“…However, gender diversification has been a slow process, gender-related barriers have yet to be successfully addressed, and workplace, recruitment, and retention processes require further modification to effectively target men (Rajacich et al, 2013; Sherrod et al, 2005). For instance, some researchers argue that the homogeneous gender of caregiving professions preserves outdated and sexist notions, obstructs a contemporary portrayal of such professions, and marginalizes men, all of which may undermine recruitment efforts (Christensen & Knight, 2014; Hart, 2005; Jordal & Heggen, 2015). Similarly, differential treatment from colleagues (e.g., expectations to perform more physically strenuous tasks) and patients (e.g., treatment refusal), suspicion regarding intimate touch and the capacity for caring, experiences of isolation or loneliness, felt difficulty in enacting masculine behavior within a female-dominated profession, and a lack of male mentors may impede the effectiveness of retention strategies (MacWilliams, Schmidt, & Bleich, 2013; O’Connor, 2015; Rajacich et al, 2013).…”