Alaattin Altin
Ondokuz Mayıs University, Turkey
Title: Investigation of occupational perceptions of male nursing students according to Turkish culture
Biography
Biography: Alaattin Altin
Abstract
Objectives: This study was aimed to examine the professional perceptions of male students in Samsun Ondokuz Mayıs
University Health Sciences Faculty Nursing Department according to Turkish culture.
Methodology: In this study which was planned in accordance with the qualitative research principles, the nursing department
male students were chosen for the study. The number of participants was determined according to the data saturation degree
and 27 male nursing students who were enrolled in different classes who accepted to participate in the study were identified
as nursing students. The research data were obtained by the semi-structured interview form developed by the researcher.
Ä°nterviews with participants involved in the survey were recorded. Semi-structured interview form was developed by
evaluating the literature and it is aimed to investigate the socio-demographic characteristics of male nursing students (age,
marital status, longest place etc.); nursing faculty willingness to choose, is there a male nurse among family members?, have
you ever contacted a male nurse before?; having a previous knowledge of the nursing profession open-ended questions for the
evaluation of professional perceptions such as “how is the nursing profession for you?”; how does it feel to be a man in nursing
faculty?” Before starting to work, approval was obtained from the Ethics Committee of the Medical Faculty of Ondokuz Mayıs
University (B.30.2.ODM.0.20.08/497-572). In addition, written permission has been obtained from the faculty dean of the
Faculty of Health Sciences for the study to be carried out.
Findings: The average age of the students was 23.1±3.7 and 59.3% preferred the nursing department. 63.0% of the students did
not have communication with the male nurse before and no male nurse is in the family any. When the students' opinions about
the nursing profession are examined; most of them stated that they preferred the nursing department because it was easy to
find a job. Being a male nurse in the nursing department was a different feeling at first but later they became accustomed to this
situation. They point out that the value nursing profession deserves is not given by society. While emphasizing that the male
members of the profession should be addressed as a nurse; some students stated that the nursing profession was identified with
women in Turkish culture and came to the meaning of sister, male nurses be called '' Man Nurse '' or '' Health officers '' instead
of nurses. The nursing stated that it is a profession like other health professions because it is a profession based on care. Some
of the students stated that they had trouble when they said that they were male nurses in the community in the first time but
later they could easily say they were male nurses.
Conclusion & Suggestions: In some male students, the perception that the nursing profession is still a profession unique to
a woman and it seems that male students are disturbed by the fact that they are referred to as nurse. It was determined that
they prefer nursing profession because of the high possibility of finding a job in health field. Community awareness raising can
be provided by professional members and academicians to support the elimination of gender discrimination in the nursing
profession and to receive the value that society deserves.