Gender Bias and the Lack of Equity in Pandemic Nursing in China: A Qualitative Study

Abstract

There has long been a gender bias in medicine. This qualitative study aims to identify the experience of sexism among frontline female nurses and further explore their expectations and possible strategies to get rid of gender bias. This is a descriptive phenomenological study of 23 female nurses with 11 ± 3.98 years of experience who spent 36 ± 6.50 days at the frontline during the initial COVID-19 outbreak. We employed Colaizzi’s phenomenological analysis method to understand the subjective experiences, revealing the following themes: (a) materialization of gender identity; (b) incoordinate relationships; (c) future voice of female nurses. The gender bias experienced by female frontline nurses further challenges their emotional identity and self-identity. Therefore, it is important to require extensive consciousness-raising and policy support to defend female nurses’ rights.

Nursing Students’ Perception about Gender Inequalities Presented on Social Networks: A Qualitative Study

“…These stereotypes can be negative and harmful since they perpetuate an unreal image that does not correspond to the reality of the nursing 2 of 11 profession [11]. In this way, the gender bias experienced by front-line nurses still greatly challenges their emotional and personal identity [12].…”

Altruism in nursing from 2012 to 2022: A scoping review

“…The Altruistic Behavior Questionnaire for College Students created by Li Yanfang in 2010 was utilized for altruistic behaviors among nursing students (10). It adopted 7-Point Likert Scale which contained 30 items and showed good reliability and validity (Cronbach' s α = 0.873, r = 0.739-0.789) (32).…”

“…Evidence suggests that women always face much more punishment for failing to be altruistic because of gender stereotype-based behavioral prescriptions (8). Most nurses are female and they will usually receive hostility from patients or punishment from the organization if they do not behave altruistically as the public expects (9,10). Thus, raising the nurses' altruistic levels is worthwhile for both health and social reasons.…”

“…The result is low nursing satisfaction and a high complaint rate it (3). Even worse, the reputations of nurses can be diminished by a lack of altruism, and it can counteract efforts to show respect to nurses (10,12). From this, it can be seen that altruism helps gain the patients' recognition and compliments.…”