Perception of male nurses in society

Introduction. The nursing profession is greatly feminized, especially in Poland. This should attributed to the traditional perception of genders, deeply rooted in our culture. In the recent years a progressive deficit of nursing personnel has been observed, which is mainly due to low salaries, specificity of the job and continued presence of stereotype opinions in the society. Actions to improve the situation should include promotion of the nursing profession among of both genders.

Aim. The objective of the study is to present the perception of male nurses in the society, as well as to determine factors which may affect it.

Material and methods. To address the objective of the study 200 randomly selected responders were surveyed. Data were collected in the period from October till December, 2012. The research methods were literature analysis and diagnostic poll. The research instrument was the author’s own survey questionnaire.

Results and conclusions. Critical appraisal of the collected data helped identify the key factors affecting perception of male nurses in the society. Statistical analysis proved that these factors are genders and age. It was demonstrated that perception of male nurses is worse among men and elderly people. The results indicate that the responders believe male nurses have chances for success in the profession. Majority of the interviewed subjects pointed out that the nursing profession is one that requires certain individual predispositions and traits of character. The responders shared the opinion that male nurses should be employed mainly at departments of psychiatry, surgery and intensive therapy (ICU).