Because of sex role stereotypes, certain occupations are considered appropriate for only one sex ... more Because of sex role stereotypes, certain occupations are considered appropriate for only one sex and elicit role strain in members of the opposite sex. The role strain of males in nursing, a predominantly female profession, is described in this article. A Role Strain instrument developed by the investigators was administered through mail questionnaires to 367 randomly selected male RNs in Oregon. As a group, these men: (a) experienced only mild role strain in contacts with community members, co-workers, and patients; (b) received support on their career choices from their families; and (c) considered inadequate pay a major source of strain in their work. Several explanations are offered for the general lack of severe role strain among these male nurses.
HY does he do it?" From our perspectives, the choices of others often seem so curious, unreasonab... more HY does he do it?" From our perspectives, the choices of others often seem so curious, unreasonable, or irrational, that we seek motivations for their behavior. Furthermore, when we encounter a person who has assumed an identity incongruent with our expectations, we are uncomfortable. Therefore, in a culture that defines nurses as female, we find it difficult to know how to relate to a man who claims the nurse position. We are suspicious of his apparent choice of a position traditionally reserved for the lower status sex; and we cannot understand the choice of an identity which seems likely to incur negative sanctions.
Despite their historical significance to the UK's nursing profession, numbers of registered male ... more Despite their historical significance to the UK's nursing profession, numbers of registered male nurses here have seldom exceeded 10% of the total. This is not an immutable principle, given that countries such as the Netherlands manage to attract males to the profession in much greater numbers. This paper examines and critiques the available literature on males in nursing from both a historical and present day perspective. In so doing, it discusses factors such as caring, over-performance and career progression, and, notions of masculinity. It then moves on to outline and discuss an on-going pilot study specifically designed to examine the motivations and experiences of a sample of preregistration and postregistration male nurses in the UK, across a range of ages and ethnicities. The ultimate aim of the study is to produce evidence which will advance the recruitment of men to a profession which is currently experiencing severe recruitment difficulties. The paper presents themes emerging from the study to date, examining the implications these may have for the future management of nurse recruitment.
Because of sex role stereotypes, certain occupations are considered appropriate for only one sex ... more Because of sex role stereotypes, certain occupations are considered appropriate for only one sex and elicit role strain in members of the opposite sex. The role strain of males in nursing, a predominantly female profession, is described in this article. A Role Strain instrument developed by the investigators was administered through mail questionnaires to 367 randomly selected male RNs in Oregon. As a group, these men: (a) experienced only mild role strain in contacts with community members, co-workers, and patients; (b) received support on their career choices from their families; and (c) considered inadequate pay a major source of strain in their work. Several explanations are offered for the general lack of severe role strain among these male nurses.
HY does he do it?" From our perspectives, the choices of others often seem so curious, unreasonab... more HY does he do it?" From our perspectives, the choices of others often seem so curious, unreasonable, or irrational, that we seek motivations for their behavior. Furthermore, when we encounter a person who has assumed an identity incongruent with our expectations, we are uncomfortable. Therefore, in a culture that defines nurses as female, we find it difficult to know how to relate to a man who claims the nurse position. We are suspicious of his apparent choice of a position traditionally reserved for the lower status sex; and we cannot understand the choice of an identity which seems likely to incur negative sanctions.
Despite their historical significance to the UK's nursing profession, numbers of registered male ... more Despite their historical significance to the UK's nursing profession, numbers of registered male nurses here have seldom exceeded 10% of the total. This is not an immutable principle, given that countries such as the Netherlands manage to attract males to the profession in much greater numbers. This paper examines and critiques the available literature on males in nursing from both a historical and present day perspective. In so doing, it discusses factors such as caring, over-performance and career progression, and, notions of masculinity. It then moves on to outline and discuss an on-going pilot study specifically designed to examine the motivations and experiences of a sample of preregistration and postregistration male nurses in the UK, across a range of ages and ethnicities. The ultimate aim of the study is to produce evidence which will advance the recruitment of men to a profession which is currently experiencing severe recruitment difficulties. The paper presents themes emerging from the study to date, examining the implications these may have for the future management of nurse recruitment.
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Papers by Henzen Chen