Initial Formation of Nursing Philosophies Following Fundamental Clinical Practice: The Experience of Male Nursing Students

The purpose of this preliminary study was to explore male nursing students' development of nursing philosophies during their fundamental nursing primary clinical practice. Purposive sampling was conducted at a department of nursing in a university in southern Taiwan between September and October 2005. Researchers gave each of the ten subjects selected for this study a semi-structured, in-depth interview. The interviews were tape recorded and then transcribed word by word, before the content analysis method was used to analyze data. The analysis results can be classified into three major categories and various associated themes. The first category, professional ambition choice, incorporates the four themes of: (1) acceptance of family members' or friends' recommendations; (2) consideration of career development factors; (3) eagerness to care for others; and (4) limitations imposed by academic achievements. The second category, professional gender expectations, incorporates the following four themes: (1) gender role revolutions; (2) expectations that "something rare is valued highly" ; (3) courage in addressing public misgivings about untraditional professional roles; and (4) formulaic gender gap problems. The third category, development of nursing philosophy following a primary clinical internship, incorporates the following five themes: (1) doubt regarding personal ability to master the complex tasks necessary to become a competent nurse; (2) translation of one's field of vision from the visible to the invisible; (3) stimulation of learning upon recognition of inadequacies; (4) pride in being engaged in the "sacred" work of caring; and (5) increased confidence in continuing a nursing career. The results of this study may guide nursing educators in promoting an active approach toward training and professional education.