Experiences of Undergraduate Male Students in Nursing: On the Outside Looking in.

BACKGROUND

Measures to improve gender diversity of the profession have yielded only a modicum of progress.

PURPOSE

To investigate the relationship between marginalization and gender minorities in baccalaureate nursing programs in the United States.

METHODS

A descriptive cross-sectional study compared self-reported marginalization in male and female baccalaureate nursing students. The sample was drawn from the American Association of Colleges of Nursing database of US baccalaureate nursing programs, and the Englund Marginality Index (EMI) was used to measure marginalization, along with a demographic survey.

RESULTS

In the study, 6480 full-time baccalaureate students from a traditional face-to-face nursing program in the United States participated. The results show that male participants had higher EMI scores (mean = 40.0, SD = 9.1) compared with female nursing students (mean = 35.1, SD = 9.0); t(6478) = 14.9, P < .001.

CONCLUSIONS

Marginalizing behaviors must not be tolerated or promulgated. More needs to be done to better support and integrate men into nursing programs as they bring forth a unique perspective and skill set to the profession.