Newsflash: The nursing profession is dominated by women. Allow yourself some time to absorb this information, then continue reading.



Good. Although the majority of nurses in the developed world have been female since before anyone currently living can remember, you might be surprised to learn that men have played important roles as nurses at key points in history. If you're a guy considering going into nursing, fear not: There are plenty of others just like you.

Helping the Cause

As a man, you may not be used to the idea of workplace discrimination affecting you directly, but the history of male nursing during most of the 20th century is the history of a series of slights. In some hospitals, even the staff bathrooms were female-only! To push back against the quiet bigotry that permeated the profession until recent, the American Assembly for Men In Nursing arose to investigate complaints of active discrimination and fight to give men a greater voice in the national nursing conversation. It seems to be making headway: thanks to an aggressive campaign, the number of male entrants into nursing school has grown by double digits over the past decade.

Breaking Down Barriers

There has always been a demand for male nurses, and recently, this demand has been growing. Many male patients feel uncomfortable with the idea of a female nurse attending to them in a vulnerable state or in the delivery room. As one of a growing number of male nurses, you'll be responsible for showing your patients that you're capable of providing the same level of care and discretion as your female peers.
You'll also need to be a positive role model for other male nurses. When you first enroll in nursing school, your male colleagues will go out of their way to share stories and advice to put you at ease about the difficult task you've set for yourself. Do the same for the guys coming up after you.

A Bright Future

Nursing is one of the most lucrative professions around thanks to a perennial shortage both of RNs and primary-care physicians. Depending on your performance and the nature of your job duties, your salary may approach six figures at certain hospitals after a few successful years on the job. The decline of the manufacturing and construction sectors of the economy has thrown many hard-working men out of work. If you're one of them, you're in luck: more nursing schools are recognizing that a greater proportion of future applicants are going to be male and are therefore eliminating gender quotas. Within a decade, a quarter of all new RNs may be male.

If you're a man thinking about pursuing a nursing career, good for you. It's a growing field with virtually unlimited potential for advancement that's perfect for sociable individuals who care about the well-being of others. Although male nurses have suffered their share of slights and outright discrimination in the past, they are rapidly gaining acceptance. Listen to your heart, not the doubters, and follow your passion into nursing.

Ray Love is a freelance writer who blogs about careers in healthcare. A staunch supporter of bringing more men into nursing, Ray suggests that men who are interested learn more about the nursing degrees available to them.