2022 Volume 32 Issue 2-2 Pages 123-136
〔Purpose〕To clarify male nursing students’ aspects of professional identity formation as nurses.
〔Methods〕Semi-structured group interviews were conducted with 10 male students in their fourth year at the Department of Nursing of University A divided into two groups.
〔Results〕The collected data were analyzed qualitatively and descriptively, and five categories were extracted：“Acquiring the image of the role model nurse for themselves,”“Conflict between their personality and their perceived image of the role model nurse”“Strong awareness of being male,”“Wanting to overcome the gap in learning opportunities,” and “Realizing the strengths of male nursing students as minorities.” Additionally,the results showed that male nursing students have internal awareness of positive and negative experiences.
〔Conclusions〕Male nursing students were able to acquire an aspirational nursing image, based on experiencing negative reactions from others and encouraging positive experiences from role models. Owing to their exposure to inhospitable negative experiences and warm positive experiences they developed an awareness of being a male nursing student.
The existence of role models is important for male nursing students’ professional identity formation, and educational support is needed to leverage strengths and overcome disadvantages.
