"Men are from Mars": The lived experience of male nursing students at a regional university

The history of the male nurse is a long and varied one. From its early origins in the ancient world, through the Christian era and its formation within the religious faiths of the medieval period to it’s almost demise as a result of the reformation until the birth of formalised nursing practice in the 1850’s put paid to the image of the male nurse. More recent work has identified the barriers and pitfalls of the modern image of the male nurse, of one being homosexual or a sexual deviant, to claims that male nurses climb the hierarchical ladder quicker than their female colleagues. This not only applies to those men who are currently registered nurses but equally to male nursing students as well. However, male nursing students also experience the discomfort of being treated differently in the classroom as a result of the feminine nature of the nursing programme; being used as live mannequins during clinical skills sessions and excluded from providing care to female patients while on clinical placement. The aim of this study was to explore the lived experience of male nursing students at a regional Australian university. Using descriptive phenomenology after the tradition of Husserl, this study incorporated the empirical-phenomenological framework from which to structure the study which incorporated Colaizzi’s data analysis method as a means of elucidating central themes. Eight male student nurses were interviewed using Jones’ minimalist-passive interview technique. Data analysis identified three central themes: Nursing is for Men; Men are from Mars and Working in a World of Perceived Negativity. Each of the three themes formed the foundation from which to elucidate further extant literature to identify what is known and what is not known. There is a plethora of literature as it relates to men in nursing, however, this study identified a number of key areas that contribute new knowledge to the phenomenon: support in the decision making of spouses/partners of those men currently in the under-graduate nursing programme; the reasons why male nursing students are excluded from providing intimate care, the perception that male nursing students are seen as potential sexual predators and the differences in communication and learning styles compared to women. The men in this study certainly felt marginalised and isolated at times considering they made a significant career change to ‘train’ to be registered nurses. In certain situations, they felt vulnerable, especially during clinical placement where their presence was often unwelcome. On some occasions they were excluded, particularly from providing intimate nursing care which often left the male students with a skills deficit for their next placement. Despite the barriers these men enjoyed the prospect of becoming registered nurses, they felt at ease in the classroom, although not actively seeking out other men in the group, though often feeling comforted that there were other male students around which reduced their sense of isolation. There are a number of implications for education and practice which may include a review of the national nursing curricula to ensure that any gender inequalities are addressed appropriately. Second, during clinical placement experiences patient choice as to who provides care as opposed to members of the nursing team is paramount in reducing potential exclusionary practices. Finally, there could be a greater number of male nursing role models both clinically and educationally to support seamless transition and assimilation into the under-graduate programme and the profession.