Does being a guy have any affect on being accepted into your schools nursing program?

Anoetos, BSN, RN · Aug 30, 2010

My BSN-PL class begins this week. I have not done a definitive count but from what I have seen in our few meetings running up to the semester, it looks as though out of about 60 acceptances, 11 or so of us are guys. I say "or so" because I cannot be sure that I have actually seen everyone. So that's an 18% male population in my class, almost 3 times the average for male nurses.

However, it has also been mentioned to me that men have a higher burn out rate than do females. I have not read any evidence for this, it is anecdotal.

charlie8025 · Aug 31, 2010

My nursing school class (Grad May 2010) had 4 males, 51 females. The class behind me has 12 males, 40 females. Is it a trend or an exception? Who knows. The surgical unit I work on has 8 male nurses and 25 females. We are also care for bariatric post ops, so a few of us are pretty big boys. Its been better for me as a male out of school than in. The nurses I work with and my manager are all great to work with and for....... Good luck.

dizzyheadspin · Sep 7, 2010

Being a male applicant has no bearing at my school. It makes no difference what gender or race an applicant is despite the contrary belief.

Anoetos, BSN, RN · Sep 10, 2010

Revised numbers are 11/45 or almost 25%. I know they didn't plan for it to be that high but there it is. Now, in 2 years we'll see where we end up.

MrWarmHearted · Oct 17, 2010

No, our nursing school is based solely on the TEAS test.

andazola · Nov 8, 2010

Here is my experience: I heard the same thing about males always getting in and I also realize that many schools have different protocols for admission requirements. I was happy to get my acceptance to the BSN program and I'm male. I hear its very competitive but I know I've been accepted with one of the least overall GPA but a very high science GPA.

Here is my background:

No healthcare experience

No volunteer hours

No significant reason to be a nurse on my application essay (I actually don't think they even look at this unless its a tie-breaker)

Average Overall GPA of 3.1, Nursing pre-req GPA 3.4, Science GPA 3.8 (This includes PATHO and Pharm...a nursing pre-req in some universities)

I think the school I applied looked for SCIENCE GPA MOSTLY: Even though my overall GPA average is low due to 2 F's on my transcript, I did well on all my science courses because it is fascinating. I took all my science courses at full time, all together and semester after next. I think this looks really good on applications. Makes you seem less of a risk of failing out, dropping out, and can carry yourself with the demanding classes that requires a lot of effort and time.

I do know a few females that have excelled me in GPA category, are CNA's, wrote impressive essays, and/or volunteered but are on a waiting list. I don't want to think its because of gender but due to how you presented yourself on paper with class loads. All the girls I know on the waiting list played it safe and took one science course at a time and some even one class at a time to get that 4.0 GPA. I hope they get in because they are very intelligent. I heard from many that some schools only look at SCIENCE GPA and THE LOAD OF CLASSES you took to show your competitiveness. Every place is different for sure.

MrWarmHearted · Nov 17, 2010

Nope ours just takes the top TEAS test scores

Jevell - AMPNN · Dec 1, 2010

From my experience, there is no difference. I think most males who decide to go into nursing have thought long and hard about the decision because it is not a traditional male field of work (therefore a stronger desire to be a nurse). As opposed to some females who just chose the field bacause it is a female dominated field...therfore lower motivation. So, it appears more males are accepted because the few that apply are more serious about the field and staying in it (purely my opinion not based on research).

Side thought: I see so many people concerned with admission statistics for nursing schools...why? To me, more effort should be focused on quality of care after graduation, right? Clearly graduating and doing well in the field should be the concern or topic of heated discussion. If there were loads of male students dropping out of nursing program or providing terrible patient care...there should be cause for concern/debate. Just my 2%

BCRNA · Dec 22, 2010

I don't think that is true at all. It is my experience that men in nursing tend to have higher GPA's to begin with and have hopes of either bieng a NP or CRNA. I don't think it is a quota that needs to be meet as much is it is that male nursing students tend to be more career orientated. I sat on the interview boards to help decide who was accepted into graduate school, not once did they tell me to make my decision on gender or race. You will also see that the the overall percentage of male to female students increases in graduate school. Men are more likely to move onto graduate education. Though I am an anesthetist and in a more male dominated field, my graduating class was 50/50 male/female mix. The NP class where I went to school was about 30% male. My undergraduate class had 6 guys and 92 women, over 6%.

I would be willing to believe that in other fields men get preference, but nursing is female dominated. I just wont believe that women are discriminating against women in favor of male applicants. And there definitely would be lawsuits if this could be proven to be occurring.

dslayden · Dec 27, 2010

I know this seems like a really stupid question but I wanted to see what the people on here have found out from personal experience. Not too long ago I was talking with a group of fellow nursing students about the process of getting accepted into the nursing program at our college. A few of the students said that out of all the students they knew that applied for the program most of the time men who applied were accepted after their first or maybe second attempt, while most other students are accepted after their second or third time applying. During the discussion, I told them that I didn't really think that being a guy (and a minority) was what led to this situation but they seemed to disagree and suggested I ask some other guys at this website and some other nursing students overall and see what they think. What does everyone think about this?

Yes you fall under minority status and are only compeating with other males applying does not mean you get a free ride. you still have to qualify. do you know why male nurses get hired faster becouse they are less intimidated by Dr.

omgmurse · Dec 31, 2010

I busted my butt doing pre-reqs to get into my nursing program. I was told (by my advisor) before I could even apply that I needed to take A+P 1 and 2, English Comp 1 and 2, Psych, Sociology, a math course, human growth and development, microbiology, and the Hesi Exam. I'm Male. I did all that and maintained a GPA of 3.8.

Don't tell me I didn't work to get in my program or that I'm not deserving. Maybe the fact that most schools ask you for relevant experience and my having 7 years as a combat medic with deployment time to Iraq and having been a cardiac med tech for 4 years gave me an edge, but I'm fairly certain my member didn't.

When I got accepted into the program (first time) I noticed that a lot of the females (about 95 in a class of about 105) had only taken A&P 1 and 2 and were doing all of their "pre-reqs" as co-reqs.

So no, I do not think that they give preferental treatment to males. If anything I think it's harder as a male in the course. I've had to deal with an idiot new grad nurse at work (been a PCT for 4 years) say crap like "You only got in because you're a guy", and pretty much the same from a few people in my class. Do any of you idiots that are sitting there talking down about your male counterparts realize that if it were the opposite and a male saying that about the females he would likely be removed from the program? Talk about a double standard. How about in our lab videos where they protray the female students as responsible and bursting at the seams with knowledge and the male students as incompetent, negligent, and probably not belonging in the program?

Yeah, the nursing programs (and nursing as a career) are so stacked against females, it's so hard for women to get ahead in nursing... I mean that's why the field is 94% female and I know of two male nurse managers at my hospital (and I work at a very large hospital).

I'm sorry to rant, I'm just so sick and freaking tired of hearing females in class and at work whine about male nurses and how hard females have it in nursing and how oppressed they are. Get over yourselves. Pick another career if you want to be a martyr or have a pity party.

OneHungryNurse · Jan 5, 2011

I hope it does!