Patients’ Attitudes Toward Care by Male Nurses in a Tertiary Care Center in Mangalore

Background. Nursing is a profession that combines technical expertise with empathy to alleviate suffering and promote well-being. Although the number of male nurses has been increasing, the field is still widely regarded as female-dominated, a perception rooted in historical influences dating back to Florence Nightingale. This study examines patients’ attitudes toward receiving care from male nurses. Methods. descriptive quantitative design was adopted. The sample comprised 234 patients (male and female) who had received care from male nurses at a tertiary care center in Mangalore. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire that included baseline variables and an attitude rating scale. Results. Among the 234 patients surveyed, 114 (48.7%) reported a positive attitude, 116 (49.6%) a neutral attitude, and 4 (1.7%) a negative attitude toward male nurses. Overall, nearly half of the patients expressed a positive view of receiving care from male nurses. No significant associations were found between baseline variables and patients’ attitudes. Conclusion. Only a small proportion of patients (1.7%) held a negative view of male nurses. Most patients expressed either positive or neutral attitudes, indicating that societal perceptions of male nurses are largely favorable.