The paper is worth reading because the descriptive content allows scholars to apply the gathered information in practice and extend the study. Quantitative studies allow scholars to support their theoretical hypothesis with practical experience and real numbers, enabling them to foreground the discussed claims. For this analysis, the article by Martínez-Morato et al. (2021), “Emotion management and stereotypes about emotions among male nurses: a qualitative study,” is chosen. The findings of the discussed article show that qualitative data helps elaborate practically applicable conclusions, which is impossible without conducting a qualitative investigation. The sampling in the discussed study addresses the focused issues. The authors use this method to gather data concerning how male nurses experience emotions at the workplace, concentrating on pediatric care.
The article by Martínez-Morato et al. (2021) focuses on emotion management and stereotypes about emotions among male nurses, providing qualitative data on the subject. It is assumed that despite the lower number of males in nursing, the stereotype that they can manage their emotions at the workplace better exists. It prevents nursing from becoming a true gender-neutral profession and is connected with various consequences. The evident focus allows scholars and healthcare professionals to understand whether they need to learn the results of this investigation before reading the article. The research uses the randomized study design to achieve objective results and conclusions. The focus of the study is identified, which facilitates the application of qualitative knowledge.
The Research Problem and Its Significance
The research problem of the discussed study by Martínez-Morato et al. (2021) is significant because it interacts with the views on traditional masculinity and the behavior of males in the nursing profession. The reason that makes the researchers interested in this topic is connected with the comparatively small number of men in nursing due to the issues associated with managing emotions and views on normal male behavior. For instance, it is traditionally assumed that men do not tend to show their feelings, which is part of their gender role. At the same time, the nurse’s work, especially those in pediatrics, is connected with showing emotions to make the patient’s state easier. Male nurses face the problem that they should show developed empathy in their work routine, but at the same time, the traditional gender roles are doubted in this case. This situation is the possible conflict that nurses experience, and emotional management is the most widespread reason for their burnout (Martínez-Morato et al., 2021). Therefore, men in nursing have specific issues coping with the caregiving role.
It is essential to elaborate on the strategic plan to better integrate male nurses into this profession. There is a vital need to increase the number of male nurses and solve the existing problems of gender bias in this profession. Finding a balanced solution for male nurses that gives them a sensible way to express emotions might become the critical component of success (Martínez-Morato et al., 2021). When male nurses do not have to choose between traditional and stereotypical male behavior that supposes reserved conduct and professional nursing conduct that assumes an empathetic attitude toward patients, the profession’s attractiveness will increase.
The Research Design
The study focused on the stereotypes connected with emotional care for patients. The authors of the discussed article used the primary research approach to the randomized control study with the subsequent analysis of the collected data. The answers of all participants were transcribed to make the results accurate and objective. The trial was conducted in the pediatric department of a public tertiary hospital in Spain, Barcelona. There are 624 healthcare workers in this hospital, but most are females, which supports the claim about gender inequality in the nursing profession (Martínez-Morato et al., 2021). The study population consisted of 31 male nurses who worked in the hospital (Martínez-Morato et al., 2021). The choice of women and men for the survey allows the researchers to understand the topic objectively and to articulate how emotional behavior is perceived by people from various backgrounds. The reason for the choice of this population is to diversify the study’s results and to articulate objective conclusions based on the obtained data.
The study is qualitative, an example of a population study. The authors tested nurses from 25 to 60 years old. They all worked with children, including the pediatric emergency unit, intensive care unit, neonatal intensive care unit, and pediatric hospitalization unit. Another critical issue in dividing the participants in the group was their parental status (Martínez-Morato et al., 2021). The ability to manage emotions, to express them in working with children and the attitude to empathetic and emotional conduct were measured during the trial. The study design is appropriate because it helps the authors answer the research question. The measurements and the description of the cause and effect are accurate, which allows us to state that the qualitative data is a valuable source of information for subsequent application in practice.
The patients, health workers, and study personnel participating in the discussed investigation were blinded. They described their attitude toward the specific categories connected with gender-related behavior of the nurse without communicating with the particular people. Therefore, they could remain objective in their conclusions on the topic. The groups were similar at the start of the trial, and they discussed the same categories, including the ability of the nurse to set boundaries, to become emotionally distant, to perceive problems as relative, and to use humor and distraction. They evaluated these categories using the codes that included such opinions as “highly professional behavior” and “absolutely unprofessional” (Martínez-Morato et al., 2021). The trial results show that factors such as age, sex, and social class might affect the outcome of the research because these baseline characteristics influence the individual perception of the behavior. Aside from the experimental intervention, the groups participating in the trial were treated equally.
Specific Concept Follow Up
It is possible to state that nothing unexpected happened at the end of the study, and all participants were accounted for in the investigation results. The trial did not stop early, meaning the authors completed all tasks during the survey. In addition, the participants of the trial were studied in groups to which they were randomized. The use of randomized groups proves the study was objective. These details allow us to state that the researchers achieved the goals articulated in the research and successfully followed the specific concepts they mentioned in the investigation.
Data Analysis
The data analysis of the discussed study is based on the principles of objectivity of qualitative scientific research. Several clinically significant outcomes are considered in the data analysis. For instance, the researchers identified several stereotypical assumptions concerning emotional management and empathy among nurses that influence their interactions with colleagues and patients. Most scholars ignore the emotional challenges nurses regularly face at the workplace, which adversely impacts the quality of services they provide to patients and their effectiveness as specialists. Adequate attention to dynamic management among nurses might make this profession more prevalent among men, which positively impacts healthcare. In addition, it might reduce the number of burnouts that male nurses experience at the workplace due to the existing difficulties with managing emotions. The researchers often disregard these details because most nurses can cope with the stress they experience at the workplace, and emotional management is the least significant among the nervous factors. At the same time, this approach is incorrect because it devalues the nurse’s work and disregards the problems that decrease the well-being of specialists.
It is possible to assume that the study lacks information about the general cultural context of the discussion. For example, the spread of traditional views on femininity and masculinity in the society used as the context for the investigation is not described. It is perceived as common knowledge, and the absence of this information restricts the international application of the study’s results. In general, the need for this trial is clearly described, which allows the readers to understand the needs of this investigation and the ways to apply this data to nursing practice.
The study by Martínez-Morato et al. is valuable due to the practical need to analyze the topic of gender stereotypes and emotional management among nurses. The outcomes are objectively measured based on the survey results in trial groups. The primary product of the research is specified, and the readers understand the direction for further discussion. The survey results followed every outcome, and the previous research foregrounds the effects. There is sufficient evidence of the consequences of selective reporting, which allows scholars to objectively estimate the impact of gender-related stereotypes on male nurses’ behavior and their emotional management skills.
At the same time, there are certain confidence limits in the investigation due to the fact that the respondents operate with their understanding of conduct connected with gender socialization. Even though this data is not entirely objective, it is not significant from the statistical point of view due to the generalizations in the report and evaluation of the results. There are no harms associated with the discussed study, which proves the importance of these outcomes for nursing.
Relevance to Contemporary Nursing Policy and Practice
The discussed study is relevant to the context of healthcare in general and nursing in particular. The contemporary nursing practice and policy are determined by the demographic characteristics of people employed in this sphere and the behaviors they develop and manifest at work (Martínez-Morato et al., 2021). For this reason, the lack of male nurses in the healthcare sphere and the problems they experience with managing emotions and applying for their traditional gender role in practice are essential for modern discourse.
The results of the article impact the way people perceive male nurses. For example, they can analyze the image of the male and female nurses they typically see and the influence of gender stereotypes and socialization on forming these qualities. Emotional intelligence and empathy are considered integral parts of the nursing practice, but typically most people expect psychological support from the female nurse. The image of the male nurse, in their nurse, supposes the emotionally reserved behavior that is the sign of being assured in own professionalism and actions. This description emphasizes the current uncertainty concerning the professional nurse’s responsibilities and the specialist’s image in this sphere (Martínez-Morato et al., 2021). As a result, this question requires development and further investigation for a detailed analysis and practical application.
There is no reason to believe that my interest population is different from that in the trial. The behavioral patterns and expectations from nurses at the workplace are similar in most countries, and the views on traditional gender roles also have much in common. At the same time, the discussed study was conducted in a Spanish hospital, meaning that the authors’ target population is more conservative and traditional than the one in the United States. For this reason, it is possible to hypothesize that the trial results in the American context might be slightly less evident due to the higher level of inclusion of males in the nursing profession and less rigid views on gender-related conduct (Martínez-Morato et al., 2021). This example shows that the context is critical in the objective analysis of the study results and conclusions due to various cultural and social factors influencing gender behavior and the views on manifesting certain qualities. These details allow concluding that the study by Martínez-Morato et al. (2021) is objective and goal-centered and provides the readers with sufficient qualitative data that can be used for further investigation on the topic and application in clinical practice. It makes the results of the study valuable and practically significant.
Reference
Martínez-Morato, S., Feijoo-Cid, M., Galbany-Estragués, P., Fernández-Cano, M.I., Arreciado Marañón, A. (2021). Emotion management and stereotypes about emotions among male nurses: a qualitative study. BMC Nursing, 20(1), 1-10.