Perception of Role Strain among Male Critical Care Registered Nurses: A Quantitative Descriptive Approach

Little research has been conducted to examine the experiences of males working in female-dominated professions.  The purpose of this study was to examine and describe role strain among male RNs in critical care settings.  This quantitative study utilized a descriptive design to examine the four causes of role strain – role conflict, role overload, role ambiguity, and role incongruity.  The target population was male RNs in critical care settings in a northeastern state of the United States.  The sample for this quantitative descriptive study was obtained from the Board of Registration in Nursing in this northeastern state database.  The Sherrod Role Strain Scale (SRSS), a 5-point Likert scale survey, was the instrument used to examine participants’ perceptions of the four causes of role strain.  Data analysis of the results included descriptive and inferential statistics.  Inferential statistics involved the use of repeated measures ANOVA testing for significant difference in the causes of role strain between male RNs employed in critical care settings, and a post hoc comparison of specific demographic data using multivariate analyses of variance (MANOVAs).  The findings of this study were significant for two causes of role strain: role ambiguity (M = 2.88, SD = 0.23); and role overload based on ethnicity (M = 2.87, SD = 0.27); F(1, 35) = 9.77, p = .004.  The varied standard deviation exhibited in the participants’ scores warrants further exploration and research.  This study will serve as the foundation for future studies related to role strain in the healthcare setting.