Gender and power: Nurses and doctors in Canada
<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The nurse-doctor relationship is historically one of female nurse deference to male physician authority. We investigated the effects of physicians' sex on female nurses' behaviour.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p...
| Main Authors: | , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
BMC
2003-02-01
|
| Series: | International Journal for Equity in Health |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.equityhealthj.com/content/2/1/1 |
| _version_ | 1811284356838195200 |
|---|---|
| author | Phillips Susan P Zelek Barbara |
| author_facet | Phillips Susan P Zelek Barbara |
| author_sort | Phillips Susan P |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | <p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The nurse-doctor relationship is historically one of female nurse deference to male physician authority. We investigated the effects of physicians' sex on female nurses' behaviour.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Nurses at an urban, university based hospital completed one of two forms of a vignette-based survey in January, 2000. Each survey included four clinical scenarios. In form 1 of the questionnaire the physicians described were female, male, female, and male. In form 2, vignettes were identical but the physician sex was changed to male, female, male, and female. Differences in responses to questions based on the sex of the physician in each vignette were studied</p> <p>Results</p> <p>199 self-selected nurses completed the survey. The responses of 177 female respondents and 11 respondents who did not specifiy their sex, and were assumed to be female based on the overall sex ratio of respondents, were analysed. Persistent sex-role stereotypes influenced the relationship between female nurses and physicians. Nurses were more willing to serve and defer to male physicians. They approached female physicians on a more egalitarian basis, were more comfortable communicating with them, yet more hostile toward them.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>When nurses and doctors are female, traditional power imbalances in their relationship diminish, suggesting that these imbalances are based as much on gender as on professional hierarchy. The effects of this change on the authority of the medical profession, the role of nurses, and on patient care merit further exploration.</p> |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-13T02:28:19Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-4c6672b6dbf3441ab0b1c3d68685cdef |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1475-9276 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-13T02:28:19Z |
| publishDate | 2003-02-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | International Journal for Equity in Health |
| spelling | doaj.art-4c6672b6dbf3441ab0b1c3d68685cdef2022-12-22T03:06:42ZengBMCInternational Journal for Equity in Health1475-92762003-02-0121110.1186/1475-9276-2-1Gender and power: Nurses and doctors in CanadaPhillips Susan PZelek Barbara<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The nurse-doctor relationship is historically one of female nurse deference to male physician authority. We investigated the effects of physicians' sex on female nurses' behaviour.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Nurses at an urban, university based hospital completed one of two forms of a vignette-based survey in January, 2000. Each survey included four clinical scenarios. In form 1 of the questionnaire the physicians described were female, male, female, and male. In form 2, vignettes were identical but the physician sex was changed to male, female, male, and female. Differences in responses to questions based on the sex of the physician in each vignette were studied</p> <p>Results</p> <p>199 self-selected nurses completed the survey. The responses of 177 female respondents and 11 respondents who did not specifiy their sex, and were assumed to be female based on the overall sex ratio of respondents, were analysed. Persistent sex-role stereotypes influenced the relationship between female nurses and physicians. Nurses were more willing to serve and defer to male physicians. They approached female physicians on a more egalitarian basis, were more comfortable communicating with them, yet more hostile toward them.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>When nurses and doctors are female, traditional power imbalances in their relationship diminish, suggesting that these imbalances are based as much on gender as on professional hierarchy. The effects of this change on the authority of the medical profession, the role of nurses, and on patient care merit further exploration.</p>http://www.equityhealthj.com/content/2/1/1gendernursesprofessional relationshipsphysician nurse interactionscollaboration |
| spellingShingle | Phillips Susan P Zelek Barbara Gender and power: Nurses and doctors in Canada International Journal for Equity in Health gender nurses professional relationships physician nurse interactions collaboration |
| title | Gender and power: Nurses and doctors in Canada |
| title_full | Gender and power: Nurses and doctors in Canada |
| title_fullStr | Gender and power: Nurses and doctors in Canada |
| title_full_unstemmed | Gender and power: Nurses and doctors in Canada |
| title_short | Gender and power: Nurses and doctors in Canada |
| title_sort | gender and power nurses and doctors in canada |
| topic | gender nurses professional relationships physician nurse interactions collaboration |
| url | http://www.equityhealthj.com/content/2/1/1 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT phillipssusanp genderandpowernursesanddoctorsincanada AT zelekbarbara genderandpowernursesanddoctorsincanada |