Nursing – Not Just for Women Anymore
My mother is a retired RN, my mother’s best friend was an RN, my aunt was an RN and back in their day there were almost no male nurses. A male nurse was a rarity only a decade ago. When my late husband was a CNA he faced subtle discrimination because he was a man. Thankfully those days are almost behind us. Now there are many more men working as nurses and caregivers. Once thought only to be a job for a woman, male nurses and caregivers are making a mark on the medical world, and it is a caring and talented mark.
Speaking from personal experience I was a bit uncomfortable with the first male nurse I had when I was in the hospital a few years ago, but I found him to be gentle, caring and a really great caregiver. It is good to see the stereotypes being broken down so more men can enter the medical field as nurses and caregivers. There are 20% more men entering nursing school this decade than the last one, and this number is expected to increase according to Minority Nurse. The American Assembly of Men in Nursing (AAMN) Award has been granted to these schools since 2004:
- DukeUniversity
- LouisianaStateUniversityScience Program
- SamuelMerrittUniversity
- UniversityofPennsylvania
- MontereyPeninsulaCollege
- ExcelsiorCollege
- UniversityofPortland
- OhioStateUniversity
- UniversityofTexasatAustin
- EastCarolinaUniversity
The AAMN is dedicated to help increase the men in this important career field by sponsoring nursing scholarships for men who want to become a Registered Nurse. In 2010 the awarded two $500 scholarships for nursing school to winners of their essay competition. Since 2004 the AAMN has awarded over $1,000 in scholarships.
In an independent study done by the Bernard Hodes Group, the top two reasons men became nurses in 2005 were to help people and to make a difference in society. In this study 44% of the respondents went into nursing after another career. Many of the men who enter nursing school are in their mid-30’s and 40’s. Nursing is not just for women anymore. It is a field that is slowly welcoming men and the caring and experience they can bring to patient care. If you want to make a positive impact on someone’s life and have a rewarding career, you may want to consider becoming a nurse or caretaker.