Male nursing practitioners and nursing educators: The relationship between childhood experience, social stigma, and social bias

Abstract

The population of nurses and nursing educators is facing significant human resource shortages. One of the pathways to combat this shortage is to recruit male individuals. However, due to social bias and social stigma, the social context may prevent male individuals from joining. There are two purposes of this study. First, this study aims to explore how the childhood experiences of these male nursing practitioners and nursing educators influence their educational decision. Second, from the perspectives of male nursing practitioners and nursing educators, the study aims to explore how the participants describe the relationships between their childhood experiences and lived stories. Based on Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis, the researcher collected data from 10 experienced male nursing practitioners and nursing educators in the United States. The general inductive approach was employed to categorize the themes. The results indicated that early life experiences, positive working experiences, and sense of belonging in the field of nursing always allowed the participants to overcome the social bias and stigma regarding the occupational bias of the nursing profession. The outcomes of this study provide clear recommendations to educators, policymakers, school leaders, and human resource planners to encourage gender social justice and improve their current curriculum for potential nursing professionals.