New Male Nurse = No Problem Landing A Job ???

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"Don't worry, you're a guy. You'll have no problem finding a job!"

How many of you guys have heard this? The reason that I ask is this. Every time I spoke to anyone in nursing school about the job crisis, that was always (and I mean always) the response I would get. Well, It's been over a month since I passed the NCLEX and after sending out about 25 resumes, I only heard from 1 hospital.

Everybody wants 1 to 3 or 3 to 5 years experience

So anyway

Question for you guys out there.

Have any of you found that you are more likely to be hired as a male nurse regardless of experience? Let me know and also, let me know where you're from. I'm wondering if this is just a regional problem.

Specializes in burn ICU, SICU, ER, Trauma Rapid Response.
"Don't worry, you're a guy. You'll have no problem finding a job!"

.

*** Since I don't usually associate with idiots I haven't ever heard this.

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i have not even graduated from nursing program yet and with being a male.. when i went for orientation and asked about jobs after graduation i was given the same response.. your a male you will not have an issue...

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Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.
i have not even graduated from nursing program yet and with being a male.. when i went for orientation and asked about jobs after graduation i was given the same response.. your a male you will not have an issue...

....and I am sure they still talk about the "Nursing Shortage" that no longer exists. There are MANY parts of the US that new grad nurses have a 47% unemployment rate with a greater under employment rate.

The truth is...they are lying.

Go to the search feature in the upper right hand side of the page type in No nursing shortage and visit the career forum and see the difficulties in finding positions across the US.

As a hiring manager in critical care areas/emergency department......I look at the qualities of the nurse, not their gender.

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I am calling BS. I am a male nurse, and have not once heard this. In fact, I heard more of the opposite. I think when it comes down to it, gender does not matter. Do people really want to get sued for a hiring preference of males or females? I doubt it. Besides, the hiring managers, HR, and many others would have to be in on it together. Not likely to happen. Anyone saying that likely just has a chip on their shoulder.

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Heck, if you come across anyone who gives preference to male job candidates, I would be VERY suspicious about the underlying issues . . . Do they expect you to be a human fork lift for their increasingly obese patient population? Serve as after hours security because they don't have any? Are you being lured into an environment where you are at risk for sexual harassment?

I'm trying to think of nursing situations in which male gender may be a 'bona fide occupational qualification' that has an impact upon ability to perform the job effectively .... correctional or psychiatric nursing with a sexual offender population?? Hmm - there are probably more, but I can't think of any.

Just remember, if you obtain a job because of an advantage that is not associated with your ability to perform the job (physical attributes, connections to the CEO, bribery, blackmail - LOL) it will quickly become a career-limiting factor because of a very negative consequence - It will be very hard for you to overcome the initial impression and convince anyone that you are the 'real deal'.

You are forgetting workforce diversity. Employers value it. Since males are underrepresented in nursing, as are African Americans, Asians and Hispanics, it may give men an advantage in the hiring process. Not that it guarantees employment, but if there is a tie between two equally qualified candidates, a male may have an edge over the female applicant. This has nothing to do with men being better nurses than females, but with employers wanting their workforce to be representative of the population they serve.

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Specializes in burn ICU, SICU, ER, Trauma Rapid Response.
You are forgetting workforce diversity. Employers value it. Since males are underrepresented in nursing, as are African Americans, Asians and Hispanics, it may give men an advantage in the hiring process. Not that it guarantees employment, but if there is a tie between two equally qualified candidates, a male may have an edge over the female applicant. This has nothing to do with men being better nurses than females, but with employers wanting their workforce to be representative of the population they serve.

*** I absolutely believe the above to be true. I know that male nurses do have a slight edge when it comes to getting a job.

However that is a far, far different thing than what the OP was told "New male nurse = No problem landing a job".

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However,

OP feels that it does.. herein lies the PROBLEM.

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We're hiring all the time... the make up seems to be similar to the makeup of my nursing school class... 30% male, 70% female.

Being male may help in that it's easier to make a lasting impression since by being more unique.

The original premise, however, is ridiculous.

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The OP is (was) definitely mistaken in believing that being a male RN guarantees a job. But so are those who believe that gender has no effect in nursing employment whatsoever. The truth, I believe, lies in between the above extreme propositions. I, for one, have seen several RN job postings with the following statement at the end: "Male candidates are particularly encouraged to apply". In our very diversity conscious society, being a minority is an advantage in almost anything you seek you accomplish.

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Specializes in CCRN, ED, Unit Manager.

I'm a male and had a fairly easy time finding a job, but it had nothing to do with being a male. It had to do with volunteering, getting great grades and performing well in clinicals and therefore impressing instructors and supervisors.

Plenty of men in my class that haven't gotten jobs.

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Specializes in Critical Care, Emergency.

The economy took a hit with our hospital. We have a college with a nursing school and we were't taking any new grads for the past 3 years. We just started up a program last semester and we are beginning to take them again, including in the ICU and ER. There are strict stipulations, but there are programs out there. What does your resume look like? Certifications says a lot about a new grad. ACLS, PALS, TNCC, ENPC, ATLS just to name a few. Have you taken an EKG class, 12-lead interpretation, or hemodynamic monitoring...These are all classes you can take to build your resume. Hope this helps.

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Specializes in Emergency/Cath Lab.

Yup. My gender got me a job and my model hot friends got theirs for their looks. Life isnt so bad when you are awesome.

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