A Mixed Methods Review of Male Nursing Students' Challenges during Nursing Education and Strategies to Tackle these Challenges

Factors associated with newly graduated nurses' work readiness during a pandemic: A cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND

Newly graduated nurses may experience reality shock and leave the career early, if not adequately prepared. The pandemic has significantly impacted nursing education, clinical placements, working conditions and employment opportunities, leaving newly graduated nurses' work readiness unknown.

AIM

To investigate the work readiness and its associated factors of newly graduated nurses who studied and graduated during a pandemic.

DESIGN

A descriptive, cross-sectional correlational study design was employed.

SETTINGS

The study was conducted at a large public health service in Victoria, Australia.

PARTICIPANTS

Newly graduated registered nurses who studied during the pandemic and graduated between January 2022 and June 2023 (N = 206).

METHODS

Participants were recruited between November 2022 and June 2023. Participants' self-perceived work readiness was measured using the Work Readiness Scale for Graduate Nurses, covering personal work characteristics, work competence, social intelligence and organisational acumen. Pearson correlation, multiple regression and hierarchical logistic regression analysis were applied to test the relationship between explanatory variables and participants' work readiness.

RESULTS

Mean (SD) values were 50.7 (14.6) for personal work characteristics, 100.5 (18.8) for work competence, and 58.2 (12.4) for social intelligence. Median (IQR) for organisational acumen was 145.5 (18.0). Prior Australian registered nurse or enrolled nurse experience significantly predicted personal work characteristics (β = 0.16, p = 0.037), while previous overseas registered nurse experience significantly predicted work competence (β = 0.14, p = 0.049). Participants who were native-English speakers had a significantly lower work competence (β = -0.15, p = 0.032). Being a female (p = 0.002, 95 % CI = 1.75, 13.21) and the length of a final clinical placement (p = 0.033, 95 % CI = 1.02, 1.59) significantly predicted organisational acumen.

CONCLUSION

Despite challenges encountered during the pandemic, participants reported a relatively high self-perceived work readiness. Influencing factors include individual characteristics, clinical placement experiences, and previous healthcare employment.

Lived experience of ethical challenges among undergraduate nursing students during their clinical learning

BACKGROUND

Undergraduate nursing students may experience several ethical challenges during their clinical learning placement that can lead to moral distress and intention to leave the profession. Ethical challenges are complex phenomena and ethical frameworks may help improve their understanding and provide actionable recommendations to enhance students' readiness for practice.

AIM

To explore undergraduate nursing students' ethical challenges experienced during their clinical learning and their suggestions for better ethics education; to illuminate students' experience against a foundational ethical framework.

RESEARCH DESIGN

Qualitative study based on interpretative phenomenology. Semi-structured, in-person or at distance, one-to-one interviews were performed, audio-recorded, and transcribed verbatim. The 'Dignity-enhancing care framework' was employed to frame the study findings.

PARTICIPANTS AND RESEARCH CONTEXT

Nineteen nursing graduands attending seven sites of one Northwestern Italian University were interviewed.

ETHICAL CONSIDERATION

The study protocol was approved by the Ethics Committee of the University of Torino (number 0187646/2023). All participants provided written informed consent.

FINDINGS

Students experienced several ethical challenges concerning daily practice such as pain control or the decision to restrain patients, and reported deficient professional ethics with healthcare professionals who demonstrated poor caring attitudes and teamwork. Moreover, they perceived professionals poorly committed to their role of educators and complained of poor support in the learning process. When a supportive, dialogical, and relational context lacked, students experienced negative feelings about the profession and the healthcare system and reported the intention to leave the profession. Dialogue with peers, family members or significant others, nursing educators, and clinical nurse supervisors, as well as self-learning activities and discussion-based teaching methods grounded on real scenarios helped to overcome challenging situations.

CONCLUSION

While complying with normative standards, nursing education policies should encourage the adoption of dynamic teaching methods and sustain a regular, dialogical approach within and between the clinical and academic contexts to improve readiness for practice.

The process of challenge formation in Iranian nursing education: A grounded theory study with model presentation

BACKGROUND

Nursing education faces many challenges that must be identified and removed to improve nursing education and promote the quality of nursing care. Identifying the challenges of nursing education helps to solve or correct the weaknesses and achieve educational goals, which ultimately help to train skilled professionals capable of providing higher quality care to patients. The present study was conducted with the aim of explaining the experiences of nursing tutors in regard to the process of challenge formation in nursing education in Iran.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This is a qualitative study with a grounded theory approach that was conducted in two stages. In the first stage, which took about 9 months, 18 experienced nursing tutors with managerial positions were selected by purposeful sampling from universities across the country. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews, field notes, observation, and memos. Data analysis was done by Corbin and Strauss method through MAXQDA software version 10. In the next step, using the method of Walker and Avant (2011), concepts and statements were gathered within a whole and a model was presented.

RESULTS

Twelve male university tutors and six female tutors participated in this study. The mean age of the participants was 45.38 ± 2.1 years, and their mean work experience was 18.66 ± 3.8 years. The findings showed that the challenges of nursing education could be categorized into three categories (defective educational cycle, efforts to restore the educational structure, and learning is a member of educational family), and 12 subcategories. After analyzing the data, trying to provide a need-based education was determined to be the central theme of this study. The components of model developed in this study were presented in the three axes of improving the tutor's teaching skills, managing the situation and educational facilities, and facilitating student's participation in the education process and decision-making.

CONCLUSION

Identifying barriers and facilitators of need-based education in health policy making can enable nurses to build a better future for their nursing position. To provide need-based education, it is necessary to create a suitable ground and platform for proper education. Such platform and ground are a necessity of educational, therapeutic, and community environments. To achieve this goal, it is recommended to improve the professional capabilities of tutors and support educational organizations.

The role of perceived stress and social support in nursing students' satisfaction with their initial clinical placement: A cross-sectional study

AIM

To explore: a) students' perceived stress, social support and satisfaction with their initial clinical placement; and b) identify the relationship between perceived stress, social support and student's satisfaction with their initial clinical placement.

BACKGROUND

Clinical placements are a central element in shaping future nursing professionals. Students' satisfaction with clinical placements influences their learning outcomes and intention to continue their studies. Students experience stress from various sources during their clinical placements and social support has been found to moderate their stress. However, there is a paucity of studies addressing the associations between perceived stress, social support and satisfaction with the initial clinical placement.

DESIGN

Quantitative cross-sectional study.

METHODS

Participants included 165s-year nursing students enrolled in the bachelor's program at a central university in Israel during their initial clinical placement. Data were collected between December 2022 and February 2023 using an online questionnaire that contained four parts: personal details, perceived social support, perceived stress and satisfaction with clinical placement.

RESULTS

Students' perceived stress was found to be negatively correlated to satisfaction with their clinical instructor (r = -0.47, p < 0.001) and with their clinical placement (r = -0.47, p < 0.001). Positive associations were found between satisfaction with the clinical placement and satisfaction with the clinical instructor (r = 0.67, p < 0.001). Significant differences were found in perceived stress and social support according to sociodemographic characteristics. Students perceived stress, social support from family and friends and satisfaction with their clinical instructor explained 54% of their satisfaction with their initial clinical placements.

CONCLUSIONS

Clinical instructors and nurse educators are central to students' initial clinical experience. It is recommended that they assess students' perceived stress in the clinical environment, integrate stress reduction strategies into the curriculum and encourage students to turn to various sources for social support. These can promote students' satisfaction and success in their studies.

Applying intersectionality to address inequalities in nursing education

AIM

The aim of this paper is to discuss the significance of the intersectionality framework for addressing prejudices, racism and inequalities in nursing education and clinical learning environments.

BACKGROUND

Discrimination and racism against nursing students and educators based on their gender, ethnicity, race and social identities is well-documented in the nursing literature. Despite documented discrimination and incivility based on intersectional factors, it is reported that often nurse educators show limited interest in the culture, diverse experiences and values of nursing students with culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds.

DESIGN

Discussion paper METHODS: The discussion was based on contemporary literature about intersectionality, discrimination and racism in nursing. We completed a cursory search of literature in nursing education journal and selected nursing and health science databases. This was not a formal literature review. Using a fictional example, the application of intersectionality to address inequalities in educational settings is illustrated.

RESULTS

Intersectionality is an invaluable tool for examining interwoven power relations and power struggles arising from racial, gender, ethnic, religious and sexuality and disability-related differences. Nurse educators, students and leaders should be more cognizant of their preconceived views, sociocultural stereotypes and varied forms of sociocultural oppression affecting their interactions with each other in clinical learning environments.

CONCLUSIONS

Incorporating intersectionality can address prejudices, racism and inequalities arising due to sociocultural, ethnic, power-related and intergenerational issues among educators, students and other personnel involved in creating clinical learning environments.

Experiences of Undergraduate Male Students in Nursing: On the Outside Looking in

BACKGROUND

Measures to improve gender diversity of the profession have yielded only a modicum of progress.

PURPOSE

To investigate the relationship between marginalization and gender minorities in baccalaureate nursing programs in the United States.

METHODS

A descriptive cross-sectional study compared self-reported marginalization in male and female baccalaureate nursing students. The sample was drawn from the American Association of Colleges of Nursing database of US baccalaureate nursing programs, and the Englund Marginality Index (EMI) was used to measure marginalization, along with a demographic survey.

RESULTS

In the study, 6480 full-time baccalaureate students from a traditional face-to-face nursing program in the United States participated. The results show that male participants had higher EMI scores (mean = 40.0, SD = 9.1) compared with female nursing students (mean = 35.1, SD = 9.0); t(6478) = 14.9, P < .001.

CONCLUSIONS

Marginalizing behaviors must not be tolerated or promulgated. More needs to be done to better support and integrate men into nursing programs as they bring forth a unique perspective and skill set to the profession.

Differences in Emotional Intelligence Between Male and Female Nursing Students From a Population With a Low Percentage of Male Nurses

Introduction

Poland has the largest shortage of nurses in Europe, as well as a low percentage of male nurses. Information relating to emotional intelligence has been explored to determine whether it predicts the characteristics and outcomes of qualified health professionals during their academic training and practice.

Objective

This study aimed to measure differences in emotional intelligence between male and female nursing students.

Participants and methods

In this cross-sectional study, emotional intelligence was measured using the Schutte Self-Report Emotional Intelligence Test (SSEIT) in 21 male and 127 female nursing students from John Paul II University in Biała Podlaska, Poland.

Results

The raw overall scores of emotional intelligence in male and female students were similar. Differences were observed after the conversion of raw scores into normalized (sten) scores. High normalized scores (sten 8-10) of emotional intelligence had every third of male students and only 14.2% of female students. The lowest sten values of emotional intelligence in male and female students were 3 and 1, respectively. Less than 10% of male students and over 20% of female students had low normalized scores (sten ≤3) for emotional intelligence and an isolated ability to recognize emotions (factor II).

Conclusions

The emotional intelligence expressed in normalized scores was higher in male nursing students than in female nursing students. This evidence may suggest that, at the stage of choosing a field of study, Polish male nursing students self-select for the nursing profession, at least in terms of emotional intelligence. The influx of men into the profession should be considered as a positive trend.

Employment intention and career planning of male nursing students in different levels of colleges and universities: A qualitative study

AIM

To explore the employment intention and career planning of male nursing students at different levels of colleges and universities and provide references for formulating individualized training content.

DESIGN

Phenomenological research method in qualitative research.

METHODS

Using a phenomenological research method, 15 male nursing students from three levels of colleges and universities were interviewed in a one-to-half structure, and the data were analysed using NVivo12.0 software and the Colaizzi seven-step analysis method.

RESULTS

Four themes and 10 sub-themes were extracted. The four themes included professional identity experience, nursing learning experience, career expectation and planning and educational needs. The 10 sub-themes included the negative effects of traditional impressions, the gradual establishment of professional identity, public health events promote professional identity, negative experiences in learning, positive growth from learning, varied career plans, career expectations and influencing factors, a reasonable schedule, diversity of content requirements and the positive effect of teaching teachers.

CONCLUSIONS

Influenced by many factors, the employment intention and career planning of male nursing students at different higher education levels are varied. Schools and clinical practice units should strengthen the training of employment intention and career planning and make reasonable time adjustments to the training content.

PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION

In total, 15 male interns accepted our interview request. We utilized their break time to conduct the interviews, resulting in significant contributions to the content of the article.

Exploring the Barriers and Coping Strategies Faced by Male Nursing Students in Japanese Nursing Education

PURPOSE

Nursing is traditionally considered a female profession, and male nursing students face gender stereotype barriers. Most studies of male nursing students in Japan focus on their learning experiences in maternal nursing, and little is known about the experiences of male nursing students in their usual learning environment. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to explore the barriers and coping strategies of Japanese male nursing students in nursing education, including classroom and practical training.

METHODS

A qualitative descriptive design was used to study 20 male nursing students from eight Japanese universities. Purposive sampling using the snowball method was used to recruit participants. Semistructured interviews were used to gather data about the participants' thoughts and experiences in nursing education. All interview data were analyzed using thematic analysis.

RESULTS

Four themes emerged from the data: (1) nursing choices of own volition; (2) loneliness due to the female-dominated environment and marginalization; (3) dealing with barriers and seeking support; and (4) positive experiences in nursing education. Male nursing students face barriers such as loneliness and feelings of alienation. Family support, mutual support among male nursing students, and the presence of role models were factors that addressed these barriers and positively influenced career choice.

CONCLUSIONS

This research suggests that nursing educators need to understand the barriers faced by male nursing students and provide a gender-neutral learning environment for all students.

Validity and reliability of the Korean version of the gender-friendliness barriers in nursing programs scale

Introduction

The gender-friendliness barriers in nursing programs (GFB-NP) were used to measure perceived gender affinity among male nursing students in nursing education programs. Originally developed in Taiwan, this scale has not been used in Korea. The purpose of this study is to confirm the reliability and validity of the GFB-NP scale for Korean male nursing students.

Methods

A convenience sample of male nursing students enrolled in the 1st to 4th year of nursing departments at five four-year universities located in three cities in Korea was used in the study. To confirm the validity and factor structure of the scale, both exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis were employed.

Results

The results support a four-factor structure: Professional acquisition opportunity, peer interaction, sociocultural prejudice, and gender role attitude. We confirmed that the Korean version of the GFB-NP is an appropriate tool for measuring the gender-friendliness educational environment perceived by male nursing students in nursing education.

Discussion

The GFB-NP will serve as a framework for developing counseling and management strategies to help male nursing students successfully adapt to school life within the nursing education curriculum. Research with a longitudinal study design is recommended to investigate the progression of school adaptation through undergraduate program courses.

Professional calling among nursing students: a latent profile analysis

BACKGROUND

One factor that influences nursing students' decision to pursue a nursing career is professional calling. It is important to comprehend nursing students' professional calling, which may have an impact on their career choice and career development.

OBJECTIVES

To investigate possible calling types and contributing variables among nursing students.

DESIGN

Cross-sectional descriptive study.

PARTICIPANTS

A total of 10,583 nursing students were enrolled in this survey.

METHODS

From November 16th, 2022, to January 17th, 2023, a cross-sectional study was carried out among nursing students using a convenient sampling. The subjects were given the Chinese Calling Scale and the General Demographic Information Questionnaire. Latent profile analysis (LPA) was used to separate nursing students' professional calling into a variety of subgroups. To find the variables connected to the prospective calling categories, we used ordinal and multinomial Logistic regression analysis.

RESULTS

Respondents were divided into three calling groups, low (N = 3204), moderate (N = 4492), and high calling group (N = 2887), which accounted for 30.3%, 42.4%, and 27.3% of the total respondents, respectively, in accordance with the findings of the latent profile analysis. Across scale scores and dimensions for the three separate categories, three groups demonstrated statistically significant differences (both p < 0.001). Profile membership was predicted by 8 factors such as age, gender, location of origin, first volunteer experience, highest degree earned, marital status, student leadership experience, and political appearance.

CONCLUSION

Three latent calling patterns were found, and there was calling variability across nursing students. Special care should be given to students with low calling. Nursing students must use professional education tools to help them develop their career calling and stabilize the nursing team.

A Critical Minority: The Marginalization of Male Faculty in Nursing Academia

AIM

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between gender and marginalization in nursing academia.

BACKGROUND

Men continue to be significantly underrepresented in nursing academia because they experience numerous barriers to their integration and success in the profession.

METHOD

A descriptive cross-sectional design was implemented in this pilot study to investigate differences in perceived marginalization between male versus female faculty teaching in Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education-accredited colleges. Marginality was measured using the Englund Marginality Index (EMI).

RESULTS

Male nursing faculty participants reported higher scores on the EMI ( M = 43.6, SD = 9.9) than female faculty ( M = 37.2, SD = 9.6), t (1428) = 6.0, p < .001.

CONCLUSION

As the nursing faculty shortage continues to increase, it is imperative that leaders in nursing education steer their efforts toward attracting a more robust and diverse faculty population.

Origins, characteristics and destination of nursing students in South West England

BACKGROUND

Worldwide there are concerns about the supply of nurses into health systems. Understanding and balancing the supply of and demand for healthcare professionals is crucial to efficient healthcare delivery, yet there is relatively little research that examines in detail where nursing students come from and where they go after qualification.

OBJECTIVES

To investigate the demographic characteristics of applicants to nursing and midwifery programmes in England, those that are enrolled, attrition during study, and their career intentions on graduation.

METHODS

A descriptive case study was conducted in south west England drawing on a complementary set of analyses of routinely collected application and enrolment data from 2017-2020. These were augmented by derivation of student deprivation indices and a follow-up study of nursing and midwifery students qualifying between May 2020 and April 2021.

RESULTS

The percentage of males applying for nursing doubled and the mean age of all enrolled students (except midwifery) increased during the study period. The mean level of deprivation of applicants increased from the 51^st to the 55^th centile indicating widening of participation. Most applying and enrolled students originated from the same region as the nursing school and remained working there on qualification. Successively more males than females were lost from the system at each stage from application to qualification. Qualifying students most common job choice was within acute Trusts, with Medical, District nursing and surgical being the most common choices. The most important factors regarding job choice were location, the characteristics of the Trust, having been there as a student, and family considerations.

CONCLUSIONS

The data provide useful information on the nursing educational pipeline. The data discussed here raise questions that would benefit from further regional and national empirical research.

Male Student Challenges in a Maternity Nursing Clinical Course in a Middle Eastern Country: Strategies for Improved Performance and Future Implications for Nursing Education and Practice

Introduction

As the number of males, entering nursing and midwifery increase in number, challenges faced by these males during training sessions also is on rise. Since these challenges vary from culture to culture, it is essential to understand the experiences and challenges of male nursing students during their nursing education.

Aim

To explore the challenges faced by male nursing students in learning maternal health nursing and the remedial strategies to improve their performance as identified by the students.

Design

A descriptive qualitative research design using focus group discussion method was used.

Methods

Twenty-two (22) undergraduate male nursing students enrolled in the Maternal Health Nursing Course during the Academic Years 2017 and 2018 were purposively selected to participate in the study through five (5) focus groups each comprising between four to six students.

Results

Three themes emerged from the study: (a) cultural constraints in the clinical learning process; (b) traditional gender-biased role expectations, and (c) alternative teaching strategies. In terms of “ cultural constraints,” the students felt the Arabic culture was the main barrier in direct patient care in midwifery practice. In relation to “ gender-biased role expectations,” the students reported that they felt “ not accepted and isolated” in midwifery clinical areas. Thirdly, the “ alternative teaching strategies” relate to the student's remedy to the cultural constraints and the gender bias faced that undermined their learning and overall performance in maternity nursing course . These alternative ways of learning included, “ increased involvement of nurses and midwives in teaching learning”; “ cultivating positive relationship between the clinical instructor and students,” and the “ use of high fidelity simulation to learn skills in midwifery education.”

Conclusion

The study findings revealed that male student nurses face significant challenges in maternity nursing course.

Understanding the gender gap in advanced practice nursing: A qualitative study

AIMS

We aim to explore the perceptions of registered nurses undergoing the advanced practice nurse preparatory programme and of advanced practice nurses towards the recruitment of men into the advanced practice nursing workforce.

BACKGROUND

Given the need to expand and diversify the advanced practice nursing workforce, it is important to recognize the potential implications of gender disparity. It is critical to understand why few males are recruited into the advanced practice nursing preparatory programme and to determine whether gender-related bias is present in the professional development of nurses.

METHOD

We use a descriptive qualitative design. Semi-structured interviews were conducted via Zoom (April to August 2021).

RESULTS

Three themes were generated: 'The odds are eventually in the favour of men', 'The APN career-track is unpopular among men', and 'Balancing the gender gap in the APN workforce'. All themes are supported by three subthemes.

CONCLUSIONS

Although males in nursing enjoy opportunistic advantages in entering the advanced practice nursing workforce, they are not interested in the role and not staying long enough in the nursing profession to become advanced practice nurses.

IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING MANAGEMENT

Nurse managers should be more cognizant of the different social stereotypes faced by males and females in nursing. With such awareness, they can be more supportive and less biased in career counselling and job appraisals.

Factors Influencing Male Nursing Students' Adaptation to College Life in Korea

BACKGROUND

Male nursing students face challenges in the nursing profession because of its female-centered nature. In particular, most male students in South Korea must complete military service while in college. Although these kinds of situations may make it difficult for them to adapt to college life, the number of male nursing students is gradually increasing. Therefore, it is important to identify the influencing factors to promote male nursing students' successful adaptation to college life.

PURPOSE

This study was developed to investigate the relationship between self-efficacy, social support, stress coping, and adaptation to college life among male nursing students in Korea. Factors that influence their adaptation to college life were also analyzed.

METHODS

A cross-sectional study was conducted on 217 male nursing students from seven colleges in Korea. Participants completed a questionnaire that was designed to measure self-efficacy, social support, stress coping, and adaptation to college life. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, independent t test, one-way analysis of variance, Scheffé test, Pearson's correlation coefficient, and multiple regression.

RESULTS

Male nursing students' self-efficacy, social support, stress coping, and adaptation to college life were shown to all positively correlate with each other. The main factors influencing adaptation to college life were social support, self-efficacy, satisfaction with major, and problem-solving-centered stress coping.

CONCLUSIONS

Strategies to enhance social support, self-efficacy, satisfaction with major, and problem-solving-centered stress coping should be developed to improve male nursing students' adaptation to college life.

Perspective and Experience of Male Nursing Students in 3-year Vocational College During Their Clinical Practicum: A Qualitative Study in Shanghai, China

Background

With the expansion of nursing enrollment, more and more male students are joining the nursing program. Nevertheless, the number of male nurses who actually stay in clinical work in China continues to be low. Clinical practicum is a critical period during which nursing students transform to the role of registered nurses. However, few studies have researched the perspective and experience during clinical practicum among male nursing students in 3-year vocational colleges in China.

Objectives

To explore the perspective and experience of Chinese male nursing students during clinical practicum in the third year. One of the main objectives is to provide implications for future nursing education and to help male nursing students for better adaptation to clinical roles.

Methods

The qualitative study used a purposive sampling method and collected data through in-depth, semi-structured interviews. The participants were 20 male students from a 3-year vocational college in Shanghai. They completed the basic nursing course in college and underwent a clinical practicum in the 3rd level hospitals in China between July 2020 and March 2021. A Seven-stage Colaizzi process was used for data analysis.

Results

Three themes were revealed through content analysis: opportunities and challenges brought by gender factors in hospital humanistic environment, gaining experience and growth during clinical practicum, and future career planning.

Conclusions

The presented findings further our understanding of the perspective and experience of male nursing students during clinical practicum. It is very important and necessary for providing implications for future nursing education. At the same time, effective support from society, such as social unions, mass media, government, can help better address male nursing students' needs and complete the role transform of registered nurses.

Men's health disparities: Causes and interventions

According to the existing, extensive scientific evidence in the literature, men on average are living sicker and dying younger at a higher rate compared to women. The causes of men's infirmities are complex and multifaceted, contributing to increased morbidity and mortality rates and decreased life expectancy. Despite the statistics of the doomed health status among men, interests to eliminate their health disparities remain inconsistent and ill-defined. Therefore, efforts to eradicate men's health disparities should be positioned in interdisciplinary health education, research, and policy using sex and gender-based health frameworks. The purpose of this paper is to explore men's health generally by discussing common health disparities, the causes of the gender gap in men's health outcomes, proposing some strategies for advancing men's health, and finally providing nursing implications for education, practice, research, and health/public policy. Notably, interdisciplinary, gender-based health education potentially has significant impacts on men's health. The promotion of such initiatives can consequently address the intricacies of men's health, which will provide future healthcare professionals with the knowledge, attitude, and skills necessary to improve men's health.

Isolation and Marginalization: Exploring Attrition of Men in Preregistration Nursing Programs

BACKGROUND

In Scotland, similar to other countries, male nursing students have a high attrition rate. This study examined the reasons for and ways to decrease the attrition rate.

METHOD

This four-phase collaborative study included four Scottish universities. Phase 1 involved three telephone interviews with men who had left a nursing program. Phases 2 through 4 used focus groups and interviews with 18 nursing students (13 men and 5 women) and 12 nurse lecturers. Thematic analysis followed a four-stage process.

RESULTS

Male nursing students in this study felt isolated and marginalized, were stereotyped regarding their masculinity and physical attributes, had difficulty communicating, and were reluctant to seek help. Financial pressures and access to learning opportunities also disproportionately affected male students. Resilience and maturity are required to cope with these challenges.

CONCLUSION

Proactive measures and visible role models in academic and clinical environments are needed to support male students in completing their nursing education. [J Nurs Educ. 2022;61(4):179-186.].

Experiences and Characteristics of Men Working in Dental Hygiene

OBJECTIVE/PURPOSE

There is limited research available about men working in the profession of dental hygiene. The purpose of this study was to explore the characteristics and experiences of men in dental hygiene.

METHODS

Cross-sectional survey research was conducted with a purposive sample of male dental hygienists (n=288). Participants were recruited via social media and snowball sampling. The survey was developed based on nursing literature and validated with a panel of experts with a final S-CVI of 98.5%. Descriptive statistics and correlations were used for data analysis.

RESULTS

The completion rate was 80.9% (n=233). Results revealed participants were more likely to be White (59.7%), hold an associate's entry-level dental hygiene degree (60.9%), and work in a private practice dental setting (73.4%). Sixty-one percent reported full-time employment, and 50% were satisfied or very satisfied with benefits offered by their place of employment. All three sources of gender discrimination (patients, co-workers, and employers) were related to experiencing a desire to leave the field. Experiencing gender discrimination from patients indicated a higher likelihood of desire to leave the field (49%) comparatively (33%), χ² =5.94, p=0.02. Half of respondents reported (56.7%) patients had refused to see them based on their gender.

CONCLUSION

This research provides a snapshot of demographics and professional characteristics of male dental hygienists. Gender discrimination from patients emerged as an area that needs to be addressed in practice settings. It will be important to identify ways to make the profession more inviting to encourage men to join the profession.

Experiences, Attitudes, and Perceptions of Female Adjunct Clinical Instructors in Teaching Male Prelicensure Nursing Students

ABSTRACT

Male students often report experiencing barriers during nursing education, resulting in decreased retention and success. Clinical instructors are one influence that potentially deters men in nursing. This qualitative study interviewed female clinical instructors about their experiences, attitudes, and perceptions of teaching males. The results reveal a general acceptance of males, with hesitation and ambivalence from some clinical instructors. Further training for clinical instructors, education of the public, and recruitment of more males into education are suggested to improve male student outcomes.

Approaches of male nurses for degendering nursing and becoming visible: A metasynthesis

INTRODUCTION

Patient, nurse and public discrimination against male nurses is well-documented. Male nurses encounter challenges in degendering nursing and becoming more visible nursing professionals. However, little is known about male nurses' decisions and strategies to address issues concerning gender-based discrimination and professional visibility.

AIMS

To develop a comprehensive understanding of the approaches of male nurses to degender nursing and become more visible in the profession.

METHODS

A metasynthesis using the PRISMA guidelines. A comprehensive literature search was performed PubMed, CINAHL, Web of Science and Scopus databases. The search terms included 'lived experiences', 'male nurses', 'clinical practice', 'male educators' and 'male nurse managers'. In total, 16 qualitative studies published from January 2005 to November 2020 were critically appraised and synthesised. Two authors independently extracted data using summary tables. Data were synthesised using thematic synthesis which entails generation of codes and development of descriptive and analytical themes.

RESULTS

Male nurses used intrapersonal, interpersonal and strategic adaptation to degender nursing and becoming visible as a nursing professional. These approaches entailed goal-directed behaviours, relationship-building strategies and positive and negative manipulation of resources.

DISCUSSION

The approaches to degender nursing enabled men to prove their worth as competent nursing professionals, lessen the gendered stigmatisation and receive autonomy and respect.

CONCLUSIONS

Degendering the gendered stigmatisation of nursing and becoming a visible nursing professional is essential for male nurses to promote diversity in the profession. Male nurses used both negative and positive approaches to gain recognition, respect and autonomy. They continued their struggles to promote the role of men as nurses.

RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE

Nursing institutions and regulatory bodies could use the findings to develop conducive environments to degender nursing and increase male nurses' visibility. Future male nurses could use the identified positive approaches and tailor them to meet their needs to become more visible and competent nursing professionals.

Professional Identity of Male Nursing Students in 3-Year Colleges and Junior Male Nurses in China

Purpose:

To investigate the changing tendency and influencing factors of the professional identity of male nursing students in 3-year colleges and junior male nurses in China.

Background:

In China, the majority of nurses are 3-year nursing college graduates, among which male nurses are underrepresented. Many male nurses leave the profession 3 or 4 years after graduation. Little is known about the professional identity of Chinese male nursing students in 3-year colleges and junior male nurses.

Methods:

This study included 237 male nursing students from a 3-year college and 33 junior male nurses with less than 3 years of experience in China. By using the data collected with the Professional Identity Questionnaire of Nursing Students and through in-depth semistructured interviews from November 2019 to April 2020, t-test, and ANOVA analysis in SPSS22.0 were conducted and thematic analysis was applied to interviews.

Results:

Compared with undergraduate nursing students, Chinese male nursing students in 3-year colleges had a better professional identity, displaying a declining tendency with grades. Junior male nurses reported the lowest professional identity. Demographic factors such as family residence and presence of relatives in medical service were positively related to professional identity. Low professional identity was related to heavy workload as well as gender stereotypes. Two unique contextual factors influenced the professional identity: (a) curriculum setting and (b) nurse exams.

Conclusion:

College education and initial working experience were critical to professional identity formation for male nurses. Appropriate measures need to be taken to improve professional identity and promote gender diversity.

Faculty development workshop on gender-associated incivility in nursing education

BACKGROUND

Men comprise the minority of entry-level baccalaureate nursing students and are at increased risk of experiencing gender-associated incivility.

PROBLEM

Uncivil peer-to-peer behavior can negatively affect students' mental and physical well-being, and learning experience. Nursing faculty must be able to identify and address gender-associated incivility among students.

AIM

The purpose of this quality improvement program was to train nursing faculty to prevent, identify, and manage gender-associated incivility in the educational environment.

METHODS

A day-long interactive workshop utilizing trigger films, small group discussions, and interactive theater was developed to train nursing faculty to implement proactive and reactive techniques to address uncivil behavior which will enhance the learning environment for all students. Utilizing Kirkpatrick's Model of Evaluation, participants were surveyed at the conclusion of the workshop and four months postworkshop to evaluate their learning and its implementation.

RESULTS

Participants gained greater understanding of the impact of gender-associated incivility and felt both empowered and better prepared to manage gender-associated conflict.

CONCLUSION

Similar approaches may be useful for schools of nursing that wish to empower their nursing faculty to support an equitable nursing education environment free of gender-associated incivility.

Caring behaviors of male nurses: A descriptive qualitative study of patients' perspectives

BACKGROUND

Caring is mostly considered a characteristic of women and men are considered hard-hearted. In the nursing profession, female nurses are considered more caring than male nurses which influence patients' views about the care provided by male nurses. There is limited knowledge about patients' beliefs and views about caring behaviors of male nurses.

PURPOSE

To explore caring behaviors of male nurses from patients' perspectives.

DESIGN

A descriptive qualitative study drawn from a larger convergent mixed methods study METHODS: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with a purposive sample of 15 patients from 14 medical surgical units of three private hospitals in Islamabad, Pakistan. Inductive thematic analysis was used for data analysis.

FINDINGS

Patients reported that male nurses are respectful, considerate, good listener, unbiased, and supportive.

CONCLUSION

These findings delineated five tangible caring behaviors that patients expect from the male nurses who care for them. It suggests that patients have specific expectations from their male nurses for providing effective nursing care. The male nurses can foster these behaviors to enhance their relationships with their patients.

Exploring the Contextual Factors Surrounding the Recruitment and Retention of Men in a Baccalaureate Nursing Program

Men continue to be significantly underrepresented within the nursing profession, making up less than 10% of the Canadian nursing workforce. While studies have explored the challenges faced by men in nursing, fewer studies have explored the recruitment and retention barriers experienced by male nursing students. The purpose of this study was to explore the recruitment and retention of male nursing students currently enrolled in an undergraduate baccalaureate nursing program. Snowball sampling was used to recruit male nursing students (n = 17) to participate in focus groups where they shared what factors affected their decision to enter a nursing program and what experiences contributed to their decision to remain in the nursing program. The results of this research can contribute to the development of strategies to recruit and retain men in nursing and ultimately have the effect of diversifying the nursing profession.