Societal perceptions of male nurses in South Korea: A Q-methodological study.

Abstract

One of the remarkable changes in today's nursing profession is the emergence of male nurses. In order to promote the development of nursing, it would be beneficial for a positive perception of male nurses to be established in society. This study identified the public perceptions of male nurses in South Korea by using Q methodology and offered basic strategies for enhancing the perception of male nurses. A Q-methodological approach, suitable for subjective research, was used for a survey. Q statements were based on 600 Q concourses that were collected through a literature review and individual interviews. Thirty-seven final Q statements were selected from those. The P sample was collected from 45 persons who were likely to represent a diverse range of views about male nurses. The collected data were analyzed with PQMethod software; a principal component factor analysis with varimax rotation was used to identify the patterns of the public's perception of male nurses. Four distinct perspectives were identified: progressive occupational; conservative occupational; negative occupational; and supportive occupational. This study provided strategies for improving the public's views of male nurses in a conservative country with gender stereotypes. These findings also could attract more male nurses into the profession and increase their retention.