Gender-related influences in nursing education

Issues around gender identity, self-concept, professional education, and women's learning preferences shape the socialization of nurses and nursing education. How gender issues influence learners and nursing education in relation to nursing education for registered nurses are explored and recommendations are made for nursing educators in two broad categories: self-awareness and helping learners learn. The exploration leads to three conclusions: first, it is timely for nurses to continue such explorations for their own practice, and to share how to help other nurses cope with visible and invisible gender-related issues; second, nurses can share strategies to address the influence of gender issues in nursing education, and, third, the nursing profession benefits from drawing on available resources to discuss gender issues. Although reflections on these issues have been shaped by working with registered nurse learners, they are equally relevant to basic nursing students and practicing nurses.