Im a male and want to be a nurse

Smith5 · Feb 9, 2013

I will look into that too =] thank you!

subee, MSN, CRNA · Feb 9, 2013

I'm 65 and still working and there's a lot of others like me who are hanging on by their fingernails and decreasing their work hours. Being a male is to your advantage and if you don't mind moving around, you will get a job somethere. People who hire want to hire men ...so far, you can't get pregnant:) and leave. If you really want to work with people, nursing is a great fit for you. Med.tech is also great career but not the people job your're looking for . Physical therapy, very wisely, required a doctorate now. Their numbers are limited, thus salaries will stay up. If you do decide to go for nursing, do not bother with anything else but BSN - it's becoming a minimum requirement in more places and you don't want to limit your job prospects. I'm at the very end of my career and loved almost every minute of it.

netglow, ASN, RN · Feb 9, 2013

Keep the college advisors out of your advice group. They want your money and will sell you anything that they think you will buy.

Smith5 · Feb 9, 2013

Hmm, good points. I didn't think being a male could be seen as to my advantage

Beth385 · Feb 9, 2013

Have you thought about volunteering at a hospital or getting an entry level ,job like tech or unit secretary. Then you can see what you like as you go ahead and get basic undergrad courses started. Phlebotomy might be fun too.

**NICU Guy, BSN, RN** · Feb 9, 2013

If you decide to go into nursing, I agree with getting a job at a hospital during nursing school. A local hospital has Student Nurse Associates. When it comes to applying for an RN job, they look internally first (hiring in the hospital family). You have an advantage over your classmates that have no hospital work experience.

kschillaci · Feb 9, 2013

I was a critical care nurse for 25 years and loved working with male nurses. Nursing can be a fabulous career but you will have to work hard. The plus is you can do different types of nursing so you don't get burnt out. Also, working 3 days a week is great. Plan on working every other weekend and some holidays. I changed my job every 3 years or more. I always wanted to be a flight nurse so I got all the required training and then did that for 3 years. It was a great experience, but after 3 years I needed to do something different. I went out to California and worked in the ER in San Diego for 4 months. They (the travel company) pay for your housing too which is a great way to save $ and pay off your loans. I then lived in the San Francisco area for 4 months and worked in an ICU. Then back to Florida and back to the ICU, I went on to do ER, Cath lab, nursing management. The options are endless. I chose hospital nursing but there are lots of other options. Try to decide what your goal is. If you want to work at the bedside then nursing is great. If you want to have direct patient contact and be involved in the care, but not spend 12 hour days doing direct care, then the PA route would be better. Also, PA's typically work a normal work week (M-F). I wish you the best of luck. Hope this was helpful.

mariebailey, MSN, RN · Feb 9, 2013

Hmm, good points. I didn't think being a male could be seen as to my advantage

The male nurses where I work are treated like kings. I'm not saying it's like that everywhere. We are grateful to them for balancing out the hormone levels.

jhawka10 · Feb 10, 2013

I am not sure how old this original post is. there are several replies. I am male and have been a pediatric nurse for about 23 years now. It has served me well and the kids are great to work with!

tigerlogic · Feb 10, 2013

I was talking to the male students in my cohort and they said that they felt they got it a little easier as well as had more scholarship opportunities.

If you are going to get a bachelor's degree in something, and pay for a bachelor's degree in something, nursing is a great pick. To get a PA, that is a masters degree, so you'd have to get a bachelor's in something anyways. A lot of the comments seem to refer to those of us who chose to pursue nursing after already getting one bachelor's degree, or are changing careers, which is kind of a different cost benefit analysis. From what I've seen in my area, being a guy is only likely to help you.

There is certainly no guarantee of finding a nursing job, but there isn't in anything. You are more likely to find a job with a nursing degree than with a political science degree or an English degree. Lots of people aren't getting jobs... but lots of people also are. None of my friends with psychology bachelor's degrees were able to get work with them (unless they went to grad school or nursing school).

I suggest first working as a CNA, EMT, or another type of caretaker where you can judge how you really feel being up close and personal with people as well as having some contact with the huge responsibility nurses have for people's lives. If you want a more male oriented career you could consider paramedic or firefighter, but all jobs are competitive in every field.

Good luck. Take all advice with a pinch of salt.

CherylRNBSN · Feb 10, 2013

So many avenues open to you.

Becoming an EMT is quick, and will get the adrenaline rush of being a first responder. Lots of valuable experience in emergency care that you can use while attending nursing school and then for job applications, which will protect you against the dreaded "exp. required".

My path: LPN, then ADN, then BSN. I have never had trouble finding work, even after being out for 12 yrs. to raise kids.

My point is, that you can gain experience in healthcare immediately. Work as CNA, EMT, or paramedic. Get your feet wet.

I got BSN with ZERO in student loans due to CNA/LPN.

Good luck!

Smith5 · Feb 10, 2013

wow guys thanks a lot for your information. And yes I am already looking into volunteering and will soon be contacting my local hospitals for these opportunities. I just want to be a nurse, what can I say lol