Becoming a male nurse was quite unorthodox before. At its first appearance, the worldwide popular nursing job is unofficially captured by the female sect. People from time immemorial have been considering this noble profession to regardlessly belong to women’s society. According to a stat, women make up 86.9% of Nurse Practitioners, while males make up 13.1 percent. In this article, I am going to talk about becoming a male nurse as per different sources, its benefits, challenges, requirements, and many more. Being a male nurse is truly enjoyable.
All nurse practitioners have a master’s degree, and many have a doctorate. To become a nurse practitioner, you must first get a Bachelor of Science in Nursing, pass the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX), have one to two years of nursing experience, and pass the GRE. Each school has its own set of criteria.
Nurse practitioners work in many different clinical settings. Family medicine, pediatrics, women’s health, geriatrics, acute care, and psychiatric mental health are just a few of the specialties available. As a result, before applying to any school, students should know what specialty they are most interested in.
Becoming a male nurse
We will hardly find a person who has never heard the word “sister”, that calls a nurse by its simplest form. How you will be becoming a male nurse? Can males do nursing jobs? The good news is, yes, the male should consider joining a nursing career.
Advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) diagnose, treat, and prescribe medicine as nurse practitioners. In the healthcare field, the function of the nurse practitioner (NP) has been continuously developing.
Nurse practitioners are licensed, autonomous clinicians who specialize in managing people’s health issues and preventing disease, according to the American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP, 2016). They have the authority to order, perform, and interpret diagnostic tests, diagnose and treat acute and chronic diseases, prescribe drugs and therapies, and oversee all aspects of patient care.
The situation has been getting different, as a good number of male nurses are in place in recent years. Nursing is, historically, and apparently a female-dominated profession for a long.
Male nurses earn more than female nurses, despite the fact that women make up a larger percentage of the workforce. Male RNs earn $5,000 more per year on average than female RNs. Men joining the profession will be confident in their ability to make a solid living. They also understand that the job is secure.
Today, there are more males in nursing than at any other moment in history, which is beneficial to both male nurses and the profession. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), males currently account for 13% of registered nurses, up from 2.7 percent in 1970.
The need for PMHNPs will rise, making mental health nursing one of the most in-demand nurse practitioner specializations.
Beginning of male nursing
However, this female-dominated professional outlook is transforming over time. Yet with a small percentage only between 9-10%, a lot of scopes, as well as interest, have been developed for male RN nowadays. It indicates an upheaval in becoming a male nurse in the future. Interests are brewing on how to become a male registered nurse.
Nurse practitioner programs last between two and four years. Depending on the pathway chosen, a full-time master’s degree normally takes two years, while a doctoral degree takes four years after completing a BSN. Individuals can get certificates in specific areas of interest after completing the program.
Nurse practitioners aspire to work as nurses. Most people feel that nurse practitioners seek to take the position of doctors, based on personal experience. This is not the case since nurse practitioners are dedicated to nursing and must offer comprehensive care to their patients by augmenting rather than replacing physicians. Their sole purpose is to collaborate with other healthcare experts to give the patient the best possible treatment.
What inspires males in nursing
Male nurses are sometimes referred to as “murses,” however nurses are split on whether the term is insulting or not, with some applauding the fact that male nurses have a moniker that is distinct to their gender and function, and others questioning the need for such a phrase.
Nursing is one of the few well-paying female-dominated fields. Male nurses account for just approximately 13% of the nursing workforce. As a result, you might be shocked to find that the average male RN pay is $6,000 more per year than the average female RN compensation. What inspires males in nursing:
- Nobility and empathy
- Diversification in career
- Career stability
- Competitive salary
- Demand in future
- Transformation of medical science
- Change in career path
- Critical nursing shortage
- Values
- Gender balance
- Relationship development with patients
- Career demand
Popular nursing job areas for male
Observation shows that a good number of specialty options in nursing are available now. It is obvious that nursing jobs opened up various patient care job options. Apart from females, these jobs are being attracted by men in nursing.
Some popular job areas for males are, sports, emergency, flight, trauma nursing, physiotherapy, and, dentistry, among others.
Why are male nurses so popular? Because there is a nursing shortage in the United States, all Registered Nurses are in great demand. Because male nurses make up just 12-13 percent of the nursing profession, there is a greater demand for them.
It’s no secret that nursing has traditionally been a female-dominated profession. However, views have shifted recently, and more men are entering the nursing profession. In fact, from 2.7 percent in 1970 to 9.6 percent in 2013, the proportion of male registered nurses has more than quadrupled.
There are many other opportunities for becoming a male nurse, in some specialized areas like middle management, biochemistry, nursing education, forensic medicine, nurse practitioner, organ transplants, oncology, nurse anesthetist, ICU, psychiatry, anatomy, pediatrics, osteology, and administration.
8 Great Advantages for Becoming A Male Nurse Practitioner
Nursing is not like other traditional professions. It deserves specialties and care in one (or few) exclusive areas. Because it is directly related to care, affection, and empathy. It is not that you are an expert, or trained in one place, and will perform a role in other areas of medication. Therefore, it is a common unwritten rule for nurses regardless of male or female.
Despite similar education, abilities, and certifications, the 12 percent male nursing workforce continues to earn greater earnings despite the fact that nursing is a largely female profession. Men are more inclined to bargain with their bosses, which might explain the income disparity.
As of 2019, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), mentions there are 3,096,700 registered nurses in the United States. Yet there are still many more opportunities looming so that you can be the first male nurse in the coming year.
It has been a historical and psychological issue in the case of some stereotypical jobs as male dominating, or female dominating jobs. Nursing belongs to female domination since time immemorial.
Nursing is an evergreen profession by its nature. It is a solid and stable career path throughout the world. Therefore, consistent demand, reliability, and financial savvy have turned the nursing career very attractive for many career challenges. The BLS projects 221,900 RN job openings through 2029.
1. Future of changing nursing jobs
It was the scenario of the past, whereas there is apparently, not any significant difference in quality, compassion, care, and need between male and female nursing professionals when both of them are well trained and are able to meet the job requirements.
However, the situation changes gradually. Nursing has also been a promising career choice for males nowadays. Many people started becoming a male nurse. It is not because of only a career choice, or a job that just needs to be done for butter and bread. Nursing is more than that. It multiples smile, compassion, and softness of heart. In fact, only persons with great intentions and mentality can perform and do better in this profession.
Related: Future job trend: which job sectors are going to rise next
2. Salary and benefits
To encourage and attract more male talents for the need, the American Assembly of Men in Nursing is offering scholarships, training kits, conferences, guidelines, collaboration, training, and coverage of nursing topics, especially for the interested and qualified male candidates.
There are many other associations and support centers for nursing professionals around the world.
In the case of salaries, benefits, and honorarium, a male nurse practitioner is very competitive as in the US, Canada, Europe, Japan, and Australia. It is interestingly a fact that men in nursing earn more in many cases, compared to their female counterparts.
3. The consistent need for nurses
With the increasing number of mental and physical complexities, accompanied by a transformation in pattern and position in sickness, a good number of medications are in high demand. It, in return, more opportunities for nursing jobs are proclaimed, opening more scopes for a guy nurse.
Therefore, this profession experiences no downfall of any kind. New nurses frequently receive sign-in bonuses and allowances. It is consistent and reliable as a career choice. Moreover, post jobs and retirement benefits are often very attractive in many cases for black or white male nurses.
To facilitate higher demand for medical support, the need for hospitals and medical centers is on the rise. This huge number of hospitals require many well-trained, highly qualified nurses to handle different patients with exclusive support as a guy nurse. So, how to become a male nurse has been a talk of many countries.
So, hospitals and nursing schools are deploying qualified men to join the nursing profession all year round. Apart from this, many wells to do families recruit full-time nurses at their residences to handle their dear ones in a homely environment.
4. Value addition for male nurses
It implies that the male nurse requirements can’t be ignored, and these challenge takers will gain success in a career in terms of no time. Moreover, it is commonly perceived that male nurses should naturally be good people who desire to stand beside others whenever required.
A male RN also has great human qualities the same as their female counterparts have, such as helping the sick and wounded with responsibility, care, and love. Many patients also like to have a male nurse for home care. Additionally, male nurses stand out from the crowd in this nursing career only due to their gender, which sometimes demands more than a female nurse may have risks and challenges to do.
5. Where a male registered nurse stands out
There are male patients who need special care for their masculine biological issues. A female nurse may not be appropriate for them. However, there may have issues like decency and shyness for many male patients.
Patients may require some heavy work, those male nurse practitioners are fit to handle it successfully, and without causing any harm or pain to the patients.
The concept of a male travel nurse is also getting popular gradually.
For some people, it is not decent to take female nurses, when a male registered nurse is suitable for those patients.
A male nurse practitioner is more flexible about timing and place for their profession. They can work till the night and even at a remote place, whenever needed.
Related: 5 reasons why people do not perform at their best
6. Nursing schools
We live in an era of change, and transformation. Rapid changes are taking place in every profession. Medical science and nursing are not different from this trend. The overall conception of a male nurse practitioner has shifted dramatically.
Fresh interests are brewing up in nursing jobs as black or white male nurses. The number of males in nursing has multiplied over the past few decades. Many career challengers are coming and having nursing degrees from nursing schools.
Many nursing schools are being initiated with state of art education, training, and future job placement. These are attracting male candidates to have graduated from these institutions.
The U.S. Census Bureau States “the proportion of male registered nurses has more than tripled since 1970, from 2.7 percent to 9.6 percent, and the proportion of male licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses has more than doubled from 3.9 percent to 8.1 percent.”
7. Hope for male nurses
It is true that gender biases are usually significant only in our brains. It is merely some backdated conceptions, which have been overruled by the cordial acceptance and harmony from the patients. Go and look, a sick patient usually doesn’t concern about the gender of a nurse, rather, he expects a welcoming orientation, smile, care, affection, and responsibilities, that a male nurse also can have.
It is just an orthodox mindset for some male patients, who feel reluctant to have support from men in nursing, and vice versa. There is nothing to worry about it. It is not a common picture. We have to accept that mentality and show respect to this ideology shown by some people, by staying positive.
When you are really interested in nursing, issues like gynecology will not be embarrassing, as long as you will be a human– not a male or female. Just focus on your politeness and rationale for nursing care for all patients.
Be a professional and focus a male nurse on the task that comes to you as a natural role of a great nurse. Your noble job is to help people during their sickness, to help them get better as a male nurse for home care.
Feel like an angel of Heaven and realize your nursing job from the heart. When you love your job, when your passion and job come together, you can perform well, and break any stereotypical concept as well as male nurse home care.
8. Gender equilibrium in nursing
Male and female will work for hand in hand. It is not a matter to prove competency or head-to-head competition. Forget about gender discrimination. There is nothing to fear in being a male nurse.
Prominent nursing schools equip male and female graduates with modern education, practical skills development, and hands-on training. These will harness you with the motto of greatness and magnitude as a male nurse. Your self-esteem, strengths, leadership, and perseverance will consider you a valuable resource to the entire nurse society as a guy nurse. Even black male nurses are doing great.
Active nursing groups like the Brotherhood of Nursing, the National Student Nursing Association, and the American Assembly for Men in Nursing are some useful platforms to connect you with other nursing students. There might be many more such organizations in your vicinity as a male nurse home care or male travel nurse.
Be active members with them to harness your knowledge, personal development, social skills, and information through networking.
Growing Nursing Specialties
Male nursing personnel is frequently seen in emergency rooms and critical care units of hospitals. The number of male nurses was spread throughout different contexts in a research done by Hodes Research.
How long does it take for a man to become a nurse? This question has no definitive answer. Which degree you choose to pursue will have the most influence on your timeframe. Depending on the nursing curriculum you choose, being a registered nurse might take anywhere from 16 months to four years.
According to the source, & source, the following are the Growing Nursing Specialties for becoming a male nurse practitioner:
- Virtual nursing
- Registered Nurse (RN)
- Nurse midwife
- Nurse Practitioner
- Cardiac Nurse
- Travel nursing
- Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA)
- Nurse educator
- Critical Care Nurse
- Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS)
- Mental Health Nurse
- Nurse manager
- Home-care nurse
- Geriatric Nursing
- Case management nurse
- Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP)
- Nursing Administrator
- Geriatric nurse
- Critical care nurse
- Neonatal/perinatal nurse
- Pediatric nurse
- Public Health Nurse
- Psychiatric nurse
- Trauma/ER nurse
- Oncology Nurse
- Orthopedic Nurse
- OR nurse
- Labor and delivery nurse
Future prospects of a male nurse
According to the poll, male nurses were the least happy with their professions. Although roughly 19 percent of respondents stated they would not become nurses again if they had the choice, the figure among male nurses was significantly higher: 27 percent.
The degree of closeness in a clinical context was found to be predictive of same-gender inclinations, which is consistent with earlier studies. Female nurses may be preferred by younger women over older women. Both populations had minimal experience with male nurses, but it did not predict preferences or attitudes.
In a nutshell. Since 1970, the proportion of men in nursing has continuously increased, with men accounting for around 12% of registered nurses in 2020. Nursing professions provide flexibility and employment stability, with job growth expected to reach 9% between 2020 and 2030.
Male nurses are more interested in becoming professionals than female nurses. Male IC nurses have a more medical viewpoint on their duties, and they execute medically reserved actions with greater frequency. Male IC nurses appear to be more focused on improving their own careers.
In New York City, how much do male nurses earn? Male Registered Nurse salaries in New York City, NY range from $18,733 to $165,465 per year, with a typical wage of $59,220. Male Registered Nurses in the middle earn between $59,429 and $93,764, with the top 86 percent earning $165,465.
Australia’s healthcare business is rapidly expanding. By 2023, it is predicted that there will be roughly 26,300 Enrolled Nurses working. And if the number of competent males Enrolled Nurses does not rise, by 2023, just about 2360 male Enrolled Nurses will be working across the country.
Take away
Finally, we will set our goal to be a nurse, not men in nursing, or a female in nursing, absolutely. Think about female medical students or female nursing students. They set their career as only doctors or nurses (not female doctors, or female nurses). Improve your soft skills that are required for career development. You should know about male nurse requirements.
On the “US News 2017 Best Jobs” list, nurse practitioners came in second. Nurse practitioners are increasingly becoming the solution to society’s scarcity of healthcare personnel, particularly in underprivileged areas. In the United States, around 234.000 nurse practitioners are licensed (AANP,2017).
Nurse practitioners earn well into the six figures. Individuals are frequently interested in a vocation that allows them to make a decent life. In 2017, the average full-time base pay for a nurse practitioner was 105,546 dollars (AANP, 2017). Experience, the number of certificates gained, and the quality of education (masters/doctoral level) all influence salary.
Break the gender obstacles. You can take your lead. It is all about your mindset to be a male nurse. When challenge taker people like you will come forward, the gender barriers will be no more. The future professional world will be for nurses, not male or female nurses to unleash opportunities for becoming male nurses! Be the first male nurse among your friends.
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