Angel, handmaiden, battleaxe or whore? A study which examines changes in newly recruited student nurses’ attitudes to gender and nursing stereotypes

This article presents the findings of a comparative study, which investigated the attitudes of two groups of newly recruited student nurses to gender and nursing stereotypes. The 1992 sample ( n=100) was a group of student nurses who were in their second day of studies of a Project 2000 type curriculum. The 2002 sample ( n=96) were in their second month of studies of a “Fitness for Practice” curriculum [Fitness for Practice (the ‘Peach Report’), UKCC, London, 1999]. Data were collected using a questionnaire, which utilised a Likert scale for measurement of attitudes to statements pertaining to gender and nursing stereotypes. The findings reveal significant differences between the characteristics of the two groups of students. For example, the 2002 group were generally older and had more healthcare experience. However, male representation in the sample groups was similar. The overall high scores and implied propensity towards beliefs in gender and nursing stereotypes in the 1992 study was found not to be the case for the 2002 sample. This is particularly true of most statements related to gender stereotypes, nursing as ‘feminine’, male nurse stereotyping and issues related to nurses’ uniform. However, there is less evidence of changes in attitudes towards female nursing stereotypes with indecision being a general feature of both the 1992 and 2002 responses.