The Types and Characteristics of the Male Nurses Perceived by Female Nurses : An Application of Q- Methodology

Abstract

The aim of this study was to identify the female nurses' perception of the types and characteristics of male nurses using Q-methodology, which can explore human subjectivity. The 35 selected Q-statements from each of 35 subjects were classified into a normal distribution using a 9 point scale. The collected data was analyzed using the PC-QUANL program. Principal Component Analysis identified 3 types of perception toward male nurses. Type 1 was classified as 'development-oriented support type', Type 2 was classified as 'realistic critical type', and Type 3 was classified as 'conservative acceptance type'. The consensus of opinion in each type was 'Male nurses are under stress due to the unique characteristics of a female-dominated workplace'. These results will contribute to the perception improvement of female nurses toward male nurses by developing arbitration programs based on the three types.