Abstract
The purpose of this article was to assess the influence of psychosocial hazards as a factor affecting the presence of men in the nursing profession. The article refers to the topic of particularly low representation of men among nursing staff in Poland, in comparison to what similar statistics show for other countries. The aim of the study was to assess whether the psychosocial hazards in the nursing profession constitute a significant factor in the small number of men present in this occupation. In this article psychosocial hazards are considered as all the aspects of management and work organization that may negatively affect the employee's mental and physical health. The research was conducted from September 2017 to April 2018 in the Podlaskie Voivodeship (Poland). A total of 640 respondents working as nurses in inpatient health care facilities, of which 87% were women and 13% were men, were included in the study. A standardized Work Design Questionnaire for an objective assessment of work stressfulness was used as a research tool. The research has been run by a group of experts, who explained the aim and the meaning of the particular questions to the surveyed group. Afterwards, based on the answers and observations of the responders, the experts filled in the questionnaire. The results of the study show that in almost all the evaluated aspects, the nursing profession was assessed more negatively by surveyed men than women. The most negative aspects reported by women included hazards (a score of 60), complexity (58.3), and haste (50.0), while those reported by men included haste (70.0), complexity (66.7), and hazards (65.0). As a conclusion it has been noticed, that results received from the research confirm that psychosocial hazards may have significant impact on the number of men present in the nursing profession in Poland. This study also suggests that the greater psychosocial hazards experienced by male nurses in the workplace may be an effect of the particularly low representation of men among practicing nursing staff.
Highlights
In Poland and most countries worldwide, the nursing profession is considered to be a typically female dominated occupation
Gender Perspective of Psychosocial Hazards in Nursing (Main Chamber of Nurses Midwives, 2010). This is visible in Poland, where men constitute a mere 2.0% of all registered nurses, while in Canada, 4.6%; in Great Britain, approximately 9.0%; in Ireland, 10.0% and in Iran, 23.0% (Whittock and Leonard, 2003; Evans, 2004; Keogh and O’ Lynn, 2007; Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland, 2012; Abshire et al, 2017; Kluczynska, 2017a)
Most men working as nurses are aware that their professional development could be faster and easier due to their gender, and a promotion in the nursing profession typically means doing office work and withdrawing from patient care (Kluczynska, 2012; Lipinska-Grobelny and Gozdzik, 2012; Dudak, 2016)
Summary
In Poland and most countries worldwide, the nursing profession is considered to be a typically female dominated occupation. Gender Perspective of Psychosocial Hazards in Nursing (Main Chamber of Nurses Midwives, 2010) This is visible in Poland, where men constitute a mere 2.0% of all registered nurses, while in Canada, 4.6%; in Great Britain, approximately 9.0%; in Ireland, 10.0% and in Iran, 23.0% (Whittock and Leonard, 2003; Evans, 2004; Keogh and O’ Lynn, 2007; Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland, 2012; Abshire et al, 2017; Kluczynska, 2017a). In the case of female nurses, a glass ceiling mechanism is activated, making it difficult for women in feminized occupations to get a promotion (Lipinska-Grobelny and Gozdzik, 2012; Williams, 2013) This is known as vertical segregation, wherein it is more difficult for women to be promoted from less-prestigious and less-paid positions, such as a unit nurse, due to the feminization of the profession. Most men working as nurses are aware that their professional development could be faster and easier due to their gender, and a promotion in the nursing profession typically means doing office work and withdrawing from patient care (Kluczynska, 2012; Lipinska-Grobelny and Gozdzik, 2012; Dudak, 2016)
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