The social representations of the users of the health services about the man in nursing

Abstract

The predominance of women in Nursing is historical and still noticeable. The man in this activity was present in several historical moments and still is in other cultures, but in the national scope he does not reach 15 percent. Objective: This study aimed to know the perception of users of the health system of the city of Sorocaba, São Paulo — Family and Hospital Health Unit — about the presence and assistance of Nursing performed by the male professional. Method: This was a descriptive, exploratory, qualitative approach. Data collection was performed through oral interview, recorded, guided by a guiding questionnaire and a sociodemographic form. The statements were organized according to the Discourse of the Collective Subject, analyzed and interpreted through content analysis, thematic modality. Results: The predominantly female deponents were women over 30 years, with complete elementary school and married. They perceived the growing masculine tendency in Nursing and associated physical strength to the male professional, reinforcing the conception of manual and feminine work of the Nursing profession. They felt embarrassed in the presence of a man, but revealed the importance of professional competence to alleviate the embarrassment in the face of male assistance in situations of women-specific examinations. Conclusion: Although the incipient male insertion in Nursing, it was observed that there are still barriers and paradigms to be demystified and overcome, including prejudice. The shortage of studies on this topic was detected and it is expected, with the expansion of Primary Health Care, that the social visibility of the man exercising Nursing will increase.