School for Health Sciences University Students' Opinions About Male Nurses

This study was conducted after the new nursing law was passed in Turkey in May 2007. According to the old nursing law in Turkey, only women could legally work as nurses. However, the new law made it possible for men to work as nurses as well. The researchers who conducted this study developed a survey for determining university nursing and midwifery students' opinions about the concept of a male nurse. No sampling method was used in this research, and the survey was administered to all students who came to school on the dates it was administered and agreed to participate voluntarily. A total of 331 students (88.7%) were administered the survey personally by the researchers. Of the participants in the study, 53.5% were in nursing and 46.5% were in midwifery schools. The majority (82.2%) of the students thought that nursing should be done by both genders, 74.0% thought that having male members of the profession would have a part in the advancement of the profession, 72.8% thought that male nurses should be admitted to schools, 61.3% thought that male nurses could give care to male and female patients, and 80.7% thought that they could work in harmony with male and female nurses. In general, the students at our university have a positive attitude toward male nurses.

Index words: Male nurse, Student, Opinion