Nursing is largely a women-dominated career field, but men are making great progress in closing the gender gap! According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the male workforce in nursing has nearly tripled since 1970 from 2.7 percent to 9.6 percent, nationwide. No wonder. Here are three reasons why men make good nurses:
1. Male Nurses Make Major Contributions in Medical Specialties
Despite their minority status in the profession, male nurses tend to earn more favorable incomes as they account for a large share of nursing careers in high-paying specialties as anesthesiology, emergency-room care, and flight/transport nursing, according to a U.S. Census report.
2. Men Are Too Motivated by Career Opportunities in Nursing
Men dominated the nursing field until the late 1800s, when nursing colleges for women proliferated in the United States and contributed to female domination of the profession by the early 20th century, and the American Nurses Association denied membership to men until the 1930s.
Now, many men are turning to a career in nursing, in part because they are motivated by modern economic conditions. In today’s economy, the job market provides growing career opportunity in nursing and other female-dominated lines of work and declining opportunity in male-dominated work, according to a working paper published in October by the Washington Center for Equitable Growth.
3. Many Men Are Compassionate Caregivers As Well
The two authors of the working paper –Notre Dame University economist Abigail Wozniak and University of Louisville economist Elizabeth Munnich – concluded that the economy and the eroded notion of nursing as “women’s work” are the primary reasons why men hold a small but growing share of nursing jobs. Indeed, caregiving is a calling for many men as well as many women, and according to the New York Times, research shows that hospitals and patients benefit when the composition of the nursing staff reflects the diversity of the local population.
If you’re interested in pursuing a nursing career, visit our Nursing Programs page to learn more about a nursing education Fortis.
