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Abstract: Background Nursing remains a female-dominated profession, with men often facing societal stereotypes and professional challenges that limit their representation. Gender-based misconceptions about caregiving roles and masculinity influence the perception of men in nursing, posing barriers to inclusivity. This study explores nursing students’ perceptions of men in nursing, focusing on the prevalence of gender stereotypes, their potential impact on career decisions and the ethical implications of such misperceptions. Methods A descriptive cross-sectional survey was conducted on a convenience sample of 184 nursing students in Slovenia. Data were collected through an online questionnaire using the GEMINI (Gender Misconceptions of Men in Nursing) Scale. Internal consistency of the adapted scale was confirmed with a Cronbach’s alpha of 0.859. Results Findings reveal that while some gender stereotypes persist, most students hold neutral or positive attitudes toward men in nursing. The overall median GEMINI score was 33.00, significantly lower than the theoretical median of 51 (p < 0.001), indicating generally low levels of gender-based misconceptions. Postgraduate students reported lower misconceptions (Me = 30.50) compared to undergraduates (Me = 33.50). Male students had a slightly higher median score (34.50) than female students (33.00), suggesting they may hold slightly more stereotypical views. Challenges included societal biases, limited mentorship, and struggles with professional identity, particularly in clinical settings and specialties perceived as traditionally female-dominated. Students with family members in nursing reported a median of 33.50, compared to 33.00 among those without, suggesting a modest exposure effect, although not statistically significant. Conclusions Addressing gender-based misconceptions through education and public awareness is critical for fostering diversity and creating a more inclusive nursing workforce. Future efforts should focus on redefining nursing as a gender-neutral profession. Curricula should incorporate discussions about diversity, gender equity, and professional identity development, fostering inclusivity and reducing stereotypes early in students’ careers. Targeted mentorship programs, increased male representation in nursing leadership, and reframing nursing as a profession that values both technical expertise and emotional intelligence are essential strategies for breaking down persistent stereotypes and improving gender diversity in the field.
Keywords: gender diversity, nursing students, stereotypes
Published in RUP: 02.07.2025; Views: 906; Downloads: 5
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Abstract: Up to the present day the gender difference in children's language has been studied by various researchers. The amount of research done, the differences in methods used, and the contradictory results raise questions about the initial idea - Are there gender based differences in childrenćs language? If there are, how are they demonstrated and what are they? What are the best research methods? Does the gender language difference in childhood, in any way, influence language skills in adulthood? The questions being so complex, it is impossible to cover all the areas mentioned above. What I want to do in this contribution is to summarize the actual research done in this field until today. I present a few theories that have been available over the last fifty years and I have given various research models and methods in order to cover this topic. The actual results are not surprising: differences do exist and the variations are huge. However the amount of gender innateness and the social influence of gender stereotypes create difficulties in measuring separately the difference in language caused by gender. We therefore, need to go back to the original biological and social questions of what makes a male male and what makes a female female. In the same way, all the other individual differences in children are posited under the same question - Are they a part of gender difference or is gender difference only a small part of the whole individual forming his or her personality?
Keywords: language, gender differences, innateness, social environment, girl's stereotypes, boy's stereotypes, language styles
Published in RUP: 10.07.2015; Views: 5122; Downloads: 41
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