Men’s s Health in Nursing Practice: A Survey of Senior Nurses

Abstract

Background: Australian men are likelier to die younger than women, often from preventable diseases or conditions. Gendered health promotion has improved men’s engagement with health services, with nurses playing a central role in information and healthcare design. The primary aim of this research was to survey senior clinical and executive nurses on their understanding and perception of men’s health. Methods: A cross-sectional quantitative online survey was attended by senior nurses within a single hospital setting in metropolitan Sydney between June 2022 and July 2022. Sampling selection was conducted of nurses who currently hold senior clinical or management roles within the health district (Nurse Manager, Nurse Unit Manager, Director of Nursing, Nurse Practitioner, Transitional Nurse Practitioner, Clinical Nurse Consultant, Clinical Nurse Specialist, Nurse Educator, Clinical Nurse Educator) with descriptive analysis applied to interpret the data sets. Results: A total of 84 responses were received, representing a 33% survey participation rate. A key finding was that 89.1% of senior nurses believed that traditional masculine traits affected health-seeking behaviour. However, 60.2% had not discussed men’s-specific agencies with male patients, and 33.7% of senior nurses believed that gender was not a determinant of health. There was strong endorsement (74.6%) for a men’s health education program to be developed specifically for nurses. Conclusion: The results of this single-site online survey of senior nurses illustrate that while foundational understandings of gender as a determinant of health were divided, there remained strong endorsement for targeted men’s health promotion to patients and the development of men’s health educational programs to support nurses in providing holistic care for their male patients.