[Men and the Nursing Profession: Toward a Gender-Aware and Supportive Environment]

Taipei Junior College of Nursing (now National Taipei University of Nursing and Health Sciences) and the Department of Nursing at Taipei Medical College (now the School of Nursing at Taipei Medical University) first admitted male students in 1985, with other college and university nursing programs following thereafter. Today, more than 40 years after the opening of nursing education to male students in Taiwan (Yang, 2000), men are an increasingly visible and important presence in both nursing education and clinical practice. Nevertheless, throughout their education, clinical practice, and career development, many men still encounter institutionally embedded gender stereotypes, role expectations, and constraints (Lyu et al., 2024; Saeed, 2024; Yang et al., 2017). Therefore, this is an appropriate time not only to re-examine the roles, experiences, and future directions of men in nursing education, clinical practice, and career development but also to reflect on how the nursing profession can strengthen gender awareness and create more inclusive and supportive learning and work environments to provide more gender neutral, ability-based access to learning, practice, and professional advancement. Because males are still a numerical minority in nursing, they are often more readily noticed. However, heightened visibility has not necessarily translated into greater opportunities to speak, participate, or be understood. Some men may feel relatively curtailed in their ability to express themselves, while others, influenced by traditional expectations of masculinity, may feel relatively uncomfortable showing vulnerability, openly discussing difficulties, or seeking help. They may also conceal their genuine feelings out of concern that their words and actions may subject them to excessive attention, scrutiny, or interpretation. Consequently, although highly visible, the actual needs, difficulties, and voices of male nursing students and professionals may not be fully understood, creating the paradoxical experience of being "highly visible yet socially invisible." Several theories have been used to understand the male experience within the nursing profession. Tokenism theory, for example, proposes that when a particular group is numerically underrepresented within an organization, its members may become more visible and, as a result, may be more likely to attract additional attention, scrutiny, or role stereotyping (Kleinman, 2004). Hegemonic masculinity offers another analytical perspective for understanding how men may negotiate the relationship between their masculine identities and nursing roles within prevailing gender norms (Brown, 2009). The glass escalator effect, meanwhile, suggests males entering female-dominated occupations such as nursing may, in some contexts, receive greater informal support, career guidance, or promotional opportunities, which may facilitate their movement into managerial, leadership, or higher-status positions (Williams, 1992). Although the above theories may not fully account for the experiences of all men in nursing, they may, when considered alongside actual experiences and contexts, offer useful perspectives for understanding the complexity of the male experience in this profession. Men's experiences in nursing cannot necessarily be reduced to the assumption that numerical minority status automatically entails disadvantage. They may encounter gender-based exclusions, restrictions, or stereotyping while also gaining certain career advantages from being male in particular contexts. From the perspectives of minority status, gender norms, and career mobility, tokenism, hegemonic masculinity, and the glass escalator effect may help us better understand how men in nursing often occupy multiple and sometimes contradictory positions. For example, while highly visible, their needs and difficulties often remain insufficiently understood. Also, although facing certain constraints, they can benefit from their male identity under certain circumstances. Even when male nursing students and nurses personally experience these phenomena, they may not clearly recognize the underlying gender structures and power relationships nor understand how their own experiences relate to these theoretical perspectives. This special column includes four articles written by authors who have either longstanding interests in gender issues and the development of males in nursing or professional backgrounds as male nurses. The articles respectively examine the gender-related challenges and coping strategies encountered by male nursing students entering clinical practice; the career difficulties and development opportunities experienced by men in nursing; the construction of professional roles and practice experiences of male nurses within gendered workplaces; and issues related to nursing knowledge, the value of caring, and gendered power in the era of artificial intelligence. Drawing on professional experience and long-term observation, the authors reflect on the multiple and sometimes contradictory positions occupied by men in nursing education, clinical practice, and career development. They also consider the challenges facing the nursing profession amid rapid technological change as well as possible directions for action. Through these articles, readers may gain a more nuanced understanding of the experiences of males in nursing and the often unrecognized underlying gender dynamics, while further reflecting on how nursing education, clinical practice, and professional development can foster environments that are more gender-aware, inclusive, and supportive.