Considering being a nurse

turnforthenurse, MSN, NP · Oct 13, 2012

There is nothing wrong with being a guy and wanting to pursue the nursing profession! :)

Nurses are needed, however, don't buy into that "there is a nursing shortage" mumbo jumbo. There *is* a shortage, but they mean a shortage of nurses actually working. There are plenty of qualified individuals out there but many places are increasing their staffing ratios (more patients per nurse) because it's supposedly "better for the budget;" however, research has shown that it is actually more cost effective to hire more staff because you're less likely to end up with errors or mistakes. Long story short, there are a lot of nurses but jobs can be hard to find, not just for new grads but for experienced nurses, too. I'm not trying to turn you away from the profession, I'm just stating the facts.

Back in the day, males were actually the dominant gender in nursing but then it shifted to become more female-dominant. Male nurses are making a come back, however. We have a lot of male nurses where I work and even when I was in nursing school I came across a lot of male nurses.

Pay varies depending on the area. Areas with a higher cost of living will pay more compared to areas with a lower cost of living. I know places in New England pay $40+/hr...California may pay $50+/hr. That's because of the higher cost of living. Then you have shift differentials if you work evenings/nights and you might have specialty pay factored in if you work in a speciality unit. I know my base pay is more in my area (progressive care, basically an ICU-stepdown) than in the ER because my area is considered a specialty area. For the record, I live in central Texas and I started out at $23.50/hr as a new grad + I get shift differentials...I make nearly $30/hr with $35/hr being my overtime rate. As for the job description, nurses do a lot...there are a lot of threads regarding that here, just do a search

A two-year degree can be obtained at a community college and a four-year degree is typically done at a university. Education is pretty much the same and you take the same NCLEX...what separates a BSN from an ADN, however, is that you get your nursing theory and research with your BSN. You may also have more clinical opportunities, including a public health rotation. I have had rotations in that along with med-surg/geriatric med-surg, OB/peds, mental health, critical care & practicum (you get placed on a unit of interest and you precept with another for a certain # of hours). Having a BSN also opens up more opportunities for advancement, such as positions as a nurse manager, educator or positions in research. You can go on to get your MSN. As far as pay goes, ADN-prepared nurses are payed the same as BSN-prepared nurses.

If you decide to pursue nursing, do what is financially feasible for you. I highly suggest going for your BSN (four-year) degree, though. There are a lot of hospitals that are pushing for BSN-prepared nurses.

Stephalump · Oct 14, 2012

I'm in high school and considering being a nurse, and yes Im a guy.
.Is there a demand?
.Are there a lot of male nurses?
.Whats the job like? pay?
.Whats the difference between a 2 and 4 year degree?
.If I go for a 2 year degree, will I have to do only 2 more years to get my bachelor degree?
.Is there a pay difference between a 2 and 4 year degree?
.Is there furthering your career/ education after a 4 year degree?

There is about as much of a demand as most other careers. Some people graduate and have a job within weeks. Most take a few months, and one take upwards of a year. No one will be beating down your door throwing sign-on bonuses at you, but if you aren't too picky and you stick with it, you'll find something.

There are a good number of male nurses. Nowhere near the number of female nurses, but no one will be shocked to see you.

Lots of responsibility. The RNs at my facility have 5pts each and are busy all 12 hours of their shift charting, passing meds, etc. in my area the starting pay at hospitals is ~$24/hr.

The difference btwn the 2 degrees is mostly theory and research courses. Two year degrees generally have the same clinical and nursing science foundations, just fewer courses like "Research in Nursing." Hospitals all over the country are starting to try to gain Magnet status, and part of that status includes having 80% of their nurses have BSNs. For that reason, many hospitals are no longer interested in new grad ADNs, and odds are that is only going to become more true. Still plenty of non-hospital positions out there, though.

Most ADN-BSN bridge programs in my area are 12 months long, but if you have extra per-reqs to take it would probably take you 2 years.

There is rarely a pay difference between the two. I've heard tale of $.25/hr differences in other parts of the country.

There are multiple paths you can take after your BSN. Look into MSN programs...there are tons :)