Bringing in the Boys: How to Attract More Male Nurses

[Melissa Mills]

Men in nursing - it's a simple phrase that can bring many emotions to the surface for nurses of both genders. You might feel that we need more men to level out the amount of estrogen on units across the country. Or, you may believe that the pay inequalities between male and female nurses are already enough of an issue that advocating for more men will only compound the discrepancy.

No matter what side of the aisle you land on, it's an argument worth discussing. According to the United States Census Bureau, the proportion of male registered nurses has increased from 2.7% in 1970 to 9.6% in 2013, and for licensed practical and vocational nurses, it has risen from 3.9% to 8.1% during the same time. And, whether you believe we are in the midst of a nursing shortage or not - there remain many nurse vacancies that could be filled by men.

So, what are some of the ways experts advocate using to increase the number of men in nursing? Let's discuss them below.

Starting Conversations Early

High schools help our young people choose professions. They complete personality tests that identify their strongest traits and passions to help determine a career that aligns with the strengths identified. But, are young men and women supported to break down the gender walls to choose the profession that is right for them? Are young men who score high in compassion and helping others encouraged to consider nursing as a career or are they encouraged to find a health and human services field more suited to men?

To increase the number of men in nursing, we must continue to break down gender roles. One strategy is to begin conversations with men from an early age about entering nursing school right out of high school or in early adulthood. Discussing non-traditional nursing roles with men might also be helpful. A few of the areas of nursing that tend to see a higher male population include intensive care, cardiac care, emergency rooms, and flight nursing. If we can attract men to enter nursing at an early age and sustain a long career, we will see diversity within the profession.

Offer Support in College

The first day of nursing school might be when many men receive the first glimpse into the future of their careers - one of being the minority. Whether you are in the U.S. or across the pond, nursing vacancies continue to be an issue, and many feel that attracting more men to nursing is a viable option to fill these vacancies.

So, how do we support men and offer encouragement to enter nursing school? Coventry University in the UK is offering male nursing students a $3,800 stipend for school to encourage men to choose nursing. The Oregon Center for Nursing launched their "Are You Man Enough to be a Nurse" Campaign in 2002 to inspire men to enter the profession. And, many schools around the globe are using their marketing dollars to run social media campaigns to attract young Millennial and Generation Zee's men to nursing programs.

Provide Mentoring

Every nurse needs a mentor. Finding a quality mentor is one of the best professional relationships you will ever have, regardless of your gender.

The University of Texas Arlington Online offers support for mentoring in nursing and states that one role of a mentor is to support minority and male students. Diversifying mentors and future nurses can lessen future health disparities in our society by providing diverse role models. It might also be a good idea for male nurses to find a fellow male nurse as their mentor. Offering strong male role models to new graduates can provide guidance in regards to all aspects of a successful nursing career.

Set Goals

If you want change in any area of life, you must set goals. Advancing Men in Nursing (AAMN) believed this and initiated a campaign to encourage men to enter the nursing profession. Their goal?

The AAMN wants to increase the number of men enrolling into nursing programs by 20% by 2020 - also known as the "20 X 20" initiative. As part of the program, they have created the Best School for Men in Nursing Awards Program. To be eligible for this award, AAMN will review the school's marketing material, strategic plans to increase gender diversity in nursing, course syllabi, and other information highlighting the program's dedication to expanding the diversity in nursing.

On Target?

Are we on the right track by offering stipends to men who want to become nurses? Should we continue to run campaigns and tell young men the benefits of a career in nursing? Or, should we stop and allow whatever happens to our profession happen? Tell us your thoughts about this important subject, we would love to hear them.

[nehneh14]

I have been in the nursing frontlines for 20+ years (male RN, BSN) and have yet to meet a female RN that made less money than a male counterpart for the same work and specialty. In fact, in Psychiatry male nurses are often compelled to take more risks of injuries. Enough of playing the gender card- not in Nursing!

Well true, you haven't met me, but I'm one of those "female RN"s that made less money than a male counterpart for the same work and specialty. To the tune of $3.00 per hr.

[alfa-sierra, BSN, RN]

I do not agree with higher pay exclusively for men as an incentive to bring men into nursing. As for bringing women into coal mining the incentives ought to be acceptance and respect which of course precludes lesser pay than men for the same work.

[alfa-sierra, BSN, RN]

It is hard to conceive that any sound minded policy maker in this day and age would commit to ink that sort of unlawful discrimination in their P&P!! But I believe that there are still a lot of people out there that will try to get away with inequities whenever they are enabled for as long as they are enabled...

[nehneh14]

Misogyny is real. Whatever expectations based on gender in a given society is not the invention of the male gender, nor the female gender.

You state that men can have their cake and eat it too is a devalue of the actual value men bring to a society. Would it be acceptable if someone stated that women get to have their cake and eat it, based on being able to stay home and be with the kids all day, not stress about work and/or traffic? I think not, and there are sacrifices in both staying employed and staying at home.

I agree that there is an expectation that women "sacrifice" their career for family and men "do not." However, that is still a choice that men and women make as individuals, regardless of expectations.

You state that the pay gap is a deliberate/systemic practice. What company, hospital, corporation has that policy?

What does this administration want to do in regards to wanting to have a family? I mean specifically?

There benefits to being a male in this society, but there are also drawbacks.

The are benefits to being a female in this society, but there are also drawbacks.

Let's get rid of benefits/incentives based on anything but merit.

"Whatever expectations based on gender in a given society is not the invention of the male gender,": Debatable.

To answer your questions: And I should say, I'm making the assumption that you're American, but from your response, perhaps not?)

1) Maybe spend a little time thinking about why men do not choose to stay home after starting a family. I don't think this is a question for which you need my input. Hint: women don't make as much $$$ as men. And, the vast majority of men wouldn't be wiling to put their careers on hold for their family. There is absolutely nothing easier about staying home with a newborn or young children as compared to working outside the home. Doing both, however, is next to impossible. (Which a lot of women wind up doing, anyway).

2) Our entire society and capitalistic economy props up the wage gap. It's a systemic and deliberate practice. Men make more than women. It's been that way forever; probably will continue to be so because we are a male dominated/patriarchal society. Men do not like to support women in positions of power. It's an entire gender/power dynamic that is well known; you HAVE to know this.

3) This administration is going to take away a woman's choice as to whether or not she births a baby. It's one of the only clearly defined policy positions they've been able to articulate, and they (uncharacteristically) have a plan in motion to acheive that policy.

You're right, there are benefits and drawbacks dependent on gender. There are just more benefits to being male and one of those benefits, is financial.

Look, as the saying goes, "if I'm not talking about you, then I'm not talking about you", so no need to be defensive about it. Nowhere do I deny the value males bring to society. But at the very least, even if you completely reject male complicity in maintaining the gender based wage gap, men who refuse to acknowledge it's existence ARE part of the problem. Women bring just as much value to society as men, so why aren't they paid the same?

[Elaken]

Dranger is right. The wage gap has been debunked so many times.

For starters, it is and has been illegal to pay a man more than a woman for doing the exact same position.

New grad nurses at my local hospital (and at every hospital) working on the exact same floor at the same education level starting at the exact same time are going to start off making the same amount of money.

When I try to explain this to people, they will bring up something like "but why do women in the wnba make less than men in the nba" or another question relating to that. It's because more people watch NBA way more than they do the WNBA. More viewers = more money and advertising that can be done, thus, men in the NBA will be offered much heftier contracts than their WNBA counterparts. I know this has nothing to do with nursing, this is just a topic that people who think the wage gap is still here like to point out, which is why I always bring it up when making my point.

In conclusion, that 86 cents to the man's dollar is not based off of hourly wage but ANNUAL wage. ANNUALY men make more than women because they typically work longer hours and don't take as much time off from work as women do. This does not equate that men make more for doing the same job.

I would also like to point out that men also dominate in STEM degrees while women dominate in areas such as nursing, the cosmetics industry, etc. which obviously do not earn as much as a STEM degree would. This doesn't mean that women are at a disadvantage (you are actually more likely to be accepted into a STEM program if you are a woman based off your gender alone) we simply choose to not go into STEM because typically it's not something we want to do.

As a young woman I promise you I wouldn't defend something like the wage gap if it were real. I just want to provide insight on the subject because many people still do not completely understand that it's not there anymore.

Oh come on don't come in here acting like you are bringing wisdom. First of all you completely ignore the barriers in place and social constructs that make it harder for women to go into STEM fields and to work those longer hours. That is a HUGE deal and completely ignorant to blithely act like it is all a woman's choice to make less.

But studies have shown, all other things being equal, that there is usually like a 9% difference that can't be explained by hours or career choice.

Geez, next you are going to tell us to trust you that sexism doesn't exist because you are a young woman. I guess we have never had a female president or Vice President because women just don't want to work the long hours.

[nehneh14]

Your two cents is a good value. Maybe it would be worth enticing more men into nursing with higher pay, bonuses or more opportunities for higher education. For others opinion, what would it take to entice more women into construction, roof repair or coal mining?

BBM. Perhaps an actual coal industry??? Sorry, had to!

[Elaken]

The only reason I am for special efforts to bring men into the field is I have heard from tons of older nurses that salary *only* went up once men started coming into the field. Although one nurse has a husband who is also a nurse and they have worked in my hospital system their whole career. At some point the hospital said to her husband "we value these x amount of years that you have given us and we are going to put you to the max wage." I am sure you can guess that she never got that letter.

I definitely know anecdotes are not evidence but that always stuck with me.

[91B91W68WDone]

What I am about to write is gar-un-teed to bring on ein Sturm der Poop.

I am a man. I am a nurse. I am the son of a single mother who worked twice as hard as her male colleagues and was told, "You don't need as much money as a man. You don't have to support a family." Clearly that jack-hole had no idea how much two teenage boys could eat. So as you stoke the clouds of the storm, remember that. I am not a misogynist.

The article is blind to the realities of what truly keeps men OUT of nursing. The first reality is that a gender-typic stereotype sticks to nursing like glue on glue. It is still seen as a job for women. The still accepted view of men in nursing is that they are effeminate or simply less-than-manly because they want to 'help people' (which may or may not be the motivation of some guys in nursing).

The second reality has to do with the discriminatory and hippocritical nature of female dominated work-groups themselves (I hear the thunderclap of the approaching storm now...). Examples of the nature of female dominated work groups are many. In college, I debated certain issues with my female colleagues and was informed that I was "domineering", "aggressive", "mean" in my treatment of those who debated me.

This I found stunning as the debates were taped and later reviewed. My face and body language was calm, relaxed and patient throughout each debate. I waited patiently and quietly for my fellow students to fully develop and express their views, facts etc. In responding to them I noted those points they had made with which I agreed, and noted the quality of (some) of their research. They always sat quietly for that.

When I began to disagree and present my supporting evidence for doing so, they would interrupt me. The instructor would moderate and ask them to stop. I would continue. They would interrupt again, their volume rising. The instructor would again stop them. I would continue only to be interrupted again with greater volume and ad hominim attacks which, by their nature, did nothing to disprove my point, but certainly managed to disrupt the presentation. At this point they would loudly present their justifications for interrupting, pontificate on the validity of their points, and simply dismiss mine. Oi gevalt. It was made clear that the only correct opinion was theirs and it had to be female in nature and origin.

Additional examples abound. There's the incessant derogatory joking by women about men. Now, I know that most female nurses are going to say "get a sense of humor". If you knew me, you'd know that is not my problem. During nursing school I was actually told that men would be bashed and that I had a single choice; get used to it. I was told it wasn't going to stop and it didn't. Nearly every lecture featured some example of a man behaving poorly. He was either a wimp about pain, lazy about his ADLs, or simply fearful of his situation. Female staff and students would openly complain about their male significant others during classes. It was blatant. It still is in the female dominated offices and floors I have worked on.

Ironically, during my former life in engineering, the first women making their way into the field were told "it's just a joke" or "get a sense of humor" when they spoke of being offended by some of 'the guys' telling 'off color jokes'. as a short time went by, I watched as some of those guys were taken into the boss's office and given a tune up. Soon after, some more guys were sent out for 'sensitivity training' or moved to new offices. Not much later on, a few guys were getting sued for sexual harassment for having quietly told a 'dirty' joke at the coffee station.

Is there a single (female) nurse out there willing to state, straight faced without a trace of doubt that the same standard has been applied to women in nursing? Would you be willing to state that you see it in your work place? I hope not. There's been an alarming number of pants and skirts bursting into flames when people make such claims. I'd hate for you to suffer burns in the nether regions.

I hope that wasn't off color. I am sincerely concerned for the health of others. That's why I'm a nurse after all.

Last thing. The article starts missing right in the title. You want to bring the 'boys' to nursing? Wow. Do you have any idea of the number of people who would claim grievous insult if you were to suggest we need to get more 'girls' into construction engineering? I don't know about you but I want a tough old farm broad with shoulders like a bull running that D9 operating 3 yards from me. Leave the girls at home. An immature woman, a girl, has no more business operating a massive machine like that than an immature man, a boy, does. Someone will get hurt.

If you want more men in nursing, the girls club has to become a thing of the past. The exact same rules and consequences have to be applied to the floor as they have been to the design office, the board room and the stock floor. IF there is truly equality in the work force, it's up to the women of nursing to pull on their lady panties and start taking responsibility for their behaviors which exclude men.

Just. Like. Men. Did.

If you really want more men in the nursing field, start playing by the same rules as every other industry. If you really want nursing to have more males, create an atmosphere that is more like a work shop and less like a hen house where the pecking order is the only order. (despite the pious, self-serving words rounding out the mission statements and non-discrimination policies)

Putting on my rain coat...

[EDRNBob]

Perhaps you need to look at the interactive results from the allnurses 2018 Salary Survey in which almost 17,000 nurses (including males) showed that male nurses do indeed make more than female nurses.

How Much Do Nurses Make? - 2018 Salary Survey Part 4

Whether "men get paid more than women" isn't the issue. The issue is whether two people hired into the same job, at the same facility, with the same experience and credentials, get job offers for the same amount. Anything that happens after that initial offer (negotiation, etc) is irrelevant, and there is virtually no study that proves this happens, ever.

Saying "men get paid more than women" is a lot different from saying "two new grads hired as peers into the same residency at the same hospital get paid differently because one has a member."

This survey implies the latter.

[EDRNBob]

Saying "men get paid more than women" is a lot different from saying "two new grads hired as peers into the same residency at the same hospital get paid differently because one has a member." This survey can only prove the former, which is entirely irrelevant.

[nehneh14]

Snipped for brevity:

Just. Like. Men. Did.

If you really want more men in the nursing field, start playing by the same rules as every other industry. If you really want nursing to have more males, create an atmosphere that is more like a work shop and less like a hen house where the pecking order is the only order. (despite the pious, self-serving words rounding out the mission statements and non-discrimination policies)

Putting on my rain coat...

BBM "Did"?????? Huh, missed the part where they "did" that... And as for "less like a hen house where the pecking order is the only order", you're telling on yourself. If you think male dominated work spaces are any less fraught with drama and politicking, then you need to branch out a bit more professionally. Oy.

[nehneh14]

Saying "men get paid more than women" is a lot different from saying "two new grads hired as peers into the same residency at the same hospital get paid differently because one has a member." This survey can only prove the former, which is entirely irrelevant.

Well, it's a well known fact that men get paid more than women with very, very few (any???) industry exceptions. You may want to read some of the highly relevant links posted up thread. This isn't really a topic for genuine debate; the gender based wage gap exists. The question is how to fix it, which really isn't a difficult fix, except men and corporations are unwilling to share the pie. It really is that simple. And if that means men take equivalent paternity leave (because that always seems to be the trope of the non-equal pay crowd) so be it. Paternity leave it is! I have no problem with it.