Practising male, in a “woman’s world” : gender, age and dimensions of emotional intelligence among nurse leaders in Northern Nigeria

Abstract

IntroductionAn American report places the ratio of female nurses to male nurses at 10 to 1.The aim is to increase this ration to 10 to 2 by the year 2020. There are no assessable statistical records of the ratio of male nurses to female nurses in Nigeria. The field of nursing is indeed a woman's world with a low ratio of men living in it. Possible differences gender differences in the nursing career have been explored (Codier and McNaughton, 2012). Not too long ago, males were shirked from the nursing profession overall. Florence Nightingale extensively esteemed as the founder of modern nursing, tenaciously left out menfolk from entering the nursing career. Nightingale was of the opinion that nursing was a "natural extension" of the caring role of women and mothers (Mackintosh, 1997). Nightingale didn't believe that men were capable of being nurses, and as a result men weren't admitted into nursing schools under her influence (Mackintosh, 1997). Today, male nurses are a respected protagonist in not just healthcare generally but in nursing specifically, bringing much needed multiplicity, cherished talents and, exceptional viewpoints towards the nursing labor force. It quite evident that typecasting in the nursing career specifically still exists as it does in nearly every area of civilization, the era of discharging men as emotionally accommodating nurses are optimistically in sight. According to Codier and McNaughton (2012) the view of nursing as an extension of women's domestic roles, and the accompanying prejudice about men's presumed limited emotional capabilities, prevailed long after Florence Nightingale's authority. For a long time, people viewed nursing as predominately a woman's occupation, while society at large continued to assume the superiority of women in matters of emotional caring (Crigger, Roy and Galusha, 2007). Crigger et al. (2007) opine that male nurses were, and often still are, frequently stereotyped as emotionally uncaring and, therefore, unsuitable to work as nurses. This stereotyping not only limits the entry of men into the profession, but also results in a challenge for male nursing students and professionals in practice (Crigger et al., 2007).Emotional intelligence (EI), according to Gardner (2000) is an important evolution in the traditional concept of care and compassion, has emerged over the last two decades. Emotional intelligence is the ability to identify and manage your own emotions and the emotions of others. It is generally said to include three skills:1. Emotional awareness, including the ability to identify your own emotions and those of others2. The ability to harness emotions and apply them to tasks like thinking and problems solving3. Ability to manage emotions, including the ability to regulate your own emotions, and the ability to cheer up or calm down another person.Over time, scientists realized that cognitive intelligence is not a complete determinant of an employee's performance. It is important that one ought to be able to have control over their feelings also; especially individuals who occupy sensitive positions, like nursing. Since the role of nurses is to interact with people, both healthy and ill, provide care, treatment to ill, they need to have the ability to understand how their clients feel at all times. According to McQueen (2003), emotional intelligence is considered to be an asset in contexts where it is important to understand other people and be an effective manager. McQueen concluded that emotional intelligence is a relevant concept in health care, especially when it is considered important for practitioners to understand the patients' perspectives and for nursing leaders to engage in relationships that will facilitate successful management. Emotional intelligence is the ability for one to be able to successfully control their emotions, perceive and understand other people's emotions. Emotional intelligence is very important, especially for sensitive profession, as nursing, since they have daily interaction with human beings. …