As a student nurse, I feel very excited about the journey ahead, knowing that after completing my studies, I will become a qualified nurse. From the beginning of my training, I looked forward to my first placement, eager to learn from the wealth of experience that qualified nurses could share with me. I approached this opportunity with a ready-to-learn attitude, determined to absorb as much knowledge and practical skill as possible.

My first placement was on an acute female ward, and it proved to be a wonderful experience. I received good support from several members of staff, particularly the ward manager, whose guidance helped me feel welcomed and safe. 

However, being a male student in a female ward presented unique challenges. A few patients had a history of making allegations against male staff and previous male students, which meant that safe practice was especially important. 

Indeed, the culture of acute wards, such as a female ward with its complex structure, including many rooms and certain blind spots, is associated with an embedded learning curve that seems to blend into an unspoken understanding of clinical practices more than other clinical settings. For example, a female acute mental health ward, more than most, often seems to uphold the Nursing and Midwifery (NMC) Code (2018), Section 1: Prioritise People by treating people with dignity and respect, ensuring their rights, privacy, and individuality are upheld at all times.  Nowhere is this truer for a male student nurse than on a female acute mental health ward, where male nurses and student nurses can encounter allegations that are hard to prove, yet it becomes the patient’s words against the qualified and student nurses. 

What did I do about this as a male student nurse, you ask?

I listened actively, observed and followed instructions, advice and guidance, such as the ward manager’s clear instructions not to enter patient rooms alone and to work under the supervision of qualified nurses, including my practice supervisor and practice assessor, to ensure both patient safety and my own protection. This is what I understood to be the culture of the ward for the reasons that I mentioned earlier, but surprisingly, two nurses encouraged me to go into patient rooms by myself to carry out tasks, an action that I saw as a breach of the cultural safety of the ward. Although I politely explained to the two nurses that I was not permitted to work unsupervised in the female patients’ rooms, they sometimes openly said they would speak to the manager, as they had supervised students before me who worked independently.  

The behaviour and comments by the two nurses made me feel uncomfortable, as if I was doing something wrong, even though I was confident that I was following the correct guidance, and anything outside of this would result in non-culturally informed practice, possible Fitness to Practice, and delayed progression of my studies (NMC, 2024). 

I explained to the two nurses that my practice supervisor, assessor, and the other nurses on the ward supported my decision not to enter the room of the female patient alone, and they agreed with the guideline stating that male students should not carry out interventions with female patients independently. I chose not to report the issue to the ward manager because, as a first-year student on my first placement, I was unsure whether raising the matter might reflect poorly on me or lead others to view me as difficult, which made me hesitant to escalate the concern. This experience highlighted the importance of a competent clinical practice culture and consistent support for student nurses, along with the need for clear guidance on how students should respond when expected standards are challenged.

My advice for current and prospective students

Reflecting on this during a lecture about workplace culture, I realised how valuable it would be to provide qualified nurses with clearer guidance on how to support student nurses, particularly those at the very start of their training, male student nurses on the acute mental health female ward, and, might I say, female students on acute mental health male wards, including PICU. I believe that such guidance could help ensure that students feel safe, supported, and confident in their learning, while also maintaining professional standards and safeguarding both patients and staff.

Eyibowale Aworetan is a year 3 mental health student nurse at London South Bank University.

Dr Josephine NwaAmaka Bardi is a higher education leader and global mental health advocate, founder of RAMHHE, and currently chairperson and visiting professor at St Joseph College of Nursing in Nigeria, as well as visiting professor at PAAET Kuwait College of Nursing.