Differences in Gender-related Profile Characteristics, Perceptions, and Outcomes of Accelerated Second Degree Nursing Students

Background: The New Careers in Nursing (NCIN) program provided scholarships and other supports to accelerated degree students at 130 nursing schools and collected data from the scholars at three time-points. Purpose: The NCIN database was analyzed to identify gender-based differences in scholars’ profile characteristics, program experiences, and post-graduation outcomes. Method: An adaptation of Jeffreys's Nursing Universal Retention and Success Model guided the analysis. Gender differences were assessed after multiplicity adjustments for false positive rates. Results: Differences based on gender were found for profile characteristics, student affective factors, academic factors, professional integration factors, environmental factors, as well as academic, psychological and NCIN program outcomes. Results suggest that males were influenced by economic factors more than females when choosing nursing as a career. They had fewer concerns about financial aspects associated with being a student again yet secured employment sooner after graduation than female scholars. They did not view support services as important as did female students. They expressed confidence in their leadership competence more than their female counterparts. Conclusion: Efforts are needed to better understand and address the nuanced gender-based perceptions and needs of nursing students who are male.