Exploring the Development of Professional Identity among Male Nursing Students: Insights and Perspectives

Abstract

Background: Male nursing students' professional identity is challenged differently in Pakistan due to gender stereotyping. There is limited evidence on how the professional identity matures at various educational levels in such a cultural backdrop despite growing enrollment of males in nursing courses.Objectives: To evaluate professional identity of male nursing students' identity development. Methods and Materials: A cross-sectional survey from 82 participants of Rashid Latif Nursing College using a validated questionnaire. The tool assessed four dimensions: perception of nursing, personal identity, challenges, and career goals. Descriptive statistics and Pearson's correlation in SPSS V23 were used to analyze the data, and significance was determined at p < 0.05. Results: Male nursing students were found to have well-developed professional identity, with 84.2% of final year students pledging to last their nursing career. Nevertheless, 52.6% felt they had suffered gender discrimination and 63.2% saw a deficiency of male role models. Correlation analysis indicated no significant difference in professional identity between academic years (all p>.05), but negative trends between early and final year students (r=-.360 to -.405) indicating changing perceptions throughout training. Conclusion: Male nursing students find it easy to build strong professional identity. Institutional reforms, mentorship strategies, and policies sensitive to gender must be instated to cultivate inclusivity for nursing practice. More research should also examine longitudinal effects of support mechanisms on professional identity formation.

Keywords: Clinical Training, Gender Stereotypes, Male Nursing Students, Nursing Education, Professional Identity, Pakistan.