Purpose: This study aimed to understand the meaning and essence of college life experiences of mature-aged male nursing students. Methods: Data were collected between November 2024 and December 2024 through in-depth, face-to-face interviews with ten older male nursing students. Data were analyzed using Colaizzi’s seven-step phenomenological analysis method. Results: The results comprised four theme clusters and 17 themes. Participants experienced “A tough start,” “Multidimensional obstacles,” “Source of strength,” and “Turning point in life.” Participants entered nursing school after overcoming challenging entrance exams in pursuit of stable employment during periods of economic instability and job scarcity. Additionally, they encountered dual barriers, both in terms of age and gender over the study period. They struggled because of their financial instability, academic stress, conflicts in social relationships, and insufficient university support services. However, despite these hardships, they persisted in their academic journey, encouraged by the joy of learning, with informal social support from family and friends and determined to complete their college courses. Ultimately, they perceived college life as a transformative phase through positive change, growth, and professional development in their journey toward becoming nurses. Conclusion: It is necessary to identify the individual needs of older male nursing students and provide university support services from a gender-equity perspective.

Purpose: The study aim was to explore the meaning of male nursing students’ experiences in women’s health nursing practicum through photovoice and focus group interviews. Ways to improve the conditions and quality of practicum education for women’s health nurses were explored. Methods: The participants were eight senior male nursing students who had completed a women’s health nursing practicum. They captured topic-specific photos depicting their experiences in a women’s health nursing practicum through the photovoice method and conducted focus group interviews using the PHOTO strategy to explore the meanings behind the photos. The final data were analyzed using a content analysis. Results: The male nursing students’ experiences in the women’s health nursing practicum produced five themes: “The untraveled Way.”, “Role conflicts amid indifference.”, “Opportunities that never come.”, “Unable to overcome gender barrier.”, and “The time of perseverance and hope.”, These five themes were accompanied by 13 sub-themes. Conclusion: Though initially apprehensive, the study participants engaged in women’s health nursing practices with excitement and anticipation. Despite experiencing discrimination and role conflict due to gender differences, they discovered opportunities for growth through a simulation practicum. Anticipating personal development from their experiences, they desired a future in which male nurses would be recognized solely as nurses, without gender distinctions. Efforts are required to enhance awareness and organizational culture and prevent discrimination based on gender differences. Comprehensive endeavors are necessary for enhancing the quality of clinical practice education by developing and validating women’s health nursing practicum programs covering diverse topics.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to provide basic data to interview programs for assisting male college students adjust to clinical practice by understanding the meaning of stress in such a practice. Method: Individual in-depth interviews using open-ended questions were conducted with students. Data were collected in August 2018, and analyzed using Colaizzi’s phenomenological method. Results: The categories of practical experiences in the interview programs for mediating gender conflicts in male nursing students were clearly recognized as, “experiencing limits of practice on female patients,” “a sense of burden representing practical students,” and “forcing of manhood.” The essential themes of participants' experiences in simulation programs included: “Prejudice and unfairness in having a female-related job,” “Women’s hospital practice is limited,”-“Attention is focused on themsince they are ‘minorities’,” “Uncomfortable interpersonal relations in clinical practice,” “The patience of a discriminative perception that physical labor should be mobilized, requiring forceful leadership,” “Live in a way that society prefers.” Conclusion: This study attempted to understand the meaning and nature of experiencing stress among male college students in clinical practice by applying Colaizzi’s method of analysis in phenomenology nursing research. In order to assist participants understand women's mainstream clinical practice, preparing separate programs is important.