The Role of Male Nurses in Creating a Positive and Healthy Work Environment - Essay Example

?ANALYSIS Procedure The data gathered were primarily taken from a set of structured interviews that involved seven questions for three participants. This approach provided the framework for a qualitative research as the questions were designed to encourage open conversation and, in the process, yield deep insights about individual experiences that can answer the issues being investigated. While the subject is not uncommon - that about occupational stress - the specified parameters - that includes a specific gender as well as race - made this study unique. According to Morgan, interviews such as what this study has undertaken, is one of the most effective investigative approaches in exploratory research, wherein a particular phenomenon has never been or has been scarcely investigated. This is because interviews, with open ended questions, provide concentrated amounts of data on the topic of interest. (Morgan 1997) The interview was conducted in English. The three interviews were recorded, transcribed and analyzed. The seven questions were pretty straightforward but they encouraged the participants to open up about their work, their relationship with co-workers and their points of view on gender and race in the workplace. Data Analysis Using a thematic analysis, the data gathered revealed the following findings: 1. Male nurses have generally positive work outlook especially in their relations with female nurses. 2. Male nurses do not encounter gender-based problems in hospitals. 3. Patients may prove to be a source of discomfort for male nurses. 4. Male nurses may have a competitive advantage over female nurses at work. Male Perspective Working as a male nurse, with its minority position in the workplace, is entirely different from the case when a woman works in a male-dominated work environment. The experiences of all the participants in this study points to this fact as their work is not adversely affected, threatened or endangered because of their gender. The dominant description provided by the respondents is that the female-dominated workplace is a place to meet girlfriends or enhance their social lives. There was no reference to any case of discrimination or prejudice on the basis of their gender. This can be attributed to two variables. First, there is the fact that the participants are generally positive or secure about their position and their status in their workplace. One participant was able to cite some incidences of friction but they appear to be minor and could be resolved by simply "moving on". Secondly, the problems involving the work relations between the sexes are commonly on personal relationships rather than the professional one. Personal Differences The personal dimension to the gender issue in nursing practice mainly stems from the male nurses' perceived distinction with the opposite sex. All respondents to this study have identified in one point or another that they have had problems about difference in interests and attitudes. For example, one of the participants cited his discomfort when all the other nurses would talk about shoes and clothes. Another participants also recalled his negative experience with gossip and the women's penchant for backbiting. One participant explained, "there’s lots of girls here, they sort of band together and then you feel like the bad-guy if you’ve just had a row with your girlfriend or something." Interestingly, none of the participants cited this alliance of sorts when it comes to their professional relationship. None of the respondents identified a case wherein female nurses worked together against him at work simply because of the fact that he is a man. In fact, another response cited how women seem to find his being ambitious as something alien and even non-threatening. No incidents were cited depicting a collective biased or prejudicial action against any of the male nurses in this study that is tantamount to discrimination. Advantage or Disadvantage The data gathered indicate that minority status in the workplace does not work against the male nurses' favor. Instead, there are many instances when it worked to their advantage. An excellent example was when one participant acknowledged a general perception that he was promoted because he was a man (“Well no its no big deal really but it did go on at my last promotion. There was me going for it and three girls and I got it”). This phenomenon is supported by an indirect policy of diversity. In an effort to encourage participation, people who constitute minority status at work receives preferential treatment. In the case of one of the participants, he was promoted into a managerial position from among a pool of candidates dominated by women because of an unacknowledged objective of making the management team more diverse and representative. In a study by Vahey et al. (2004), it was explained that the hospital nurse workforce is in constant danger from burnout due to the stress that result from shorter hospital stays, rising average patient acuity, fewer support resources and a national nurse shortage. (p. II57) A number of these problems can be solved by encouraging men to join the workforce and providing them with good work environments in order for them to stay. The body of literature recognizes how diversity reduces occupational stress. For instance, Spector’s (2002) work on employee control and occupational stress cited the contribution of diversity in managing stressors and negative emotions in the work environment. (p. 134) This is also beneficial in the general work environment. From the experiences of the male nurses in this study, it is clear that they are able to provide some form of diversity and improvement in the employee interactions. Their presence starts as a novelty and, in many instances, they provide different perspectives that enhances good relations. Positive Emotion and the Ability to Cope Based on this researcher's observation specifically within the three interviewees' responses, it appears that male nurses view their minority status and the stress that it entails in a positive light. There is no animosity involved, particularly, in instances when they volunteer problems at work. When they do so, the information provided are general and ambiguous, suggesting a minor significance in their lives at work. This factor is significant because it explains their generally satisfied and secured status, which, for its part, may be a critical variable in addressing the general problem of stress and burnout in the nursing workplace. This is highlighted in a study by Folkman and Moskowitz (2000), which is explained how good emotions generated from interactions and relationships at work can reduce stress or help workers to adapt. The male nurses' attitudes in this research displayed what Folkman and Moskowitz' called as positive reappraisal or the "cognitive process through which people focus on the good in what is happening or what has happened." (p. 115) For instance, a participant identified the lack of co-workers that share the same interest. He explained, "its just that we don't really have all in common." Then, he proceeded on saying, "I'm not bothered really." This is the same for all participants. Their gender distinction was not a cause of concern. This is made more significant by the fact that participants have varying ages and varying years of experience. The manifestations of positive emotions such as humor, the tendency to be generous in giving positive feedback and so forth help create meaningful situations such as the lessening of tension in stressful situations and contribute in building social bonds. While the abilities involved in this area may not be exclusive to men, the experiences of the participants to this study all point to the same behavior, perspective, perhaps because of the diversity they infuse in the workplace. They are crucial in breaking the monotony and they offer different skill sets and values. Other Variables The data also contained several themes that were offered by individual participants in the course of the interview. One of these is the attitude of patients towards male nurses. This aspect was not sufficiently covered by other participants but it deserves to be discussed. The age of the male nurse and his experience may have something to do with it because the information was offered by the youngest respondent. He noted that being a male nurse is both hard and beneficial, explaining that "some people don't want a man talking about personal stuff," but that others "might be more likely to tell me stuff about what they need cos [sic] there's this man to man thing going on, where they might not tell a young pretty girl." Also, the collective data revealed different value sets, hence, different perspectives on the effects of their minority status in the workplace. The youngest put more emphasis on his personal life. The second interviewee, who is 35 years old, discussed his work environment in the context of his ambition and career. Finally, the third participant, a 51-year-old nurse, is more concerned about the differences in lifestyles and values when he responded to questions as well as other variables including family life and a reflection about his past career as a nurse. Conclusion It is clear that being a male does not result in any significant effect on a nurse as it relegates him into a minority status at the workplace. This study identified positive outlook and behavior, which helped male nurses to navigate minor problems about their gender and their interaction with the female-dominated co-workers. Other studies have affirmed this, explaining the contribution of positive emotions, which men seems to infuse in the workplace by providing diversity and improving social relations in the process. This is also highlighted in the fact that despite of the age differences and tenure as nurses, the experiences (how they are being treated as minority in the workplace) of the male nurse-participants were the same. The findings of this study emphasize the role of male nurses in creating a positive and healthy work environment. It is recommended that more male staff should be recruited both for the retention of existing male nurses and to further enhance workplace diversity. It must be noted that having someone who share the same interests could contribute to healthy work environment. So far, this appears to be the most serious problems encountered along with being different, which rapidly diminishes in the workplace as days go by. There are no gender-based problems or discriminations, hence, there are no recommendations to address the problems identified in this study. The problems identified are normal workplace situations that include male-female interactions. Further research is recommended to investigate the dynamics of the relationship between male nurses and the hospital patients. There appears to be an opportunity for research in this area. A problem was identified, wherein some patients displayed alienation that could impact the efficacy of the care being provided. References Folkman, S. and Moskowitz, J. (2000). "Stress, Positive Emotion, and Coping." Current Directions in Psychological Science. vol. 9, no. 4, pp. 115-118. Morgan, D.L. (1997). Focus group as qualitative research. 2nd ed. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE. Spector, P. (2002). "Employee Control and Occupational Stress." Current Directions in Psychological Science, vol. 11, no. 4, pp. 133-136. Vahey, D., Aiken, L., Sloane, D., Clarke, S. and Vargas, D. (2004). "Nurse Burnout and Patient Satisfaction." Medical Care, vol. 42, no. 2, ppII57-II66. Read More