Being a male increase your chances

Nursing Students Male Students

Published

I'm wondering if any of the male nurses and/or nursing students feel that being a male gave you an edge to getting into nursing school? Being that there are so few males in the field and applying to schools are you almost a shoe in if your application materials are good?

Specializes in Leadership, Psych, HomeCare, Amb. Care.

Probably not.

Admissions are highly competitive, so no male slacker is going to be a shoo in

Specializes in NICU.

No there is no advantage for being a male in nursing. Males have an equal chance of getting into nursing school as females.

Specializes in NICU, ICU, PICU, Academia.

Why should your gender make a difference? Men are a minority in nursing not because they are excluded, but because they do not choose to become nurses.

I have a better chance as being abused as a human fork lift than for my minority status.

I think people are misunderstanding or didn't read the post properly. I stated that the credentials would be there but wondered if male status might bump a person up. Affirmative action is in other fields why not nursing selections. I was just curious.

1 Votes
Specializes in NICU, ICU, PICU, Academia.
I think people are misunderstanding or didn't read the post properly. I stated that the credentials would be there but wondered if male status might bump a person up. Affirmative action is in other fields why not nursing selections. I was just curious.

Again, men are a minority in nursing not because they have been historically excluded because of their gender, but because they have made the conscious decision to not become nurses. So 'affirmative action' is completely unnecessary. In other words, nursing school admissions are on the basis of merit. Only merit. Having male genitalia does not enter into the picture.

(And we all read your post properly and completely understood the question.)

Specializes in Leadership, Psych, HomeCare, Amb. Care.
I think people are misunderstanding or didn't read the post properly. I stated that the credentials would be there but wondered if male status might bump a person up. Affirmative action is in other fields why not nursing selections. I was just curious.[/quote

Actually, you asked if a male is "almost a shoo-in.

The answer is still no.

And even if men have been discriminated against as nurses in the past, there have been so many other opportunities for men in society that there are really no wrongs to be righted.

I said a shoe in if the credentials are there. If it was merit only then individuals with less than stellar credentials wouldn't get in so that's not accurate either. It doesn't matter the reason why they've chosen not to if they are trying to now then there could be an emphasis on selection with the right credentials. Again it was a question based on my constantly reading and hearing about males being needed and desired in the field.

1 Votes
Specializes in Nursing Professional Development.

I served on the admissions committee at a large university school of nursing several years ago. Yes, males (and other minorities) were given an advantage in the admissions process. Admission was based on a point system and all minority applicants were automatically given an extra point for being a minority.

Given my more recent experiences in the hiring of employees, I see no reason to suspect that things have changed much.

1 Votes
I have a better chance as being abused as a human fork lift than for my minority status.

Puravidalv, empty your inbox so I can message you.

Specializes in Neuro, Telemetry.

Males are not a minority so affirmative action does not apply. Affirmative action applies to US minorities and last I checked, a member does not qualify. I'm sure there are a select few schools that will give extra consideration for males, but in general no. Why should a male be given extra consideration over a female just for being male? Credentials there or not, how is that fair? Most nursing schools, a well as employers, dot care about your gender. They care about your qualifications. As it should be.

people are not misinterpreting your question. You are just not liking the answer.

+ Add a Comment