Gender Bias in Nursing Major - Essay Example

Gender Bias in Nursing Major Stakeholder Research Paper This paper aims to examine gender typecasts in relation to males in nursing, discuss gender bias cases in the field of nursing, as well as explore methods used for upholding equal educational chances during nursing studies. The literature review was derived from related databases, such as Science Direct, CINAHL, EBSCO and MEDLINE. Legal case research papers are incorporated so as to grant a more practical case of those hurdles existing for males pursuing nursing, as well as statistical facts regarding gender discrimination and male abrasion to nursing institutions in relation to those hurdles. These reinforce the validity of the paper. Literature review proved that gender bias is still widespread in the nursing profession. Nursing faculty ought to prepare male nursing learners to interact efficiently with female clients, as well. Playing the same therapeutic role with clients is one strategy, which might help male learners (Shoemaker 90). In essence, the faculty ought to grant equal learning opportunities to both male and female nursing students. The issue of gender typecast in relation to males in nursing is an enormous one. This can be attributed to the fact that nursing is regarded as a female profession because it began with the tenets outlines by Florence Nightingale (Shoemaker 90). This created a justifiable basis for the advancement of nursing as a respectable career option for single women, and it strengthened the notion that nursing was a woman’s job. The nurse position was looked at more submissive to the doctor and the training environment excluded males from training as nurses and isolated female nurses. Nurses are perceived as kind and caring, hence the stereotype that nursing is for women, unlike men who are seen as strong and aggressive, thus not fit for nursing (Simmons 48). Studies show that this bias has caused some of them to leave the course than the females. The findings further show that those who finished the course still felt isolated and lonely claimed that nursing is more appropriate for women (Shoemaker 95). They contend that nursing is dominated by women, and this is enhanced by the gender bias found in nursing education. Male nursing students reported experiencing discrimination from their peers and even from their lecturers in the nursing institutions. This coupled with the fact that there are not many successful role models in nursing makes it an arduous task to keep men in nursing. It is important to have male role models during the educational process of students (Simmons 39). Studies revealed that male nursing students lacked many role models among the instructors yet this is crucial because there has to be gender connectivity. Though nursing education is attempting to target males there is little being done within institutions to promote the recruitment of male instructors. Traditional nursing programs add to gender bias and discrimination against men in nursing education. A research on the experiences of male students in nursing schools shows they differ from those experienced by their female counterparts. While nursing programs treat all students studying nursing alike, they do not consider the unique learning needs and dissimilar communication styles of men. The study further showed that male nurses were seen as unmanly for choosing a nursing as a career. Their female peers and instructors had different expectations of their performance in clinical settings. The male nursing students had to be more assertive and take on leadership responsibilities when working in groups with their female counterparts (Shoemaker 100). They were made to take on extra duties perceived as masculine like helping with heavy lifting and transporting patients. In another study the male students distinguished themselves as minorities and that their performance was closely monitored than that of their female peers. Care giving is vital in nursing and while it comes naturally for female students it might be seen as a bit challenging to the male students who had to develop ways of showing they are caring. Their concern was that as much as they tried to show care for their patients, the female nurse instructors who expected caring to come naturally might not appreciate their efforts. Apart from the experiencing different performance and behavioral expectations, the student said they had a different learning experience in health assessment and care to patients of both genders. The male students stated that while performing their maternal child health clinical rotations, there was the fear of being looked at from a sexual rather than their professional perspective by female patients. Three cases present different gender discrimination in a nursing institution experienced when providing intimate care. In the case of Moyhing vs. Barts and London NHS Trust, (2006), Moyhing, a Bachelor of Science student in nursing claimed that he was not allowed to take part or observe an intimate examination while his female counterparts were allowed to. He alluded that male nurses were treated like second rate citizens (Simmons 40). The female nurses were deemed suitable to provide care to anyone but it was not appropriate for male nurses to care for female patients especially in intimate cases. The second case concerned the employment of only female nurses in the obstetric ward of Camden-Clark Memorial hospital. Michael Silvka an experienced registered male nurse in a variety of fields including obstetric duties sued the hospital for discrimination when they declared they did not hire men in the obstetric ward because of patient privacy (Shoemaker 102). The Unites States Supreme court ruled that it was unlawful to single out on the grounds of gender unless the employer demonstrated that gender was a genuine and sincere occupational qualification for the task in question (Shoemaker 100). The Evans v. Principi case (2005) involved a female supervisor showing gender discrimination when supervising a male nurse. Male nurses working with a female supervisor are usually protected by gender discrimination laws in the United States. The male nursing student was treated with discrimination by his female supervisor who from the onset told him that he did not belong to that unit. He was thus closely monitored and not treated as the female nurses. His office was taken away from him, rebuild and given to a female nurse while he had to contend with the janitor’s closet as his office. Gender biases in nursing education are also witnessed through social isolation. Male students are unable to socialize with their female student counterparts because most of them are married and have family commitments hence feel socially isolated. In order to uphold equal education chances during nursing studies, several issues need to be considered. For starters, nursing education needs to recruit and retain a wide range of students including males (Simmons 42). The nursing faculty members should be responsive to those delicate cases of gender bias that can significantly affect student learning and success. In order to reduce gender bias, the nursing staff needs to be aware of the role men have made to the career. In addition they need to assess publications that perpetuate feminine stereotypes of nursing and draw attention to gender policies as a foundation for male nurses’ oppression or lack of status in nursing education. There is a need to recognize and do away with practices that create biases or discrimination among male and female students in nursing education (Shoemaker 106). Nurse educators can implement strategies to take full gain of education opportunities for both male and female students. On the issue of clinical rotation, they can use decisive assessment to appraise the quality of clinical learning to discern apparent barriers to learning. The problem of isolation in clinical rotation can be reduced by providing clinical experience for male where they are grouped together with other male nursing students. On the disparities in male instructors they can solve this by harmonizing male nursing students with male academic instructors (Simmons 42). They can also set up mentoring programs in which male nursing students will work together professionally with practicing male nurses. The whole curriculum can be overhauled to integrate references about the contributions of nursing and professional practice by males. They can avoid gender biased textbooks that refer to nurses as women and instead obtain nursing books that positively portray males as nurses. To promote active learning, teaching strategies can be customized where possible to equal learning styles by offering prospects for personal directed learning and computer supported learning. Joint learning activities need to be used to enhance teamwork and reduce completion. On matters concerning care giving, they can assess examination items that avoid unnecessary gender discrimination. From the foregoing, it is apparent that gender bias exists in nursing education and leads to discrimination against male nursing students though this may not be deliberate (Simmons 56). Ignoring the role that male nursing students in education play as care givers, believing feminine stereotypes of nursing, gender biases in nursing textbooks, and practices that create different learning experiences for male and female students are the foundation of all this bias and discrimination The results of gender bias are harmful to the profession and create a cycle that is responsible for discrimination, and also limits the role of male nurses (Simmons 56). There is a need for mainstream gender awareness and sensitivity into the basic training and continuing education for all nursing students. Male nursing students should be valued and respected so that they can provide better quality care services. Nursing education should incorporate gender into health programs to raise and create awareness among patients in their interaction with male nurses. Works Cited Shoemaker, Kelly. “The Experience of Being a Male Nurse Student.” Journal of Nurse Education 34.4 (1994): 89-109. Print. Simmons, Caroline. How To Shape Our Today Nurses. New York: Oxford University Press. Print. Read More