Is the Concept of Caring a Barrier to Gender Diversity in Nursing?

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.

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.

Perceived marginality in veteran and nonveteran nursing students in baccalaureate programs

BACKGROUND

Veteran nursing students often have difficulty transitioning to campus life. Barriers include issues with admissions, financial support, as well as classroom environments. These barriers often push veterans and their unique needs to the periphery.

METHOD

The purpose of this descriptive cross-sectional study was to examine mean differences in perceived marginality between veteran and nonveteran nursing students enrolled in baccalaureate programs using the Englund Marginality Index.

RESULTS

Results indicate that veteran nursing students report higher perceived marginality (M = 40.18, SD = 10.68) than nonveteran nursing students (M = 38.82, SD = 9.51); t (1154) =2.09, p = 0.036.

CONCLUSION

Veteran nursing students in this study demonstrate higher levels of perceived marginalization. Strategies aimed at decreasing attrition and marginalization should be implemented, thus improving the diversity of the nursing workforce.