Drawing Doctors vs. Nurses: Gendered Perceptions of Health Professionals

Although women and men are employed at similar rates, there remains a high level of occupational sex segregation. Existing gender stereotypes influence occupational choice because of gendered perceptions of occupations. In this study, college students (n = 48) were asked to draw a picture of an individual in a gender-typed health profession—either a doctor or a nurse—using a variation of the Draw-a- Scientist paradigm. Using quantitative and qualitative techniques, we find that doctors are drawn as women nearly as often as men, while nurses are drawn as women far more frequently than they are as men. Doctors are far more likely to be illustrated wearing white coats and stethoscopes, while nurses are shown wearing scrubs and using other medical paraphernalia in addition to stethoscopes. Finally, nurses are far more likely to be shown with their patients and to be described as helping others. Our findings provide key details related to presentational expectations for doctors and nurses, which in turn have important implications for occupational sex segregation. In other words, our data demonstrate which types of impression management (particularly attire, objects, and setting) individuals consider to be crucial signifiers for nurses and doctors, which may also influence their occupational choices

The Patient Experience Debrief Interview: How Conversations With Hospitalized Families Influence Medical Student Learning and Reflection

PURPOSE: To determine the effect of patient debrief interviews on pediatric clerkship student depth of reflection and learning. METHOD: The authors conducted a multi-institutional, mixed-methods, cluster randomized trial among pediatric clerkship students from May 2016 to February 2017. Intervention students completed a debrief interview with a patient-caregiver, followed by a written reflection on the experience. Control students completed a written reflection on a memorable patient encounter. Three blinded authors scored written reflections according to the 4-level REFLECT rubric to determine depth of reflection. Interrater reliability was examined using kappa. REFLECT scores were analyzed using a chi-square test; essays were analyzed using content analysis. RESULTS: Eighty percent of eligible students participated. One hundred eighty-nine essays (89 control, 100 intervention) were scored. Thirty-seven percent of the control group attained reflection and critical reflection, the 2 highest levels of reflection, compared with 71% of the intervention group; 2% of the control group attained critical reflection, the highest level, compared with 31% of the intervention group (χ(3, N = 189) = 33.9, P \u3c .001). Seven themes were seen across both groups, 3 focused on physician practice and 4 focused on patients. Patient-centered themes were more common in the intervention group, whereas physician-focused themes were more common in the control group. CONCLUSIONS: Patient debrief interviews offer a unique approach to deepen self-reflection through direct dialogue and exploration of patient-caregiver experiences during hospitalization