Factors Influencing the Occurrence of Gender Discrimination Among Male Nursing Students of Oyo State College of Nursing Sciences During Clinical Postings

Emmanuel Olusegun ABE; RN; MPH; Folakemi KUKU; MPH; Olamide OMIGBILE; MPH; Emmanuel Olamilekan OMOLEYE; MPH

doi:10.56201/ijhpr.vol.11.no3.2026.pg154.168

Factors Influencing the Occurrence of Gender Discrimination Among Male Nursing Students of Oyo State College of Nursing Sciences During Clinical Postings

Emmanuel Olusegun ABE, a,b, RN, MPH, Folakemi KUKU, a,c, MPH, Olamide OMIGBILE, a,d, MPH, Emmanuel Olamilekan OMOLEYE, a,e, MPH

Abstract

Gender discrimination in nursing education remains a subtle yet prevalent issue that undermines inclusivity and professional development. Male nursing students often face social and institutional barriers that affect their confidence, learning experiences, and long-term career commitment. Understanding the forms, sources, and coping strategies related to such discrimination is crucial for promoting gender equity in nursing training and clinical practice. A descriptive cross-sectional research design was adopted. The study population comprised of all 101 male nursing students of Oyo State College of Nursing Sciences. Data was collected using a structured, self-administered questionnaire, and analyzed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences version 26. Descriptive statistics were used for data summarization, while Chi-square tests were employed to examine associations at a 0.05 level of significance. Findings revealed that 77.2% of the respondents had experienced or known someone who had experienced gender-based discrimination during clinical postings. Patients and their families (69.3%) and hospital staff (49.5%) were the most common sources of discrimination. Major contributing factors included patients’ preference for female nurses (78.2%) and societal belief that nursing is a female profession (77.2%). More than half (56.4%) of the respondents reported focusing on improving clinical skills as a coping strategy. Chi square analysis showed no significant relationship between academic level (χ2 = 3.039, p = 0.219) or clinical posting area (p > 0.05) and discrimination experience. The study concluded that gender-based discrimination remains a major challenge for male nursing students, driven largely by societal and cultural stereotypes. It is recommended that institutions should implement gender-sensitivity training, promote male mentorship, and strengthen anti- discrimination policies to foster inclusivity.

Keywords

Gender discriminationmale nursing studentscoping mechanismsclinical postingsinclusivity P- ISSN 2695-2165

References

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Factors Influencing the Occurrence of Gender Discrimination Among Male Nursing Students of Oyo State College of Nursing Sciences During Clinical Postings

Abstract

Keywords

References

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