Abstract
BackgroundAlthough most male nurses join the profession for self-actualisation, the cultural and societal stereotyping of male nurses as “He-Man”, “gay” and “troublemakers”, and their marginalisation at the hospital during certain personal and intimate care procedures, tend to deepen the existing gender discrimination prevalent within the nursing profession. This study therefore assessed patients’ preference for, and satisfaction with nursing care provided by male nurses at the medical and surgical wards of Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital [KATH].MethodsAn inferential cross-sectional study design, in which the prevalence of a condition among an identified population is determined, was used. Using convenience sampling, 150 respondents who meet certain practical criteria and are available and willing to participate were sampled. Data from a context-based research instrument on the opinion, preference and satisfaction of patients with male nursing were analysed using χ2 test, Mann Whitney U test, ordinal logistic regression and logistic regression.ResultsThe study indicates that more females than males had ever been attended to by a male nurse for the period considered by the study, and females described male nurses as polite and courteous and were comfortable with their treatment. Being single [OR = 0.111, 95% CI (0.013–0.928)] and professing Islamic faiths [OR = 36.533, 95% CI (2.116–630.597)] were functions of respondents’ preference for a male nurse. Significantly too, affiliating to a religious sect (OR = 2.347, 95% CI [0.076–1.630]) and being educated (OR = 1.387, 95% CI [0.040–0.615]), were associated with higher odds of falling in one of the higher categories of satisfaction with nursing care provided by male nurses as against the lower categories.ConclusionAlthough marital status, religious affiliation and educational level were the significant predictors of patients’ preference for, and satisfaction with care provided by male nurses, the effect of the other variables should not be overlooked. The finding disproves assertions on the negative effect of religion on male nurses. It is recommended that public awareness be created on the role of male nurses in the healthcare delivery system to promote acceptance of gender diversity in the nursing profession.
Highlights
Most male nurses join the profession for self-actualisation, the cultural and societal stereotyping of male nurses as “He-Man”, “gay” and “troublemakers”, and their marginalisation at the hospital during certain personal and intimate care procedures, tend to deepen the existing gender discrimination prevalent within the nursing profession
The mixed reactions, and inconsistencies surrounding patients’ preference for, and satisfaction with care provided by male nurses [13, 14, 36,37,38,39,40,41,42], begs for further studies targeted at settling these differences
Considering the negative label attributed to males in the nursing profession [17, 18] and the cultural orientation of society towards male nurses [21, 22], it is envisaged by this study that patients’ demographic characteristics could potentially facilitate or inhibit their preference for, and satisfaction with nursing care provided by male nurses
Summary
Most male nurses join the profession for self-actualisation, the cultural and societal stereotyping of male nurses as “He-Man”, “gay” and “troublemakers”, and their marginalisation at the hospital during certain personal and intimate care procedures, tend to deepen the existing gender discrimination prevalent within the nursing profession. Nursing until the nineteenth century was not an activity thought to demand skill, training or commanded respect [1]. The profession was envisaged as a self-conscious occupation where anyone could freely describe themselves as ‘nurses’ and call what they did as nursing [2]. During the mid-nineteenth century, men were conceptualised as individuals whose thorny hands were detrimental to caring and as such, were classified unfit to be nurses [3]. Advances in medical techniques through the discovery and application of anaesthetics and antiseptic surgery [1, 5], coupled with the establishment of nursing training institutions during the middle and late nineteenth century produced a preponderance of females who were accepted as medical officers in various hospitals [6]. Nursing continues to be largely a female dominated profession [7]
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