Insights and perceptions of gender discrimination in a woman-dominated profession: a cross-sectional study of women in nursing

Aim: The overarching aim was to explore women registered nurses' perceptions of gender discrimination in the workplace. Design: A descriptive cross-sectional exploratory survey within a sequential explanatory mixed methods study. Methods: Between September and December 2023, data were collected from 173 registered nurses who self-identified as women. The survey captured demographic data, attitudes to gender discrimination in society using the ‘Contemporary Gender Discrimination Attitude Scale’ and perceptions of workplace gender discrimination in nursing across four dimensions, assessed using the ‘Perception of Workplace Gender Discrimination for Women Nurses Scale’ (PWGD-WN). Descriptive statistics presented as means and standard deviations were used to describe and interpret data. Regression analysis and chi-square tests were employed to examine associations between key variables. Results: The mean score on the Contemporary Gender Discrimination Attitude Scale was 4.56 (on a 6-point scale), indicating that on average respondents agreed that gender discrimination remains an issue in society. The PWGD-WN scale mean scores for the dimensions of gender discrimination (5-point scale) from lowest to highest were: ‘Gender bias from other women’ (Mean: 3.13, SD: 1.147), ‘Interpersonal discrimination’ (Mean: 3.30, SD: 1.135), ‘Glass escalator’ (Mean: 3.77, SD: 0.946) and ‘Primary carer’ (Mean: 3.86, SD: 0.796); higher scores indicated agreement with items. ‘Primary carer’ was the strongest predictor of attitude, followed by the ‘Glass escalator’. Highest qualification obtained was highlighted as a key predictor of nurses' perceptions of workplace discrimination. Conclusion: The results of this study highlight that women in nursing perceive that systemic and multidimensional discrimination exists in the workplace. Implications for the Profession: The results can be utilised to understand how discrimination manifests in the workplace for women in a woman-dominated profession. Impact: This research provides the first quantitative measure of perceived workplace gender discrimination for Australian women registered nurses. Reporting Method: We have adhered to relevant EQUATOR guidelines—STROBE. Patient or Public Contribution: This study did not include patient or public involvement in its design, conduct or reporting.