Current Stereotypes Associated with Nursing and Nursing Professionals: An Integrative Review

Cristina Teresa-Morales, Margarita Rodríguez-Pérez, Miriam Araujo-Hernández and Carmen Feria-Ramírez
Additional contact information
Cristina Teresa-Morales: Nursing Department Teaching and Research, University of Huelva, 21004 Huelva, Spain
Margarita Rodríguez-Pérez: Nursing Department Teaching and Research, University of Huelva, 21004 Huelva, Spain
Miriam Araujo-Hernández: Nursing Department Teaching and Research, University of Huelva, 21004 Huelva, Spain
Carmen Feria-Ramírez: Nursing Department Teaching and Research, University of Huelva, 21004 Huelva, Spain

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 13, 1-24

Abstract: Nursing and nursing professionals are associated with social stereotypes, which may hinder the profession’s development and future prospects as a scientific discipline. The aim of this study was to identify and describe the stereotypes associated with the nursing profession—students and professionals. Therefore, we carried out an integrative review. The search was conducted using PubMed, WOS, and CINAHL databases, and its search strategy was based on a combination of standardised keywords and natural vocabulary, with a temporal limit between 2016 and 2021. The data extraction and analysis was based on the conceptual framework developed by Whittemore and Knafl. Twenty-seven studies were included in the review, and their results were classified and coded. Two categories emerged, namely, stereotypes relating to the professionals’ gender and stereotypes relating to the profession itself. We concluded that the nursing profession is viewed as female with low skills, social status, salary, academic level and entry requirements, and with little autonomy. Male nurses’ professional competencies and masculinity are questioned, while the work carried out by female nurses is viewed as unprofessional. To reduce these stereotypes and bias we must present the nursing profession as a scientific discipline, developed by both men and women. Specific channels for this awareness-raising work include interventions from universities and the media, and participation in health policies.

Keywords: literature review; male nurses; nurses; nursing; stereotyping (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/19/13/7640/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/19/13/7640/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:19:y:2022:i:13:p:7640-:d:845152

Access Statistics for this article

IJERPH is currently edited by Ms. Jenna Liu

More articles in IJERPH from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().