Yes you should look into becoming a nurse if you’re a male.
Don’t get caught up in all of this nursing is for females stuff you hear. However I’m speaking from the point of view of you should go for it if the only thing that is holding you back is that you think nursing isn’t for men.
There is a lot that goes into nursing, that I seen firsthand when I worked at the hospital that most people are unaware of how difficult it is to be a nurse.
First off nursing school may be a breeze for some but for others you better be ready to study your butt off. This leads us to our first main topic of this article.
How To Become A Male Nurse
To start you need a degree from an accredited college with a nursing program. The good thing about this is that most community colleges (2 year colleges) have a nursing program.
Note that most programs require a certain score on your ACT or SAT to apply so I would find this out early on so that you can take retake the test as many times as you need to until you get the required score.
You will need all the required basics (this varies per college) but most of them are your typical math, science type of stuff but for nursing you take the more anatomy type basics. Speak with the college your attending to get more information on the specific courses you need to take.
Is It Hard To Get Accepted Into A Nursing Program?
This depends greatly on the location/school you’re applying to but when I applied it was pretty difficult to get in and I figure it will only get more difficult.
The best way to increase your acceptance chances is get the highest ACT/SAT score possible, most programs not only have a minimum required score to even get in but they also weed out the selection process further if they have a lot of applicants.
Look into getting a recommendation from respected people you know, if there are in the medical field even better. Try for (Doctors, Nurse Practitioners, Physicians Assistants, Charge Nurses etc..)
Is There A Demand For Male Nurses?
Yes at the time of writing this there seems to be many hospitals that really like to see male nurses apply. This may or may not help with getting the job but I have heard of many people say it’s easier for males to get a job because there is so few of them at the moment.
What percentages of nurses are male?
I would say about 15%. This is going off of my own speculation across many hospitals I worked at. I probably had seen 1-2 male nurses for every 10 female nurses I seen.
Do Male Nurses Get Made Fun Of?
I actually thought this when I first started working in the hospital but it was actually quite the opposite.
Nurses, male or female actually get a lot of respect not only in the hospital but I’ve seen it plenty of times first hand when wearing my scrubs to the grocery store or something after work where people would mistake me for a nurse.
I think a lot of thought from this (at least for me) was that the meet the fockers movie where Ben Stillers character gets made fun of for being a male nurse was released around the same time I started working in the medical field.
How Much Money Do Male Nurses Make Starting Out?
So many variables here like the hospital, the state, if you have an associate or bachelors which type of unit you start out on.
Strong example is a nurse in Alabama is going to start out at much less a nurse in California, simply because of the difference in cost of living between the two states.
On average according to topregisterednurse.com the average salary across the country is $71,000 a year or $34.14 an hour. They also have a pay scale layout per state so you should search your specific state on there to get a better idea.
The Pros & Cons Of Being A Male Nurse
Just like any profession you’re gonna have your perks and downsides but being a male nurse is a bit more unique in its ups & downs.
The Pros
- Usually Surrounded By Many Good Looking Women (Watch Out For Human Resources)
- The Pay Is Really Good For Only Requiring An Associates Degree.
- Multiple Shifts (7 on 7 off, normal 8 hour shifts, etc..)
- Strong Hiring Demand & Good Job Security
The Cons
- Surrounded By A Lot Of Women = A Lot Of Drama
- Usually Asked To Do All Of The Lifting
- The Occasional “Males Nurses Are Gay” Comment From Some Idiot
- Having To Wear Scrubs (A Con For Me But Maybe Not For Everyone)
Closing Thoughts On Nursing As A Career For Men
If you’re a guy and looking into nursing as a career then go for it unless you generally just don’t want to anymore. If for any other superficial reason you are holding back from going for it then stop it.
Some of the most alpha type of males that I have met in my life have been nurses so stop overthinking the little things and get started working your way to your career!
