The Perceptions of Male Accessibility to the Fields of Nursing Practice by Those Studying or Teaching Nursing in England: Cross-Sectional Survey

AimsInvestigate the perception of male accessibility to the fields of nursing practice by those studying or teaching nursing in England.DesignCross-sectional survey.MethodsOnline questionnaire with three closed-scale questions and two open-text questions designed to elicit perceptions on the accessibility of men to the fields of nursing practice. The questionnaire was distributed to the staff and students at 61 nursing schools in England. Inferential and descriptive statistics were used to analyse the closed questions data and inductive content analysis was used to analyse open-text questions data.ResultsStudents (n = 52) and staff (n = 51) responded to the survey. Adult (Mdn = 6, IQR = 2) and mental health (Mdn = 6, IQR = 2) were perceived as the most accessible fields of nursing practice to men, and child (Mdn = 4, IQR = 2) the least. Specialised practice areas in acute and emergency (Mdn = 6, IQR = 2), education (Mdn = 6, IQR = 2), leadership (Mdn = 7, IQR = 1), prison services (Mdn = 7, IQR = 1), and research (Mdn = 7, IQR = 2) were rated the most accessible to men and neonatal care (Mdn = 3, IQR = 3) the least. Societal stereotyping and stigma were seen as barriers to men entering the nursing profession. The perception that nursing is a feminised profession persists and a distrust of men is associated with child nursing. Men were viewed as progressing to leadership roles with greater ease than women.ConclusionSocietal level stereotyping and stigma are perceived as prevalent in nursing practice areas considered less accessible to men entering the nursing profession.ImpactThis study adds insight into the gendered nature of nursing and highlights the barriers to men entering a profession with a workforce crisis.Reporting MethodsSTROBE cross-sectional studies guidelines. COREQ guidelines for content analysis.Patient or Public ContributionNo patient or public contribution.