Comparison of nurses' and nursing students' attitudes toward care provision to opposite-gender patients

Nurses often have to care for the patients of the opposite gender. This can be challenging for both nurses and patients in Iran due to the Iranians' cultural and religious beliefs. The aim of this study was to compare nurses' and nursing students' attitudes toward care provision to opposite-gender patients. This cross-sectional study was conducted in 2018 on a random sample of 107 nurses who worked in four teaching hospitals, and 95 bachelor's and master's nursing students from the Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Iran. A 21-item researcher-made self-report questionnaire was used for data collection. The data were analyzed through the independent samples t-test and the linear regression analysis. The mean scores of nurses' and nursing students' attitudes were 72.54 ± 15.47 and 66.87 ± 14.80, respectively (P = 0.02). The significant predictors of nurses' and nursing students' attitudes were their educational degree, history of care provision to opposite-gender patients, and clinical work experience. Many nurses and nursing students have moderate attitudes toward care provision to opposite-gender patients. Nursing students' poorer attitudes compared with nurses highlight the need for revisions to the nursing academic curriculum to prepare them for quality care provision to the patients of both genders.