The Emergence of Male Nursing Students in the

Nursing Profession

GEM V. MARASIGAN

ERIBERTO D. PACIENTE JR.

 CHAPTER 1

Nursing profession includes care of individuals sick or well and in all

settings regardless of race, religion or gender. Nursing focuses in health promotion,

growth and development, illness prevention, and the assisting ill, disabled and people

who cannot provide their own needs. Its main purposes are to provide a safe

environment, to minimize discomfort, stress and suffering of the patient, and to enable

them to accept and cope with their illnesses. It also contributes in medical research and

it participates in educating people with different health care practices.

Nursing is both a science and an art concerned with the physical, psychological,

sociological, cultural and spiritual concerns of the individual. The science of nursing is

based on a broad theoretical framework; its art depends on the caring skills and abilities

of the individual nurse (Doenges, Moorhouse & Murr, 2008). This is a profession that

provides health care and educational assistance among individuals who seek medical

attention as well as health based information.

A nurse is a health care provider who works with other medical care personnel

and is responsible in caring, assisting, counseling and educating individuals, families

and communities about promoting proper maintenance of health. Nurses should require

the order of a physician to an extent but they are able to perform immediate

interventions to life-threatening emergencies. They follow nursing process which

consists of assessment, nursing diagnosis, planning, intervention and evaluation that is

being done in a systematic way. According to Tomey and Alligood (2008), nursing is

changing continuously, internally and in relation to other professions, in response to

changing needs and changing social structures.

Increasingly, men are pursuing careers in nursing, attracted by the same benefits

that have traditionally drawn women to the profession: abundant job opportunities, good

salaries and, above all, the opportunity to make a difference in people's lives.

(Turner, 2010). Male nurses are emerging because of different factors and these

factors contribute in motivating males to go into nursing profession. One is that they

discover that being a nurse is a competitive and challenging profession. In addition,

male nursing students want to have a fair job security with good wages and they also

believe that nursing career is a highly respected profession.

They retain the benefits of their ascribed gender role; they are seen to be the

“breadwinner,” to have leadership qualities, and to be worth mentoring (since they are

more likely to be serious about their career), and they are more likely to be assisted in

accessing “power networks” in nursing (Speedy et al., 2005).Male nurses can overcome

negative perceptions by addressing them in some cases clients may feel a little

uncomfortable seeing male nurses in their practice but as time passes they learn to

respect and accept them because of their professionalism and satisfactory

performance. In some institutions, male nurses are limited in some clinical areas like

gynecology and obstetrics. “I must also add that I enjoy greatly our dedicated women
members who share our beliefs that nursing is a profession, not a gender-based

occupation.” (qtd from Tranbarger 2010).

The researcher’s aim is to discover the reasons that lead males into the nursing

profession. Through this study, the researchers would able to gather enough

information to further explain the effects of the emergence of male nurses on patient’s

welfare and its impact on the attitudes of selected respondents on this study

Statement of the Problem

The researchers provide questions that are needed to be answered after this study.

With the information gathered, the researchers would be able to provide possible

answers to these questions:

1. What factors have led males into the nursing profession?

2. What do future male nurses have to prepare towards the nursing profession?

3. What are the effects and significant impact of emerging numbers of male nurses
on the attitude of the respondents in terms of:
a. Age
b. Socio-economic Status

4. What are the coping strategies observed by male nursing students in coping with
stress?

5. How can nursing educational programs be enhanced to increase the number of

male students to be involve in the profession?
Significance of the Study

This research is highly significant to the following:

1. Nurses - this study will give the health care team the factors that led to the
emergence of the male nurse in the medical field.

2. General public –it provides information that explains the reasons and the effects
of the emergence of male nurses in the profession.

3. Medical institution- it provides information on the impact of accepting male

nurses in their medical/health institution.

Scope and Limitations

This research focuses on the emergence of male nurses in the nursing

profession. The respondents are included to assessment of selected male nursing

students as well as female nursing students from New Era University. The location of

the interviews will commence at New Era University located at No.9 Central Ave. New

Era, Quezon City. It will start on Monday January 10 th and will end at the end of

semester. Their name and age would be included in this study. The interview will

contain a series of questions that would provide the researchers with information to test

the hypothesis.

However, the researcher will not make a comparison and utilize any existing

results of previous studies. Also this research will not make a comparison with the

curriculum of the university with other institutions. The researchers will only cover the

perceptions of female nursing students.

Definition of Terms

The researchers provide definition of terms for better understanding of the research.

1. Ascribed (v) (www.dictionary.com)

 to credit or assign, as to a cause or source; attribute;impute: The alphabet is usu

ally ascribed to the Phoenicians.

 to attribute or think of as belonging, as a quality orcharacteristic: They ascribed c

ourage to me for something Idid out of sheer panic.

2. Gynecology (n) (www.dictionary.com)

 The branch of medical science that deals with the health maintenance and

disease of women esp. of the reproductive organs

3. Nursing Diagnosis (n) (www.wikipedia.com)

 A nursing diagnosis is part of the nursing process and is a clinical judgment

about individual, family, or community experiences/responses to actual or

potential health problems/life processes. 

4. Obstetrics (n) (www.answers.com)

 The branch of medicine that deals with the care of women during pregnancy,

childbirth, and the recuperative period following delivery.

5. Systematic (adj.) (www.dictionary.com)

 having, showing, or involving a system, method, or plan: a systematic course of

reading; systematic efforts.

6. Theoretical framework (n) (www.analytictech.com/mb313/glossary.htm)

 A theoretical framework is a theoretical perspective. It can be simply a theory, but

it can also be more general -- a basic approach to understanding something.

 Chapter 2

Review of Related Literature and Studies

This chapter presents the literature and related studies which have direct bearing

on this study also this chapter presents the review of related research of the emergence

of male nursing students in the nursing profession. The literatures about effects of male

nurses in the attitude of respondents are discussed.

Related Literature

Nursing as an art and science

Nursing is a combination of scientific studies and art of caring for clients in maintaining

the full independence and restoring the concept of well-being. It is a profession that may

teach, guide, communicate, offer and provide medical procedures that contributes in the

wellness of the client. Literature provides appearance and foundations of human and provides

a wealthy source that can be implemented into the lives and professionalism of nurses.

According to Smoller (1999), nursing profession is a consolidation of scientific appraisal

and interventions with the art of assisting clients. Since nursing is an art it collects its

components and procedures from the study of and engagement within the society. The

human manifestation of life is best described in literature; through literature man’s

foundation for understanding and investigation of the human spirit is achieves.

References containing tragedies, enthusiasm and all emotions in between, supply a

sufficient source for nurses to contemplate and include into their professional lives. This

supports that nursing is considered a profession that essentially explores the human spirit

which is instrumental in achieving healthy human existence.

Increasing number of male nurses

Trends are increasing with the number of male nurses compared to the

beginning when the male nurses were very rare to be seen on the field. It only means

that male nursing students are encouraged to enroll into the profession. As Ullman

(2010) asserted, nursing students today originated from all cultures and the men are in

a large number. The number of male nurses has seen a steady trend upward over the

past 20 years. What was once a unique form has now become a common occurrence.

Male nursing students do not need to feel outside of their aspect any longer. Nursing

has accepted both male and female over the past few decades and recognized as a

truly equal opportunistic career. In the 60s, and even for much of the 70s, male nursing

students were very uncommon. This rarity began to alter during the early to mid 80s as

more men began to participate in the elite ranks of nursing. The variety of individuals in

nursing started to change the people’s point of view on what a nurse was. Through this

statement the researchers have proof that the emergence of male students in the

nursing profession has increased over the years. With the increasing number, it shows

that the performance of male nurses is satisfactory which has led to the elevation of the

acceptance in the field.

Nursing shortage in other country

Presently, the need for nurses has been constantly growing. Different countries

employ nurses from all over the country in order to sustain the necessity for healthcare

and health group. Nursing students have constantly boosted from then. Institutions with

nursing courses have accepted large number of enrollees for nursing because of the

need of nursing abroad. Experts as well as novice engage themselves into nursing.

Doctors and other non-related degree alumnae enroll in nursing schools starting all over

again in first years in the anticipation of becoming a nurse later (Fabe, 2010). From this

statement the researchers have evidence that novice as well as experts go into the

nursing profession because of its wide range of opportunities and advantages that can

be acquired. With the increasing demand for nurses, different institutions accept more

male enrollees to sustain and meet those demands.

Opportunities of male nurses

There are a variety of choices and preferences within the nursing profession. It is

not only a career in the hospital or in a physician’s workplace but there are other

opportunities, such as support organization, academics, education and other medical

specialties. This is only one of the advantages of nursing; there is a diversity of options.

Some nurses may find it satisfying as a travelling nurse, while others desires to work

with cancer patients or premature infants. This is a personal choice that is provided to

those with a nursing degree (Grzywacz, 2008). As a result of the broad opportunities as

well as other factors like good salary, respect and professionalism more male nurses
are attracted. Because of the factors it contributes in the emergence of male nursing

students in the nursing profession.

Satisfactory performance of male nurses

Even though in the past women have dominated in the nursing profession,

schools and medical institutions have encouraged that male nursing students get into

the nursing profession as a result of the shortage in nurses. Declared by Petrolia

(2010), since men have a distinctive viewpoint while inside the medical field, nursing

schools are considering to put male personnel in the nursing profession. With the lack of

nurses, institutions have encouraged male students to enroll in nursing and they should

fill the shortage of nurses in other parts of the country, in that case gender

discrimination is no longer an issue. The researchers agreed that in giving medical care

gender does not matter but how the satisfaction of the intervention given to the client.

Also since there is a lack of nurses other parts of the country males are highly

prospected because of their fulfillment in handling clients.

Factors lead men into nursing profession

The main reason men want to be nurses is the same reason which anyone

wants, to set the job - the satisfaction of helping people in their healing process.”

Through this statement the researchers can affirm that nursing is an exhausting but a

rewarding profession that most males supply them both a sense of individuality and

fulfillment for providing a necessity. Male nurses also appreciate the new perceptions of

public to them ( Rodgers, 2007).

Nursing as a respected profession

Moreover, Grzywacz (2009) claimed when the general public is surveyed about

which profession they admired the most, nursing is always at the peak of the list.

Nurses are the ones that are responsible in giving care of communities, families and

individuals in their time of sickness and necessities. Although the fluctuation in the

financial system has its effect on nursing, there is still an extreme demand for nurses in

many places. The statement of Grzywacz only shows that nursing is a highly respected

profession because it is the one of the many professions that the main concern is to

maintain and promote state of well being. Despite the economic turmoil the nurses are

still the last line of defense for the patient in terms of health management and care.

Related Studies

Since there are shortages on the nursing workforce the need for male nurses are

still increasing. Since males are only a fraction of the female nurses. Stone and

Duquette (2010) affirmed that there is a shortage of male nursing students resulting in

the increase of recruitment in the nursing schools strategies from the Canadian nurse

association and registered nurse association of Canada in the nursing workforce.

Currently males made up only 5% of the nursing workforce, representing only an

untapped resource that should be targeted. With the results gather in this research it

shows that large amount of the respondents agreed that role and visibility of male

should increased in the nursing profession. The study also shows the reasons why male

nurses go into nursing profession and job security got the highest percentage of 87%.
 Offering specific care to an increasingly range of population is an intimidating job

for nurses who are mainly mostly white females. The small number of males in nursing

even with the recruitment efforts bound for the male population encouraged an

exploration of the existing views surrounding male nurses. A survey was administered

to 216 adults of varying ages, careers, and ethnicities. The majority of participants

showed positive perception of nursing, but certain gender blockade still remain with the

images of nursing education levels work hours locations and perceptions surrounding

working as a male nurse (Stoltenberg, 2010). This study focuses in the perceptions of

the public to male nurses, despite of the increasing number and satisfying performance

in the field, still male nurses receives different opinions and views. The results are

98.33% of male nurses and 99.28% of female nurses make an important contributions

in the medical field. These shows male and female were in the same level when it

comes to performance and acceptance in the public view.

Male nursing students still make up a small number and a minority in the nursing

population. Even though books and other references have identified blockades that

hinder men from entering in the profession, institutions and universities have been in a

traditional way when it comes to efforts to recruit men. With the reforms in the

healthcare system nursing education programs are attracting fewer students. Energetic

employment of young men may be a means of deal with the nursing scarcity. If nursing

is to endure in the 21st century affirmative action’s is needed to lose the gender gap

(Meadus, 2000). Although there are some factors that deter men to engage in nursing

field, still male nurses continue to serve public in enhancing the level of healthcare. At
the present time the barriers are not an obstacle anymore to male nursing students

because they proved to the general public that they can give quality care and be reliable

source of information.

The nursing population plan to amplify the quantity of male nursing students and

practicing male nurse’s lately. Existing studies has observed opinions of male students

about their nursing programs experience. While increasing number of literature on men

in nursing, research has failed to question gender distinctions between opinions of

female and male nursing students on where men ought to be in nursing career

(Ozdemir, 2008). Their research results show that males proved that to have a

significant impact on the management of nursing. This study revealed that the public

want to see male nurses in the administrative healthcare settings and instructor

positions.
 CHAPTER 3

METHODOLOGY OF RESEARCH

This chapter clearly explains the methods of research used to conduct the study.

The researchers explain the importance of the data and information in addressing the

research’s goals. Questions was collected, presented and analyzed with reasons and

explanations for the research design, research instruments, data sources, data

collection techniques, data presentation techniques and analytical techniques used are

given.

Methods of Research Used

The researchers have used the “Descriptive Research Method: wherein the study

is focused on present situations. It involves the recording, description, analysis and the

presentation of the present system, composition or processes of phenomena identified

therein.

Research instrument

Under the research instrument, the strategy used is the survey questionnaire

technique. It is a standardized list of questions to show the responses of respondents

to describe certain perceptions and experiences. Results and findings of the study will
always be compared with the standards. With the survey method, researchers are able

to statistically study the specific areas where the researchers must concentrate.

Findings regarding the perception of the emergence of male nursing students are

obtained with the use of the survey method.

Questionnaires

Questionnaire is a formalized list of questions that are used to gather information

from respondents. In this research Likert Scale, checklist and multiple choices are

utilized to save the respondents’ time and get definite answers. The questionnaires

were made to assess the level of perception of the respondents regarding with

emerging number of male nursing students in the nursing field.

Administration of the Questionnaires

The questionnaires were given to male and female nursing students of New Era

University. Questionnaires were distributed after the letter of request were given to the

respondents to seek consent. The respondents were given enough time to answer the

questionnaires after which the questionnaires were collected for interpretation and

analysis.
Sampling Design and Technique

To justify the point, the use of Sloven’s Formula was utilized in the

formula of:

n = number of samples

N = total population

e = error margin

n = N / (1 + Ne²)

n= 162/ (1+ 162 x 0.1 x 0.1)

n = 61.83 or 62 questionnaires

A total of 62 questionnaires were distributed to the sampling group which is the

students of the CON at New Era University.

All the questionnaires were collected from the respondents after they have

answered the questions

Description of the Respondents

In the research conducted there were 62 respondents who were randomly

selected from the total number of students in the CON which is 162 from them the

perception of the emerging number of male nursing student in the nursing profession

were gathered and analyzed. The respondents name, age, gender, year level were

included.

New Era University College of Nursing is located at #9 Central Avenue, New Era,

Quezon City.
Instruments Used

The researchers were able to gather information concerning the aforementioned

topic “The emergence of male nursing students in the nursing profession” by using a

Questionnaire method .It was divided into two parts which is the personal background

and the related questions. There are 5 questions that the respondents have to answer.

Also it appears that the guidelines and instructions were also given to get clear based

information.

Data Gathering Procedure

In gathering the data, the researchers, the herein research tool and technique

which is the questionnaire method. The survey questionnaire is composed of questions

that can be readily answer by checking, marking and encircling in order to minimize the

time in answering it. Aside from the research instrument, the researchers used

secondary references to support the initial information and obtain up-to-date information

regarding the study.

For the test of validity, the study went through a series of consultations with the

adviser. The purpose of this is to ensure that findings and results were carefully

analyzed and give appropriate interpretation.

Statistical Treatment of Data

Statistics is the science of the gathering, organization, and interpretation of

data. Statistical treatment of data is important in order to make use of the data in the

right form. Raw data collection in only aspect of any experiment; the organization of

data is equally important so that proper conclusions can be drawn. In this research the

data is treated using the chi-square formula.

The Chi Square (X2) test is undoubtedly the most important and most used

member of the nonparametric family of statistical tests. Chi Square is employed to test

the difference between an actual sample and another hypothetical or previously

established distribution such as that which may be expected due to chance or

probability. Chi Square can also be used to test differences between two or more actual

samples (Key, 1997).

Basic Computational Equation

Example:
   A U D

Observed responses 8 8 14

(Fo)

Expected responses (10) (10) (10)

(Fe)

Fo - Fe -2 -2 4

(Fo - Fe)2 4 4 16

.4 .4 1.6

  2.4  

Degrees of freedom - (number of levels - 1) = 2

X2.05 = 5.991 2.4 < 5.991

Therefore, accept null hypothesis.

 When there is only one degree of freedom, an adjustment known as Yates correction

for continuity must be employed. To use this correction, a value of 0.5 is subtracted

from the absolute value (irrespective of algebraic sign) of the numerator contribution of

each cell to the above basic computational formula. The basic chi square computational

formula then becomes: