Learn, Yes! Serve, Yes?: Arab Muslim Male Student Nurses' Experiences in Learning Maternity Through Simulation

Purpose: Culture, religion, gender and other socio-demographic factors greatly contribute in the competency acquisition of learners in nursing education. However, less number of investigation is conducted to determine the learning experiences of male nurses as a Muslim in an Arab country. The research inquired on the experiences of Arab Muslim male student nurses in learning maternity nursing through simulation. The study, utilizing a qualitative paradigm, iteratively explored the key players in their learning process, the enablers and barriers encountered, the impact of the simulation experience and the prospect of using simulation as an adjunct learning methodology for such a special group of learners.

Methods: Utilizing, the case-study research tradition, the in-depth investigation gathered significant experiences from 15 Arab Muslim male nursing students through series of interview, focus-group discussions, review of their records, faculty reports validating their experiences and their responses to standardized inventories measuring their confidence, satisfaction and learning maternity in a simulated environment. Using the Stage Model of Qualitative Content Analysis (Berg, 2004), the triangulated data yielded significant themes that were member-checked, peer-reviewed while upholding ethical standards and trustworthiness requirements.

Results:  (1) The study yielded three main intentions: (a) intention to teach (b) intention to learn and (c) intention to serve. The Arab Muslim male nursing students recognized the efforts of their college and faculty's (a) intention to teach essential concepts of maternity nursing through a simulated environment. Though there are evidence of ambivalence and hesitations, the students showed their willingness and intense (b) intention to learn maternity. Despite religious and cultural limitations, the students shared their (c) intention to serve women (mostly only those related by blood) in their pregnancy and delivery in urgent circumstances or if no other help is available coming from female nurses. (2) It was identified that the key players in their learning process involves their (a) personal, (b) educational and (c) socio-cultural systems. (3) The said key players can either (a) inhibit (barrier) or (b) facilitate (enabler) the achievement of learning maternity among the male students. (4) They shared that in order to maximize learning through simulation aspects of (a) technicality, (b) realism and (c) relatedness should be adequately addressed by the teaching institution. (5) However, even with the identified limitations, the male students has achieved (a) academic success, (b) increased confidence and (c) satisfaction in learning maternity through simulation. (6) It was mentioned by the informants that using simulation has the positive prospects in the transfer of learning in their (a) personal, (b) educational and (c) professional directions.

Conclusion: The use of simulation, as an adjunct learning strategy, has proven its effectiveness and efficiency in learning nursing, particularly maternity. Nursing educators must gain transcultural nursing education competencies (i.e. cultural awareness, appreciation and accommodation) as to facilitate academic success and transfer of learning even in a very restricting environment. Further investigations are needed to make sure that equity in learning is achieved especially among Arab Muslim male nursing students.