Job outlook for male CNA/MA/Nurses?

Brownbear1 · Feb 6, 2014

I am currently in nursing school, and surprise I am a man! At my current school there are very few men. I do not know the exact number but maybe 10, the rest are female. As for that being a hindrance to you finding a job, not at all in fact a lot of hospitals and LTC facilities love to have men around since some patients are rather large and easier for a man to handle. The only downside to being a man in the program is that you are surrounded by women. Women tend to stick together in their own groups. But once they see you around all the time the gender thing tends to disappear. Going the CNA route is a good way to go. It is a big commitment to become a nurse, so by taking your CNA you can see if it is the right choice for you. You will not be alone there are lots of men who are nurses. If you have any other questions let me know. Best of luck in your studies!

ArtClassRN, ADN, RN · Feb 7, 2014

So, I am looking to attend a CNA program with the Red Cross in the next couple of months, just to get my foot in the healthcare door, see if it definitely is the field I'd like to get into.

I did my CNA at the Red Cross! One of the best educational experiences of my life. Still think about the instructor often, she was fantastic.

Now, I know the common belief tends to be that nursing is a female dominated field. Is this just a stereotype?

It is not a stereotype, it is a statistic.

Are there plenty of male nurses as well?

Yes, depending on how many swinging Richards constitutes a "plenty" for you.

Could being a male in this field hinder me in my eventual search for a job?

Most likely not.

Could it help?

Probably not. Your performance as a caregiver and a student will be the driving factors.

What about schooling?

Schooling definitely helps.

Will being male somehow in any way affect me?

Everyone's gender somehow in some way could affect them. That is a pretty broad question you are asking.

I know I'm only going for CNA, but my hope is to get some experience and become an MA and eventually an RN.

That is a very good plan. I would suggest you stay close to direct patient care (not the MA route) if you want to become an RN.

Any input is appreciated. Thanks!

You're welcome.

Philly17 · Feb 11, 2014

Thank you both for the input! :)

That is a very good plan. I would suggest you stay close to direct patient care (not the MA route) if you want to become an RN.

Really? Perhaps LPN then? I don't know how true this is but I've heard that demand for LPNs ia rather low at this point. Any truth to that? As far as you know?

TheCommuter, BSN, RN · Feb 11, 2014

Job outlook for nurses is dependent on the city / state in which you plan to work.

If you want to become a nurse, you need to follow the nursing model. CNAs, LPNs and RNs all work under the nursing model of care provision, whereas MAs fall under the medical model.

Mr. Skittles · Feb 11, 2014

From what I have researched being a man in a female dominated field is mostly good.

Pretty women everywhere,you will be the only guy in a lot of your study groups and hey your a guy what could be better right??

There are a few problems though.

ANA did a study a couple of years ago and 85% of nurses are still female.Course that ain't all bad.A big problem in nursing is something called Horizontal violence. Horizontal violence is described as intergroup conflict and is manifested in overt and covert non-physical hostility such as sabotage, infighting, scapegoating and criticism.Duffy ,E Collegian (1995)

In guy talk we call that cat fightin' and it's pretty serious among female nurses.People with testicles don't cat fight.

I gotta change my Icon sheesh.Any who workin' around a bunch of woman can be great some days and horrible others....

Just stay outta the way when they are displaying that horizontal violence....RRReeeeoooowwwww.....

ArrowRN, BSN, RN · Feb 13, 2014

There are lots of male nurses. Including CNA's. I have not seen a lot of male MA's but I am sure they are around. Job outlook is a common question asked by men in the field and I really can't say if it helps or hinders. Some females see men as the muscle thinking they can lift patients with 1 finger or are immune to back injuries. Just forget gender and try to be the best and whatever you choose to do.

Philly17 · Feb 14, 2014

[quote=Mr. Skittles;7748377

In guy talk we call that cat fightin' and it's pretty serious among female nurses

Ugh. Thought that nonsense stopped after high school.

Ramcharger310, ASN, CNA, RN, EMT-B · Apr 24, 2014

Ugh. Thought that nonsense stopped after high school.

It still feels like high school where I work at.

CowboyMedic, DNP, APRN, CRNA · Apr 26, 2014

Guys just face it, nursing will always be a female dominated career. But that doesn't mean that men can not make a difference in this field. Some of the best nurses that I work with in the ER are male. I am also male and currently bridging from Paramedic to RN. You tend to see more men in Critical Care areas such as ER and ICU. You also see a lot as CRNA's. I read a stat that said 10% of nurses are male but 40% of CRNA's are male.

ArrowRN, BSN, RN · Apr 27, 2014

There is also a large percent of male nurses in the OR and ER. I remember going through my rotations and was surprised the OR actually had a huge men's locker room. This compared to other floors you had to hunt for 10 mins to find a mens bathroom or use one that was "unisex".

CRNA's also make more money so the studies that claim men in nursing making more that women are in error because it really depends on what field of study you choose. Master degree CRNAs make more that Master degree instructors. Its just like how surgeons make more than any our type of doctors.

TheYouthOfMedicine · Apr 27, 2014

Now I may be only 16, however in my family I have 3 RN's 2 NP's 4 Physicians and 1 Neurosurgeon and a cardiologist so I have a lot of info about the medical field. I can tell you that when it comes to RN's that 89 Percent are females and 11 % are males. However at first it seems like con rather than a pro but if you think about it half the population is male and half is female so when a male patient needs a nurse he will most likely prefer a MALE nurse rather than a female nurse. So there naturally is a very large demand for male nurses :)

89 % of RN's are Female - 50 % of patients are Female

11 % of RN's are Male - 50 % of patients are male