Being a Male Nurse in Turkey: Advantages and Disadvantages

The aim of this study is to describe the nurses‟ opinions on male nurses‟ occupational experiences, to compare the advantages and disadvantages of being a male nurse in Turkey with related literature and to make a sociological evaluation. The study draws on the data of a qualitative field research conducted in 2015. The sample consists of 42 nurses, of whom half are male and half are female. The data are collected by in-depth interviews and analyzed descriptively and systematically. The findings show that both the advantages and the disadvantages of male nurses are experienced around hegemonic masculinity. By transferring gender stereotypes into occupational area and by practicing symbolic violence, male nurses exclude female nurses from advantageous positions in the occupation. This process strengthens glass ceiling, which limits female nurses‟ career advancements, and seems to be the most important advantage of male nurses. The main disadvantages of male nurses are to be stuck between hegemonic masculinity norms and occupational norms; the concerns about female patients‟ potential charges of sexual harassment; and the implicit suspicions about their heterosexuality.