Male Nurses and the Faculty Role: A Qualitative Study of Influences, Motives, and Gender Bias

Abstract

Gender diversity in nursing education remains an elusive goal. Recruiting and retaining male nursing students is vital to achieve a workforce that reflects the diversity of society. A gender diverse nursing workforce may improve patient outcomes and job productivity, while providing culturally competent care. While male representation in nursing programs has increased slightly over the last few years, male nursing faculty has remained stagnant at less than ten percent. The primary purposes of this study were to describe and understand the influences and motives that attract male nurses to faculty roles and barriers to recruiting and retaining this population in academia. Additionally, this study aimed to describe the impact of gender bias on the male nursing faculty’s professional choices.

A qualitative descriptive approach supported by naturalistic inquiry was used to answer the research questions: What are the influences and motives that draw male nurses to the faculty role in academic nursing education; what are the experiences of male faculty in academic nursing education and how do male nurse faculty describe the impact of gender bias in their academic career path? This researcher collected data from fifteen participants who identified as male and were full-time faculty members in accredited U.S. nursing schools presently or in the last ten years. Data collection was completed through semi-structured interviews. Qualitative content analysis was used to analyze data. Several themes emerged that shed light on the unique experiences of male nurse faculty members. Moreover, these themes provide valuable insights into the various factors that influenced their career paths.

Four key themes were identified regarding the influences and motives that draw male nurses to the faculty role, 1) From Nurse to Faculty: Illuminating a Path founded in a Love of Teaching 2) Igniting a Desire to Teach: The Faculty Impact 3) Falling Serendipitously into the Faculty Role 4) Distancing Oneself from Clinical. Themes that were related to the experiences of male faculty in academic nursing education were 1) Culture Dynamics in the Good Ole’ Girls Club 2) Strength in Unity: The Power of Mentorship and Camaraderie 3) Mitigating Risk by Maintaining Professional Boundaries 4) Drivers of Workplace Retention and two subthemes 1) Appreciating Flexibility and Autonomy: Key to Workplace Balance and 2) Influencing the Next Generation. Finally, the theme of Navigating Gender Bias and its Unique Intersection with Opportunity emerged, highlighting how gender bias affects the academic career paths of male nurse faculty members.

The study findings may impact nursing science and research by contributing to the existing body of literature with a description of the influences and motives that attract male nurses to the faculty role and the impact of gender bias in male nursing faculty’s careers. The findings lend support to the Theory of Constructive Resistance and its possible importance in the success of male faculty members in the female dominant academic nursing environment. Most importantly, the findings underscore the role gender plays in the experiences of men in the academic setting. Their unique perspectives shed light on a population that remains underrepresented and highlights the need for targeted interventions to foster growth and diversity. By enhancing the understanding of the male faculty’s experiences, improvements can be made in recruiting and retaining this population in nursing having the potential to create a more diverse and inclusive nursing profession.