Stereotyping by nurses and nursing students: a critical review of research

Thirty-eight empirical studies of stereotyping by nurses and nursing students were critically examined and discussed. The review was conducted and reported as though it were primary research. Subjects were the studies examined, methods were the reviewing procedure, data were attributes of the studies, and results were the conclusions drawn. The research on nurses' stereotypes has been characterized by: the use of one method of data collection, usually questionnaires; the measurement of the presence or absence of specific stereotypes; and nonprobability sampling techniques. There is some evidence that nurses stereotype other people based on age, sex, attractiveness, personality, diagnosis, social class, and family structure. Suggestions for adding to this body of knowledge are made.