Nursing: Gender And Gender Stereotypes In Nursing

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Recommended: Ethics in biomedical research

Recently a new field of interest and analysis has begun taking shape around the study of the masculinities and the particularity of men's social, physical, psychological and labouring lives in differing historical contexts.

With the rising number of male nurses society is being forced to become more open-minded in respect to professions that are typically linked to one sex dominantly. Stereotypically nursing has been thought of as a female career. Historically this has led to stereotypes and discrimination towards male nurses. Such as being excluded from certain subjects thought of as sensitive in nature (O’Connor, 2003).

Gender bias and role stereotyping do exist in nursing educational programs because nursing faculties are often composed mainly of women (Anthony, 2004). Nursing has been identified with feminine ways of caring for others.

However, “male nurses have constructed a gender-based identity that accords with what is acceptable to the society…this allows a male nurse to retain masculine qualities while fitting in with the society’s expectations of what is primarily perceived as a woman’s role” (Loughrey, 2008).

This research is an attempt to look at the largely untold story of male nursing on the workplace and on the social space, and to attempt to question the gender stereotypes which have come to characterize nursing in South Africa. These stereotypes are as prevalent among feminists as they are among the general public, yet they are somehow not paid that much attention.

3) Preliminary literature study, and reasons for choosing topic:

The history of nursing is almost exclusively a history of women’s accomplishments, despite the fact that men have worked as nurses since the profession’s infancy (Mackintosh 199...

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...ptions and biases aside, so as not to influence data.
Ethical Considerations
Research is viewed as a scientific human endeavour that is organised according to a range of protocols, methods, guidelines and legislation (Gerrish & Lacey, 2010). Research ethics is that domain of enquiry that identifies ethical challenges with a view to developing guidelines that safeguard against any harm and protects the rights of human subjects in research (Rogers, 2008).
The researcher is aware that the issue of masculinity can get sensitive and as such has an ethical responsibility to adhere to key ethical principles such as respect, informed consent, beneficence, non-maleficence, reliability and fairness. Ethical approval will be obtained from the affiliated training institutions for nursing (Michaelmas College and Shekinah College) and university (University of KwaZulu Natal).

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