Exploring dichotomies of caring, gender and technology in intensive care nursing: a qualitative approach

Intensive care nursing involves combining caring, seen as a feminine trait, with the ability to work with technology, often viewed as masculine. This study explored nurses perceptions of their work, particularly in relation to whether there are differences between the sexes in caring ability and the planned career paths of female and male nurses. It was also designed to investigate the attractions of intensive care nursing and what nurses disliked most about their jobs. The results challenge previous studies which state that male nurses are attracted to these areas because of the technology and that they wish to climb the career ladder more quickly than their female colleagues. Nurses in intensive care units generally chose such work because they were able to provide, in their own opinions, a high standard of nursing care to patients and were able to maintain direct patient contact if they wished to achieve sister/charge nurse posts.