The study dubbed “What motivates men to choose nursing as a profession? A systematic review of qualitative studies” was intentioned to provide an in-depth understanding of factors that inspire males to choose the nursing profession. The essay writer authors for this article are Myungkeun Yi and Brian Keogh, who are both scholars at Trinity College in the school of nursing and midwifery. The audience for this article is hospitals’ recruiting personnel. The article aimed at enriching them with the requisite knowledge needed to develop evidence-based recruitment approaches. Thus, the audiences are specialized people with skills to understand and apply findings of the study for the betterment of the recruitment drive. Consequently, the study will help to increase the number of male nursing professionals. Typically, the in-depth knowledge of motivational factors that influence men to choose nursing helps recruiters to instigate strategies tailored towards bridging the gender gap in this professional field.
Article Summary
The study conducted a systematic review aimed to understand why men choose the nursing profession. Understandably, the nursing profession has been a female-dominated field since time immemorial. Over the years, males have gained entry into the nursing profession. However, the numbers are still low despite the efforts put in place to motivate males. Imperatively, the increasing demand for nursing professionals in hospitals has prompted the need for the establishment of evidence-based recruitment approaches for males. The article elucidates that by recruiting more men, nursing shortages will be addressed. Additionally, male nurse recruitment will increase workforce diversification, which will promote innovation, creativity, and productivity. The results revealed that four factors motivate males. They include early exposure to the career, choice of nursing career by chance, and extrinsic and intrinsic motivational factors. The researchers concluded that retention and recruitment strategies should aim at demystifying gender stereotypes in the nursing career.
Yi and Keogh give the historical perspective of nursing and the subsequent establishment of female dominance in the profession. They use historical evidence to explain the presence of more females than males in the contemporary world. Understandably, their trace of modern nursing and its pioneers has helped to gain insightful knowledge into this gender imbalance. Yi and Keogh explain that Florence Nightingale, modern nursing pioneer, established institutions that encouraged female nursing education because “she viewed nursing, by nature, as being unsuitable for men, and this view played a significant role in the invisibility of male nurses” (98). This statement is an eye-opener that enables recruiters to understand that the success of their strategies is depended on the elimination of this deep-rooted gender stereotype in the nursing profession. Moreover, the authors reinforce this point by using statistical figures. In particular, they pinpoint that in Ireland and the United Kingdom, only 10% and 9% of all registered nurses, respectively, are males (Yi and Keogh 98). These statistics help to understand the gender imbalance and the urgent need to correct the situation.
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Motivational factors that can propel men into choosing the nursing profession are well-articulated. For instance, the assertion that early exposure helps men to consider pursuing a nursing career is satisfactory. Relatives or friends in the nursing profession can influence men to join this career. Imperatively, they can give facts regarding nursing, which can help to demystify the stereotypes associated with the profession. The authors’ illustration of cases in which people provide their testimony regarding how their friends and relatives influenced their decision to join nursing helps the audience to understand this motivational factor. Besides, the authors have used examples to explain how males can choose the nursing profession by chance. One such notable statement is that “some of the male nurses chose nursing based on their national exam scores or final secondary school results” (Yi and Keogh 104). This statement indicates that males choose nursing when their scores are too low to enable them to secure their desired course.
The authors also discuss intrinsic and extrinsic motivational factors that influence men to join the nursing profession. The use of examples such as Kieran’s in which he recounts his personal satisfaction with the nursing profession is appalling. Kieran explains that he is “…very interested in the whole theory of it and then from a practical point of view I suppose I do enjoy being able to do it” (Yi and Keogh 105). Thus, some men consider a nursing career as a calling, passion, self-validation, and personal fulfillment. Moreover, the authors’ documentation of Allan’s experience exemplifies how extrinsic motivation can lead to men’s choice to become nursing professionals. Allan explains that “I can clearly remember that for a long time I had some connection to relief and disaster work in third world countries and that always held interest for me that I wanted to pursue” (Yi and Keogh 105). His explanation enables recruiters to understand the external factors that create influence among men to join nursing. Thus, they will create appropriate strategies that will ensure men choose the nursing profession.
Conclusion
In general, the article explores the problem associated with gender imbalance in the nursing profession. It traces this problem to the perspectives of the pioneers of modern nursing. These pioneers believed that nursing was a preserve of women, which led to the invisibility of male nurses in the field. The discussion about the factors of motivation is detailed and factual. The use of real-life examples has ensured the validity of the authors’ points and explanations. These findings from this study help to instigate strategies such as marketing, awareness creation, and retention programs to increase the number of male nurses.
Work Cited
Yi, Myungkeun, and Brian Keogh. “What motivates men to choose nursing as a profession? A systematic review of qualitative studies.” Contemporary Nurse, vol. 52, no. 1, 2016, pp. 95-105.
