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Gendered patterns of professional misidentification among doctors in the NHS: a quantitative study
1Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Basingstoke, UK hinanhafiz@gmail.com.
BMJ Leader
|July 9, 2026
Summary
Hospital doctors experience gendered misidentification, with women often mistaken for nurses and men receiving elevating nicknames. This professional misidentification impacts workflow differently based on gender.
Area of Science:
- Medical professionalism
- Gender studies in healthcare
- Occupational sociology
Background:
- Professional misidentification is a recognized issue within healthcare settings.
- Previous research has hinted at gender disparities but lacked quantitative data.
- Understanding these patterns is crucial for fostering an equitable work environment.
Purpose of the Study:
- To quantify gendered patterns of professional misidentification among hospital doctors.
- To analyze the frequency, source, type, and impact of misidentification by gender.
- To identify specific forms of misidentification experienced by male and female doctors.
Main Methods:
- A cross-sectional survey of 52 hospital doctors (32 female, 20 male) was conducted.
- Respondents reported frequency, source, type, and workflow impact of misidentification.
- Data were analyzed by gender using Fisher's exact test.
Main Results:
- All female respondents reported misidentification, compared to 75.0% of men (p=0.006).
- Women were more often misidentified weekly to daily (81.2% vs 25.0%, p<0.001) and mistaken for nurses (vs 30.0%, p<0.001).
- Women experienced downward misidentification (vs 50.0%, p<0.001), while men faced upward misidentification (65.0% vs 25.0%, p=0.008).
- Workflow disruption was reported by 40.6% of women versus 5.0% of men (p=0.008).
Conclusions:
- Statistically significant gendered patterns of professional misidentification were observed.
- Women were predominantly misidentified downward, while men experienced upward misidentification.
- Further multicenter studies and interventions like visible role-labeling and inclusive communication training are recommended.
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