Do men really have a better shot at finding a job?

[mcpheenom]

I am a man and just passed the NCLEX. Although I don't necessarily think it is a fair I am often told that I will have a much easier time finding a job than new grad woman. I can certainly see the benefit for certain units to have a male presence among the nursing staff (especially on psych units where patients can become aggressive and violent).

My question is whether or not this is the case. I am asking because in Massachusetts it is apparently very tough to find good nursing jobs right now. Everyone I know (woman) are having a hell of a time getting into hospitals. I'm considering looking out of state if this ends up being the case for me. I'm just curious about others experiences with this both for hope and just so I don't feel like I'm wasting my time trying to find a solid nursing job where I live.

[cjcsoon2bnp, MSN, RN, NP]

As a guy I can say that this is an absolute myth. I've been working for the same unionized hospital (part of a hospital group corporation) for over two years and I am struggling to find a job.

!Chris

[CharlieTaco]

I don't think it is easier to find a job as a man but after you get one, you will probably be treated better than the new hire women if that makes you feel any better.

[NewbieNurse82]

in a female dominated industry i'd think men have a slight advantage here...

[MrChicagoRN, RN]

Nope, no gender advantage. There is a general tight labor market that at some point will radically reverse itself almost overnight.

In the meantime, getting your foot in the door, becoming visible, and networking-networking-networking are all vital at this point.

[TheCommuter, BSN, RN]

According to the labor statistics rigjht now it is harder for a man to find a job than a woman and we as lso start off at less money now than women.

This is because many of the jobs that have evaporated over the past few years tend to be in fields that are male-dominated and require less education: construction, manufacturing, etc. Many of the career fields dominated by women, such as education and healthcare, tend to require some postsecondary education and are still hiring.

[8mpg]

I guess Im a minority but looking at our recent hiring, it seems like we are hiring more men at my hospital. The ER is basically dominated by men and we have to call floor nurses to chaperone pelvic exams. Our cath lab has one female and with a staff of 10.

[wannabe2008]

Yes it helps. I am suprised others don't agree. I have been told by more than one female boss that it changes the energy to have men working on the floor also. Based on my observations I believe it.

I think most people would agree that out in the regular world men and women are different kinds of people and often think/act differently so why wouldn't that apply when we go into the healthcare environment?

I am in no way suggesting that either men or women make better nurses. It is not unusual though for men or women to do better in certain situations. Sometimes it is better to have a female address a situation and sometimes a male. Sometimes I think it a cultural thing and sometimes a human thing.

[wannabe2008]

My honest obseravation is that not one of my male friends has ever had any great difficulty getting a job whereas some very qualified female friends struggled. Older males especialy have less difficulty. The weird thing is that the males aften get evening/night work whereas the women get more day jobs. I have discussed this with other nurses and we can speculate as to the reason but don't really know why.

[MrWarmHearted]

People will always have opinions however, it seems like you'll find the answer out yourself soon enough. In our hospital, it's the person, skills, and experience that count over gender.

[MN-Nurse, ASN, RN]

I notice that men who graduated at the top of their class and have good direct patient care experience have a better shot at getting jobs....

..but no more so than women with the same qualifications.

[Patricosuave]

Let's be careful not to put up any blanket statements. I'm sure all of this depends on the opinions of the unit director and therefore it changes from place to place.

[exit96]

I kinda hate this statement, and I just heard it the other day when I was explaining that I have 2 hospitals to choose from in the next couple weeks, and I am a new grad. It wasn't meant to be offensive and I didn't engage, just someones opinion. It IS rather offensive though. Like, you mean I can't be just as qualified as my female counterparts? Or maybe i just interview better than you? Or maybe I have worked as an aide for a few years and the employer has seen my high standards/ work ethic?...

P.S. I have heard floor managers and other females say that "we need some testosterone on the floor"...to balance things out. You can read into this whatever you want, but you know what this means ;-)