[Identity of gender and intensive care: influence of masculinity and femininity in the perception of nursing care].
BACKGROUND
Nursing has essentially been the work of women. The increase in men incorporating into nursing makes us think about whether there are different ways of expressing and practicing a profession in relationship to gender.


OBJECTIVE
To describe if there are different ways of perceiving and assessing ICU work from a gender perspective.


METHODS
A qualitative phenomenological study.


METHODS
6 male nurses and 6 female nurses from the ICU of the Hospital Universitario de Bellvitge (HUB).


METHODS
In-depth semi-constructed interview. Content analysis.


RESULTS
Male nurses describe ICU work in terms of autonomy in making decisions and professional competence. They claim responsibility for their identity as nurses and stress the low social recognition of the profession. They prioritize the responsibility of decision making over the final outcome and evaluate family satisfaction in terms of prestige and competence. They are more practical. Female nurses describe the work in terms of control and follow-up of the patient's evolution. They emphasize the final care outcome and evaluate satisfaction in terms of a relationship of confidence and warm patient care. They are more meticulous.


CONCLUSIONS
There are differences in how they classify their ICU work, in the self-evaluation of professional identity, behavior in the development of the nursing care and in perception of family satisfaction. No differences are observed regarding problem solving with the technology.
Via Clavero
G
G
Unidad de Cuidados Intensivos, Hospital Universitario de Bellvitge, L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, España. gemmavia@ya.com
Sanjuán Naváis
M
M
Martínez Mesas
M
M
Pena Alfaro
M
M
Utrilla Antolín
C
C
Zarragoikoetxea Jáuregui
I
I
D000328:Adult; D003422:Critical Care; D005260:Female; D005783:Gender Identity; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009726:Nurses / Q000523:psychology*; D009727:Nurses, Male / Q000523:psychology; D009729:Nursing; D012737:Sex Factors; D012938:Social Perception