Males in nursing
... male student who were interested in the nursing profession. These schools were opened for the purpose of providing women with the opportunity to seek out and occupy a prestigious position in society (Davis & Bartfay, 2001). This particular barrier has been well documented into the 20th century, where only 10.5 % of the 170 schools in the 1960s accepted male applicants into the selection process (Davis & Bartfay, 2001). Present Day Nursing Today’s trend looks much more promising for males entering into the nursing profession. In a study by Callister, Hobbins-Garbett & Coverston (2000) male enrollment into nursing schools in 1989 showed a 12% increase from the previous decade. Patterson & Morin (2002) also cited an increase of male entering into the baccalaureate program from 2.4% in 1986 to 11.9% in 1996. The potential within the nursing profession has caused more males to stop and reconsider their option for furthering their careers and have realized that nursing in a very respectable and prestigious career choice. Family Centered Care Family Centered Care (FCC) includes the mother, father, children and supportive persons. FCC encompasses all the social, emotional, psychological and physical aspects affecting a family’s life (Blundell, 1990). FCC is, therefore, a vital component of when working on the maternity unit (Blundell, 1990). The male nursing student who enters into the nursing family must be willing to embrace this approach in their attempt to provide holistic care. To be competent when providing FCC, the male nursing student must be educated and understand the patient’s concerns. The male student nurse must also have the strength to overcome their intrinsic fears and conflicts when entering the maternity unit. Patient’s Perceptions Morin, Patterson, Kurtz & Brzowski (1999) have identified many areas that have impacted on the perceptions of the maternal patient. The mother’s postpartum perception of herself influences her decision to receive care from a male student nurse. Physically, postpartum mothers often feel less attractive (Morin et al., 1999). One mother stated, “I might have a completely different opinion (be more willing to have a male nursing student) about this if I was 5’9” and weighed 110 pounds” (Morin et al., 1999, p.85). The character of the male nursing student was also an important factor considered by the postpartum patient. Mother’s felt that the male nurses’ professionalism was important when providing postpartum care (Morin et al., 1999). The age of the male student nurse also impacted the mother’s acceptance of care. Older male nursing student were more readily accepted especially, if they were married and already have or are planning to conceive a child (Morin et al., 1999). Many maternal patients expressed their concerns relating to the relationship that they form with their care providers. They feel that the relationship with a male nursing student does not get established unlike their male doctor counterparts (Morin et al., 1999). They feel the relationship will be different with a male student nurse because they think male student nurses cannot relate to what the mother is feeling or what she had to endure throughout the pregnancy (Morin et al., 1999). The mothers also expressed their concerns regarding the perception of their partners and how they will feel and react to a male student nurse providing postpartum care ((Morin et al., 1999). A man is very territorial about a woman having his child. One man indicated, “I was used to a woman coming in and I see a man walking in and I’m saying she’s mine” (Morin et al., 1999). A large portion of maternal perceptions were based on their personal feelings towards male nursing care. In a study conducted by Morin et al. (1999) over half of the mothers said they were uncomfortable and had feelings of vulnerability, embarrassment and distress if a male student nurses were to provided care. Nursing self care activities were clearly acknowledged as the cause for these feelings and many mothers clearly indicated what nursing activities were allowed to be performed by the male nursing student (Morin et al., 1999). In a study by Lodge et al (1999) which measured the level of embarrassment related to self care activities by male student nurses, it was concluded that activities such as bathing, providing bed pans and assessing the perineum significantly increased the mothers anxiety level and embarrassment, whereas maternal patients had no problems with the student nurse providing care such as checking the fundus, vitals or even witnessing the birth. Male Students Preconception/Fears There are many intrinsic obstacles that the male nursing student has to recognize and be able to overcome in order to provide competent FCC on the maternity unit. In an article written by Callister et al. (2000) male nursing students experience greater amounts of role strain, which is an individual’s intrinsic feeling of not being able to competently fulfill a particular task, compared to their female nursing colleagues, when providing care for a maternal patient. Other themes that were identified in a study conducted by Patterson & Morin (2002) included the male student nurse’s apprehension relating to not knowing what happens on the maternity unit and what is expected of him. With this comes a fear of rejection for the male nursing student (Patterson & Morin, 2002). This adds to the increasing anxiety levels of the male student nurse. The belief that maternity nursing is a woman’s job is a perception felt by many male student nurses. Patterson & Morin (2002) have based their decision on gender stereotypes and society’s values. The male was someone who visited and was not considered a part of maternal nursing. Patterson & Morin (2002) cited incidents where nursing care was explained to the women and only at some time later, were the men informed about the maternal nursing care being provided. The biggest concern surrounding the male student nurses experience in the maternity unit relates to the possibility of the maternal patient misconstruing and misinterpreting the nursing care being provided (Patterson & Morin, 2002). Touching the patient is a very fearful event when entering the maternity unit. The male student nurse must be able to provide nursing care without invading the patient’s privacy boundaries (Patterson & Morin, 2002). Societal values and beliefs may attribute to this factor of the male nursing student providing care. The assessment of the female perineal anatomy is often viewed in a sexual context and therefore, considered inappropriate and should not be performed by a male student nurse (Patterson & Morin, 2002). The male student nurse, upon entering the maternity unit, must be aware of and understand what the patient’s concerns are regarding a male student nurse providing maternal care and their own fears. The male student nurse must also empathize with the female patient feelings when providing nursing care, support and comfort. Professionalism, therefore, is vital for male student nurses when providing care for the female patient (Lodge et al., 1999). This will ease patient – student tension, decrease the patient’s anxiety and increase the patient’s acceptance of a male nursing student. Male Student Nurses and FCC With the emphasis on FCC, especially in the maternity unit, these issues must be explored and resolved by the male student nurse in order to provide competent care. Educators can play a paramount role by understanding the concerns and discomforts for both the male student nurse and patient on th...