Experiences and Motivations of Male Nurses in a Tertiary Hospital in Ghana

INTRODUCTION: Nurses make up the largest portion of the health care system throughout the world, hence, making the profession the backbone of health care. The nursing workforce is made up of both males and females. However, the majority of nurses are predominately females with the number of male nurses reported to be unappreciable. OBJECTIVE: The study therefore aimed to explore the experiences and motivation of male nurses in a tertiary hospital in Ghana. METHODS: A qualitative descriptive research design was employed to explore the lived experiences of male nurses. A total of 20 male nurses were purposively selected, and in-depth interviews were conducted with a semi-structured interview guide. The interviews were tape-recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed using content analysis. RESULTS: The findings revealed 2 major themes: motivation and experiences of male nurses. The subthemes were individual motivations, external influence, intersecting social reactions and public perceptions, mixed encounters with patients, and satisfaction with the profession. CONCLUSION: Male nurses are motivated to a large extent to be part of the nursing profession but will be deeply involved in the profession if some factors affecting them are addressed. Future studies may address the roles of nurse managers in mentoring more males to be involved in the nursing profession.