Men in nursing across workforce, patient-related, and sociocultural domains: A systematic review

Nursing remains one of the most gender-segregated professions worldwide, with men historically underrepresented. Workforce initiatives increasingly aim to diversify the profession by increasing the representation of men in nursing, yet the implications of greater male representation for workforce sustainability, patient outcomes, and sociocultural change remain unclear.

To systematically synthesize quantitative evidence concerning men in nursing across workforce, patient-related, and sociocultural domains.

A systematic review was conducted and reported in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines.

The findings suggest that greater representation of men in nursing does not necessarily translate into equitable workforce experiences or uniformly improved outcomes. Interpreted through Gendered Organizations Theory, the observed patterns may reflect the influence of organizational structures, workplace interactions, and sociocultural expectations on how men are positioned and supported within nursing. These findings highlight the need to consider representation together with equitable integration, retention, and patient experience.

Evidence concerning men in nursing revealed varied workforce, patient-related, and sociocultural patterns across contexts. The findings suggest that numerical representation alone may be insufficient to address workforce inequities without attention to organizational structures, workplace interactions, and broader sociocultural norms.

Retrospectively registered in PROSPERO (CRD420261309048) on 15 February 2026, after the database search was conducted on 30 June 2025.