British South Asian male nurses' views on the barriers and enablers to entering and progressing in nursing careers

Abstract

Aim: To ascertain British South Asian male nurses' views on the barriers and enablers to entering and progressing in nursing education and careers. Background: There is a shortage of men from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic groups in the National Health Service nursing workforce. There is a dearth of evidence on the views of British south Asian men on this subject. Methods: A qualitative interpretative intersectional approach was used to carry out one-to-one interviews (n = 5) with British South Asian male nurses using a semi-structured topic guide. Interviews took place between July 2018 and February 2019, across England. A framework analysis approach was used to analyse the interview transcripts. Results: The main themes emerging as barriers were as follows: poor pay and conditions; negative immediate, extended family, community views; and a lack of knowledge and awareness of the nursing profession. The main themes emerging as enablers were as follows: personal circumstances (including role models) and ethnicity (including the role of religion and masculinity). Conclusion: Findings suggest that the intersection between ethnicity and gender presents as an important enabler, as well as inhibitor, for British South Asian men. Nursing careers and salient barriers exist at a systemic level and include institutional racism. Implications for Nursing Management: Managers review policies and practice on unconscious bias and institutional racism in the recruitment, retention and progression of British South Asian men. Employers provide continuous professional development including mentoring support to help career progression for these men. Human resources colleagues develop culturally specific interventions to reduce the stigma associated with the nursing profession in the British South Asian community. Nurse recruitment colleagues consider places of worship as venues for delivery of these interventions when promoting nursing.