-quality patient care, it may help their career growth.