Understanding Male Nursing Student Perceptions of the Influence of Gender: A Qualitative Case Study Approach of Students, Faculty, and Administration in a Pacific Northwest Nursing Program

In contemporary American society, the nursing profession is predominantly made up of white women. Currently, males make up only 6.8 percent of the three million nursing professionals in the U.S. and they are considered gender minorities within the nursing profession and within nursing education. As gender minorities, male students are identified as experiencing nursing programs and the practice of nursing differently than their female counterparts. The purpose of this single instrumental, within site case study was to explore the learning environment for male nursing students and to investigate the nature of the interactions between nursing faculty and male undergraduate students in a Pacific Northwest medical university nursing program. Data was collected in the educational setting through observations, participant interviews, and document analysis. In addition, this study used Kanter's theoretical framework of tokenism to uncover if male nursing students were perceived as tokens in the educational environment. The findings showed that the faculty-student interactions were largely positive; they also revealed that having other males in the class was an instrumental factor in their positive perception of their educational experience. However, the male nursing students also identified areas of discomfort in the educational setting, specifically when practicing clinical skills with female peers, feeling pressured to volunteer and to expose skin during in-class demonstrations, and anticipating that they would be excluded from certain clinical PERCEPTIONS OF MALE NURSING STUDENTS IN NURSING EDUCATION ii situations. This research indicated that gender differences are present within nursing education and contributed to instances of discomfort for male students. Specific barriers occurred most often when men engaged with female peers and were in clinical settings. These findings provide new insight into when and where men begin to experience gender barriers in the educational environment and are pertinent to understanding the educational environment for men in nursing. Recommendations specifically geared towards assisting students in their first term are suggested for nursing faculty and administrators to ensure that the learning environment is welcoming for men. These recommendations include consciously placing males together in cohort groups and in clinical experiences, reducing instances of visibility and pressure on men in the clinical setting, building faculty awareness of perceived and real barriers for men in the educational setting, and providing faculty with tools to assess and address barriers that are present in the classroom environment. PERCEPTIONS OF MALE NURSING STUDENTS IN NURSING EDUCATION iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I am filled with gratitude for my family, friends and colleagues who supported me as I made my way on this educational journey. First to my family, I want to acknowledge my mother, Suzan Midkiff, who instilled in me the value of higher education, has always shown me that she believed in me, and who never doubted that I would succeed. I would also like to acknowledge my step-father, Michael Geigle, who taught me that fatherly love knows no bounds, and who is an infinite well of love and support. Finally, I want to thank my wife, Dr. Sue Orchard, who freely supported me throughout this process, willingly sacrificing shared weekends and activities over the past four years so that I could dedicate time to my studies and who was eternally patient, kind, and encouraging as I made my way along. I also could not have completed this journey without my educational and professional colleagues, and I would like to thank the faculty and students that participated in this study and granted me access to their learning environment. This dissertation could not have happened without their participation, and I appreciate their willingness to share their educational experience and perspective with me. I would like to thank Dr. Linda Reisser, who allowed me to witness her leadership in action first hand as her intern and who is a great mentor and inspirational leader. I would also like to thank my committee members for their active engagement in this process, as well as my committee chair and advisor, Dr. Michael Smith. Dr. Smith tirelessly provided direction and feedback, taught me to think deeply about this work, and always had an encouraging word to keep me moving forward. Finally, I would like to recognize Dr. Michael Bleich who believed in me, gave PERCEPTIONS OF MALE NURSING STUDENTS IN NURSING EDUCATION iv me the opportunity to lead and grow within a complex organization, and whose support and mentorship gave me the inspiration to take my own next steps within higher education. To each and every person, my deepest and sincerest appreciation. PERCEPTIONS OF MALE NURSING STUDENTS IN NURSING EDUCATION v