| Sumario: | Aim/Purpose The study aim was to explore how a man identifying as a gay or bisexual influences the man's nursing practice in rehabilitation. Methods/Activities This study reports on a human research ethics committee approved case study, which recruited a purposive sample of two men who self-identified as gay via ARNA membership. Online semi-structured interview data collection took place December 2023 to June 2024. Data analysis was guided by thematic analysis using the grounded theory 'Finding a safe way' as a starting point. Various strategies were used to ensure trustworthiness of the data and the analytical process. Results/Findings Both nurses were over 50 years of age with a combined clinical rehabilitation experience of 33 years. The rich data provided illustrates applicability of the grounded theory 'Finding a safe way' with men 'being closeted' and 'being open' about sexual identity, and 'managing homophobia to make others feel comfortable' in order to practice. However, gay male nurses also encountered the 'rehabilitation workplace' as a challenging influence on their practice. Discussion Decisions about disclosing or deflecting about their sexual identity increases the complexity of gay male nurse practice in rehabilitation. Disclosing was being open about their sexual identity at work. However, if they encountered homophobia from patients or colleagues, men commonly engaged in deflecting queries about their sexual identity. Conclusion Rehabilitation provided a unique context exploring the experiences of gay male nurses. Until now, the practice of these men in rehabilitation has been invisible. The findings from this study offers a new theorised understanding about gay male nurse practice in rehabilitation.
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