Men in a female-dominated profession

151 Pages·2017·0.7 MB·English

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Educational Studies Dissertations Graduate School of Education (GSOE)
2016
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Daniel Kwadjo Frimpong
Lesley University
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Frimpong, Daniel Kwadjo, "Men in a female-dominated profession: The lived experiences of Ghanaian
male nurses in the United States" (2016). Educational Studies Dissertations. 5.
https://digitalcommons.lesley.edu/education_dissertations/5
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MEN IN A FEMALE-DOMINATED PROFESSION: THE LIVED EXPERIENCES OF
GHANAIAN MALE NURSES IN THE UNITED STATES

By

Daniel Kwadjo Frimpong

A dissertation submitted to the
Faculty of the graduate school of education
In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of
DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY

Lesley University
March 30, 2016
Copyright © Daniel Kwadjo Frimpong 2016
All Rights Reserved

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ABSTRACT
Minority men are less than two percent of the total nursing workforce in the
United States. The small presence of minority men in the nursing profession presents a
challenge to healthcare providers as patients are much more responsive and open-minded
to healthcare providers of the same cultural and ethnic backgrounds. This qualitative
study was designed to explore the lived professional experiences of Ghanaian male
nurses in the United States to shed light on the barriers minority men encounter in the
nursing profession in order to make suggestions relating to strategies to appropriately
support minority men in their nursing practice. This study utilized a purposeful sample of
10 Ghanaian male nurses (six interviewees and four focus group participants) from the
New York City metropolitan area.
Data were collected from three sources including in-depth interviews, a focus
group interview, and participants’ diaries. The interviews were conducted in both English
and Twi-- a Ghanaian local dialect. The interviews were translated, transcribed, and
coded manually using Moustakas’ (1994) transcendental phenomenological approach to
develop common themes describing the shared lived experiences of Ghanaian male
nurses in the United States. Seven themes were identified: a) separateness; b)
discrimination; c) job security and benefits; d) career opportunities; e) gender-based
stereotypes; f) caring through spirituality; and g) glass (d)escalator.
Despite the challenges and barriers encountered, the participants expressed
satisfaction for their career choice because of job security and career opportunities
afforded them in the nursing profession. Recommendations offered to minority male

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nurses, hospitals, and other stakeholders of healthcare relate to targeting the support and
retention of minority men in the nursing profession.

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I am not sure there are enough words of thanks to express my deepest gratitude to
my senior advisor, Dr. Frank Trocco, who has been an invaluable friend and mentor. Dr.
Trocco, thank you for your excellent guidance and patience with my growth as a scholar.
I would also like to thank my dissertation committee members, Dr. Marjorie Jones
and Dr. Judith Dyer for their constructive feedback, and encouragement; their varied
perspectives and expertise in adult learning, cultural studies, and nursing education have
greatly improved my dissertation.
In addition, I am truly grateful to Dr. Barbara Nadeau, for the countless hours she
spent editing and proofreading my dissertation for me; Barbara, I am happy to know you.
I am thankful to my sons, nephews, nieces, and siblings especially Akosua
Pinaman, for her love, prayers, and good wishes; Pinaman, you mean so much to me. To
my late mother Abena Appeah, this is for you. I can’t thank you enough; your love for
me was infinite. Maame, you sacrificed your life to see me smile. It’s unfortunate you are
not here to see me graduate. You will forever remain in my heart. Rest in perfect peace!
Finally, I would like to extend my sincere appreciation to my wife, Afua Foriwaa
Frimpong; your consistent encouragement, sacrifices, and loving support have enabled
me to achieve my dreams. I love you!

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Table of Contents
ABSTRACT ...................................................................................................................... III
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ............................................................................................... V
CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION ....................................................................................... 1
Background of the Study .................................................................................................... 2
Statement of the Problem .................................................................................................... 4
Purpose of the Study ........................................................................................................... 5
Research Questions ............................................................................................................. 6
Methodological Approach .................................................................................................. 6
Significance of the Study .................................................................................................... 7
Delimitations and Limitations of the Study ...................................................................... 10
Ghanaian Immigrants in the United States ....................................................................... 10
Ghana: A brief history, location, people, and culture ................................................... 11
Major Tribes and their Languages ................................................................................ 12
Customs and Cultural Values ........................................................................................ 13
Family Values ............................................................................................................... 14
Respect for Elders and Moral Values ........................................................................... 15
Religion and Religious Values ...................................................................................... 15
Assumptions of the Study ................................................................................................. 16
Role of Researcher ............................................................................................................ 17
Definition of Terms ........................................................................................................... 18
CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW .......................................................................... 20
History of Men in Nursing ................................................................................................ 21
Feminine Image of Nursing .............................................................................................. 24
Gender Bias ....................................................................................................................... 25
Gender-based Barriers in Nursing ................................................................................ 28
Sexuality and Sexual Stereotypes in Nursing ................................................................... 31

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Social Isolation in Nursing ................................................................................................ 34
Role Strain in Nursing ...................................................................................................... 34
Glass Escalator .............................................................................................................. 37
Job Security and Career Opportunities ............................................................................. 39
The Impact of Race, Ethnicity, and Culture of Minority Male Nurses on their Profession
........................................................................................................................................... 41
Theoretical Framework ..................................................................................................... 44
Critical Race Theory ..................................................................................................... 45
McClusky’s Theory of Margin ..................................................................................... 47
Summary ........................................................................................................................... 50
CHAPTER 3: METHODOLOGY .................................................................................... 53
Research Methods ............................................................................................................. 54
Study Sample .................................................................................................................... 56
Brief Biographies of the Participants ............................................................................ 57
Limiting Potential Bias of the Study ................................................................................. 60
Methodological Rigor ....................................................................................................... 61
Ethical Considerations for Study ...................................................................................... 62
Methods of Data Collection .............................................................................................. 62
Pilot Study ..................................................................................................................... 63
Interviews ...................................................................................................................... 63
Focus Group .................................................................................................................. 64
Participants’ Diaries ...................................................................................................... 65
Data Analysis .................................................................................................................... 66
Limitations of the Study .................................................................................................... 67
Summary ........................................................................................................................... 68
CHAPTER 4: RESEARCH RESULTS ............................................................................ 70
Separateness ...................................................................................................................... 71
Discrimination ................................................................................................................... 76
Job Security and Benefits .................................................................................................. 80

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Career Opportunities ......................................................................................................... 83
Gender-based Stereotypes ................................................................................................. 84
Caring Through Spirituality .............................................................................................. 88
Glass (d)Escalator ............................................................................................................. 90
Summary ........................................................................................................................... 94
CHAPTER 5: ANALYSIS, SYNTHESIS, CONCLUSIONS, AND
RECOMMENDATIONS .................................................................................................. 97
Overview of the Study ...................................................................................................... 97
Analysis and Interpretations of the Findings in the Context of the Research Questions .. 99
Research Question 1 ..................................................................................................... 99
Research Question 2 ................................................................................................... 105
The Intersectionality of Race, Gender, and National Origin in the Nursing Profession 108
The Literature Review about Men in Nursing and the Research Findings: A Discussion
......................................................................................................................................... 109
Connecting Research Findings to Theoretical Frameworks ........................................... 112
Limitations of the Study .................................................................................................. 115
Recommendations for Further Research ......................................................................... 116
Conclusion ...................................................................................................................... 118
Recommendations for Action ......................................................................................... 124
REFERENCES ............................................................................................................... 126
APPENDIX A: INFORMED CONSENT FORM .......................................................... 135
APPENDIX B: INTERVIEW PROTOCOL ................................................................... 137
APPENDIX C: DEMOGRAPHIC DATA QUESTIONNAIRE .................................... 138
APPENDIX D: RECRUITMENT PARTICIPATION LETTER ................................... 139
APPENDIX E: IRB APPROVAL .................................................................................. 141

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List of Tables
Table 1: Demographic data by age, years of nursing experience and educational level of
Individual Interviewees ..................................................................................................... 60
Table 2: Demographic data by age, years of nursing experience and educational level of
Focus Group Participants .................................................................................................. 60

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