Millennial Male Associate Degree Of Nursing Students: Perceived Motivators, Benefits And Barriers
There is a severe nursing shortage in the United States which affects the delivery of healthcare. The reasons for the nursing shortage are many and complex including the national movement toward healthcare reform, an aging population making greater demands on an already stressed healthcare system, and stereotypical attitudes about the work of nursing in general. While men comprise approximately half of the population, men represent only 9.6% of the nursing profession. As millennials are the current emerging workforce, this problem of a nursing shortage could be addressed by increasing the diversity of the nursing workforce to include more men from the millennial generation. Limited research exists on whether nursing education at the community college level, which is often the most affordable gateway to one’s education in nursing as well as the fastest way to get nurses into practice, could be improved to better serve the millennial male nursing student. The purpose of this qualitative study was to discover how nursing education at the community college level could be improved to better serve the millennial male nursing student. Participants included current millennial male nursing students or recent graduates from an associate of science degree nursing program at one community college located in the Midwestern United States. Analysis of the data revealed a variety themes regarding the motivators, benefits and barriers as experienced by these participants. It was discovered that extrinsic motivators such as the ability to make a difference, the variability within the nursing profession and the nursing shortage itself were preferred above intrinsic motivators such as going into nursing for personal fulfillment, job or financial security and as a second career. A perceived benefit by these participants was that male nurses were distinct because they stood out. They also revealed that male nurses preferred to simply be called nurses as the male designation creates a stigma. Finally, nursing schools should hire male faculty to address the need millennial males have for role models and mentorship.
nursing education, male nurses, associate degree, nursing shortage, Community College Leadership, Educational Leadership, Nursing
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