The experience of becoming and being a male Hispanic nurse in the United States

John Santos

The ever growing diversity of patients in our population presents nursing schools and the nursing profession with an astronomical challenge. Hispanics are one of the fastest growing segments of this population. Yet, they continue to be extremely under-represented in the U.S. nursing work force. The purpose of this study was to explore Hispanic men's experiences of becoming and being nurses in the United States. The research questions were: (a) "How does cultural upbringing affect the lived experiences of male Hispanic nurses professionally?" And, (b) "in what way does cultural upbringing affect the lived experience of Hispanic male nurses' during the nursing educational process in the United States?" This study was based on an ethnonursing, exploratory, qualitative research study, utilizing a purposive sample comprised of three participants. Participants were recruited from the Vancouver-Portland metropolitan area. The key informants were members of the National Association of Hispanic Nurses, Portland, Oregon Chapter and they provided the potential participants' contact information. The inclusion criteria used in the study were: (a) Hispanic male nurse, (b) who attended a school of nursing in the United States, and, (c) bilingual/bicultural. Data were obtained from audio-taped interviews. The interviews were transcribed verbatim and analyzed by a qualitative analysis team comprised of the principal investigator and his faculty committee. Three participants were interviewed and were informed that participation was voluntary and confidential. They completed informed consent, a five-item Castro acculturation and a demographic form prior to the interview about their lived experiences as student and professional nurse. After completion, the interviews were transcribed verbatim and e-mailed to the participants to review for accuracy. The data were entered and coded for analysis in the Ethnograph software. Themes used in this study were interpreted and analyzed using Leininger's theory of "Culture Care and Universality" based on a reflective and qualitative paradigm. This method fostered a systematic analysis of the Hispanic male participants' support and barriers to becoming a nurse.

The experience of becoming and being a male Hispanic nurse in the United States

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