Invisible barriers and gendered resistance in nursing leadership: a phenomenological study

This study examines how nurse managers in Italy make sense of accessing leadership roles within gendered organisational contexts. Using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis, 20 semi-structured interviews were conducted with managers. Three interrelated themes emerged: leadership legitimacy shaped by gendered expectations, everyday manifestations of systemic and symbolic sexism, and women’s agentic strategies to negotiate and resist constraints. Participants’ accounts reveal how leadership pathways are embedded in cultural norms and internalized social roles, extending beyond formal organisational structures. Social and psychological theories were applied retrospectively to enrich interpretation without directing analysis. Findings call for critical rethinking of leadership models and equity-oriented nursing organisations.