Just a few questions from a student...

mentalhealthRN · Jan 6, 2011

There are lots of men in the nursing field--more every year. No it's not weird, not at all. More women docs and more male nurses. All is good.....I personally like the diversity and usually prefer to work with men! lol less petty! lol

You can work in pretty much any field but I do tend to see the majority of male nurses more in critical care--ER, ICU, some in med/surg, psych. But really you can do what you like. As far as your grades, sounds like you are smart. That shouldn't be a problem. There is a hard time getting these days more due to a limited number of spots in each program and a shortage of nursing educators. So if you are able to move and be flexible with location then you may have a better chance. As far as ADN vs BSN--you could read hundred of threads here arguing about which is better but really its personal choice. If you want to be sure not to miss out on a job where they may require the BSN or want to go on to a masters some day then it's better the just bite the bullet and get your BSN, or as least get the ADN and do the BSN while you work. I would recommend you try to get a job at a nearby hospital once you get accepted to school and work as a tech at least a few hours a week. It will help get you in the door for a job later and get you experience in health care. Good luck to you and certainly....if you want to be a nurse......be a nurse!! Who cares if you are male or female. We need more men in the profession!

chuckster, ADN, BSN, RN, EMT-B · Jan 6, 2011

i think something like 8% of nurses are ♂'s, so you'll be in the minority but certainly not alone. i've never found it weird to be a guy in what is still overwhelmingly a female occupation but ymmv. check out the men in nursing forum on this site for the male perspective.

as far as nursing school goes, i would advise you to go for a bsn program rather than adn. this has nothing to do with the quality of adn programs - many are truly excellent, including the one i graduated from - but the reality of the workplace is that it's become much harder to find a nursing job without the bsn. if you are still sold on the adn program or cannot afford a 4-year program right now, that's ok - you can always do an rn to bsn program later.

as far as admissions go, many adn programs, especially ones offered by community colleges, are difficult to get into because there are large numbers of applicants due to the much lower cost. as a result, many ccs have gone to using entrance tests like the net or teas as either the primary or even the sole criterion for admission because this allow the college admissions program to essentially be on autopilot. so instead of having to spend time evaluating your transcript and other credentials, they can simply admit the students with the highest test scores until the class is full. my cc used to do this but they have since modified the procedure and now use some kind of weighting system where the test score is worth x% and your previous grades are y%. your gpa is great, so you should not have difficulty if this is case at the school you want to attend. if the school uses a standardized test, find out which one and buy a review book so you can get familiar with things. neither the teas nor the net were particularly difficult for me (i've taken both - they are somewhat like the sats but quite a bit easier imo) but i tend to do well on standardized tests which is obviously not the case for everyone.

good luck with whatever you do and don't forget that there are also other options in the medical field like occupational therapy or physician assistant that might be worth exploring too.

Trilldayz,RN BSN · Jan 6, 2011

Guy nurses are awesome!

classicdame, MSN, EdD · Jan 6, 2011

plenty of men in the field. Do not let that be an issue. Our hiring preferences are experienced BSN, new BSN, experienced ADN, new ADN - that order. But of course it all depends on how much salary we can pay and the individual's ability to supply our needs. BSN is only about another year of studying so consider that. Ability to find job greatly depends on your local market. You might ask the schools what percentage of recent grads are working as nurses. Yes, they know.

taalyn_1, CNA · Jan 6, 2011

im a a male student nurse. There are a lot of men in my class too. Still, we are a minority within the field but from what Ive seen, its not a problem.

As for getting into the program, shouldnt be too hard. Most programs require you take your prereqs first (Math, English, Psych, Anatomy 1&2, etc) Then take an entrance exam, here its the TEAS. Buy the study guide for this if you have to take it, it will help a lot.

Supposedly, getting a job is getting more difficult depending on the area you are from, but around here (Indiana) its not too bad really. I suggest getting your CNA and then you would have your foot in the door someplace while you attend school.

Good Luck!!

RNrobert · Jan 6, 2011

Just my two cents, I work in the ER and the ratio of men to women is closer to 50/50 (especially if you add in the techs) so I don't find it weird at all to be a male nurse. My nursing school class was almost 25% male, so in my experience the ratio is becoming more even. I would go for the BSN, even though I believe my two year school prepared me better for immediate bedside care, as some employers will require it, completing the BSN at a latter date will only get harder, and when you factor in the prerequisites required for ADN programs and the wait lists involved the timeframe to complete either level of education becomes very similar. When it comes time to get a job, especially if the current environment is the same, it will be about who you know more than what your level of education is. Make contacts with people in position to hire during your clinical rotations, take advantage of any student nurse worker programs offered through your school, ask your instructors (who think highly of you) if they will provide you letters of recommendations.

Good luck, this profession is tough and not for everyone but the good days are like nothing else.

PacoUSA, BSN, RN · Jan 6, 2011

When I was @ your age, I considered being a nurse, but a few stupid issues stood in my way and I never again considered it until now - 20 years later. One of those issues was that I was afraid of being pegged as gay. Again, I find that now to be a very stupid reason to stray away from a career that quite likely is the most fulfilling career move for me. That's not an issue for me anymore. Now I try to do whatever I can to make sure I recapture what I missed in the nursing profession. I only wish I had the brain then that I have now.

20 years ago I believe it was more "wierd" for men to enter nursing than it is today. Men in nursing has emerged as a major career move and I highly encourage you to surge forward despite whatever people may think.

Good luck!!

MosquitoXEL · Jan 6, 2011

Thanks for all who have responded. I will apply to many schools and hopefully I will get accepted into one. Does anyone know anything about the Sac State BSN program? Im leaning towards a bachelors program now.

LoneWolfRN2010 · Jan 6, 2011

I graduated in December with quite a few guys in my class. I think there was 10 or 12. We had the most guys graduating of any class at my school I think, but there are always at least a couple in each class it seems. I work with several male nurses and they are all awesome. I don't think they have any harder time getting a job as a new RN than women do, but I can't say for sure since I don't do any hiring, LOL.

If that is where your passion is - go for it!

Robublind · Jan 7, 2011

I too am a older male in my last semester of RN program and wish I would have started early. Don't bother with ADN program, you have time to get into a BSN program. Take your time doing your preq....GET A's on everything: Math, English, Anatomy and Physiology etc, if you have to take one class a semester, do it. Think about getting a CNA or EMT first and get some experienced (learn how do deal with patients). As for the male to female ratio, what is wrong with going to school with alot of women? Seems like genius to me.

SwampCat, BSN · Jan 7, 2011

I second those that say go for the BSN.

And if you still have time to waste while in high school, consider getting your EMT-B and volunteering at the local ambulance garage.