[Reflections on fostering a gender friendly environment in nursing education]

Gender mainstreaming is a worldwide issue. The United Nations and World Health Organization have emphasized the importance of incorporating gender perspectives and gender equity into government policy decisions. In traditional nursing education, females and female nurses play increasingly important, albeit still silent, roles in traditionally patriarchal working places. Increasing attention is now paid to gender issues, and nursing has become an important field in which to discuss and address gender issues. Nurses should take into consideration patient privacy and prevalent cultural mores when working to accomplish gender equality as well as encourage mutual participation in an open-minded and equitable environment. This article describes how gender bias and insensitivity may result from nursing education and learning processes. In addition, this article reflects on how to leverage self-awareness, gender sensitivity, education strategies and role modeling to create a gender-friendly environment in nursing education.