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.

[klone, MSN, RN]

(I believe that is a (humorous/sarcastic) reference to another current thread on the site: https://allnurses.com/general-nursing-student/ob-maternal-be-1172645.html)

Dang, how did I miss this??

[Guest219794]

From my perspective as a guy in nursing. I do agree that having both men and women in a workplace is generally a good thing, and have always preferred such environments. Men and women are different, and often bring diverse approaches and strengths that relate to their gender.

But, I see absolutely no reason to offer any financial incentive, as offered as a possibility in the OP. Particularly in the light of the perception that I get paid more because of my male privilege. Oh yeah- white too, now that I think of it.

Interestingly, a recent article here highlighted the gender pay gap, and gave a lot of information regarding reasons that do not seem discriminatory. I was surprised at how well received the article was- It mentioned that, on the whole, men were more likely to have more advanced degrees, work in higher paying fields of nursing, be more likely to be have various certifications, are less likely to leave a job for family reasons.

But, I do know that there are many who believe that there is discrimination, and maybe they are right. Given that, I don't see any reason to provide financial incentives to men.

[guest974915]

My belief is that instead of attempting to attract another gender, race, ethnicity, ...whatever to the profession-why not stop diluting the admission standards and curriculum to encourage the brightest, most capable, and passionate students to become the nurses and caregivers of tomorrow?

[Aunt Slappy]

Forced diversity is false diversity. And I thought gender was just a social construct unrelated to biological sex anyway, so why bother with this at all?

[LibraSunCNM, BSN, MSN, CNM]

This is really off the subject, but I have to ask:

That avatar looks like a green frog smoking a cigarette. Is that an alt right thing? The similarity to Rush Limbaugh is obvious, but why would they make him green?

Pepe the Frog - Wikipedia

[Rainbow_RN, BSN, RN]

I thought this was an interesting take. I don't think men need incentives to become nurses; monetary incentives can lead to greater disparity. Rather, I think you're on to something about gender roles. Until we really understand that it's okay to be in touch with your emotions--across the board, no matter what your gender identity is--then our profession will not be as diverse. But I think there's a great need for diversity in nursing. Patients come from all kinds of backgrounds, and the more nurses we have from different backgrounds, the greater the chance pts will understand what we are teaching about. The chance will be greater to connect with different patient populations if nursing were more diverse. That's just my two cents.

[Rainbow_RN, BSN, RN]

Forced diversity is false diversity. And I thought gender was just a social construct unrelated to biological sex anyway, so why bother with this at all?

Good point hahah. Let's get more transgender RN's too. Maybe we can make nursing more attractive to people from all walks of life. But in the end, it takes a very special type of person to commit to this path & not everybody has the personality for it. With that being said...I feel like there are tons of highly capable and interested people out there that can't afford to go to school.

Higher education is expensive, and people keep failing out of nursing school. I'm not saying to make nursing school easy, but there's got to be a way to help more people graduate--or even change the admission standards and create more seats in colleges somehow. Increasing access to nursing education would help break down barriers and create more incentive for people of different backgrounds.

[guest974915]

The men commenting in this thread are exactly why I'm perfectly content with nursing being female dominated. Men's misogyny grows exhausting and misandry isn't a thing....

While I fully acknowledge the gender salary disparities that persist in the workplace today, being a "male nurse" is not a 'ticket to ride' and most definitely comes with a lot of baggage and its own stigma. My pet peeve having worked in surgery a very long time, is the number of times I've heard others excusing the behavior of obstreperous, surly male surgeons, "don't be offended, he just prefers females". I'm always left speechless and can only shake my head! Oh, and one last thing, the title of this article, itself "Bringing in the Boys, How to Attract More Male Nurses" is off-putting and offensive. I don't know too many grown men who like to be addressed as boys!

[/username, BSN, RN]

You can start by not considering soap operas as legitimate and accurate portrayals of healthcare.

[Guest219794]

My belief is that instead of attempting to attract another gender, race, ethnicity, ...whatever to the profession-why not stop diluting the admission standards and curriculum to encourage the brightest, most capable, and passionate students to become the nurses and caregivers of tomorrow?

Are schools doing this?

And when if they do, how does it affect their NCLEX pass rate?

[Wuzzie]

You can start by not considering soap operas as legitimate and accurate portrayals of healthcare.

Whaaaaat?! You mean soap operas aren't accurately portraying nursing?!

[SpankedInPittsburgh, DNP, RN]

I'm a guy & I'm a nurse. Much like others I entered nursing after being in another career. Why did I choose nursing? I made the choice because with a minimum investment I could get a job as an RN and help support my family. It was a great decision. I went to a Community College and in about a year and an investment of less than $5000 I was an RN. That's all the enticement I needed. Nursing has given me a great career that I've developed since then and recently graduated from a DNP program and will be starting a NP job soon.

Nursing was a good choice for me & will be for other men. No special "incentives" are necessary