i'm going to nursing school, and i'm a male, is it normal for guys to be a nurse?

Question

and do nurses get paid well enough to live on and stuff. i'm 18 so i have a while to go, but just would like to get an inside scoop and a little bit of the future outlook for that kind of job. thanks

thanks to all who commented, i was just a bit uneasy because some people kept looking at me funny everytime they asked me what i was going to do as a career. i hope it will work out for me, i do like helping others. thats one of the reason why i wanted to go into nursing, and i am shooting for an RN degree, but like i said i'm 18 so it will be a while, i'm a little behind on my math skills needed for nursing. soi have catch up to do. but thanks again to all and good luck.

Answer 1

The number of males is increasing in nursing every year. There are key factors related to this, including the increase in the salary for RNs, to potential for advancement, the increase in society's respect for the RN as a prfession and the increase in Advanced Practice Nurses.

In the 1970s the US had approximately 1% male RNs and many hospitals had policies prohibiting males from working with female patients. Since then the percentage has increased to approximately 6% males, but all those policies have been dropped. Significantly, the number of males in advanced practice (anesthesia, nurse practitioner) is higher than the overall percentage in nursing and there is a higher percentage of male nurses in the critical care areas of the health care settings than in nursing in general.

The military had many male nurses during the Revolutionary and Civil Wars. In 1901 the United States Army Nurse Corp was formed and only women could serve as nurses. At this point in history military nursing which had been mostly males changed to being “exclusively female.”

It would be a long time before males were again allowed to be nurses in the military. It was not till after the Korean War that men were permitted back into nursing. During the intervening decades men who were Registered Nurses enlisted and were drafted, but they were not assigned as nurses.

Once males were again permitted into military nursing, the numbers with in the civilian population also started to increase. The chances of having an all male team of nurses is more than five times as likely to occur in the Military than in the civilian healthcare world. One of the little known facts of military nursing is the high percentage of men in all three services. In the Army 35.5% of its 3,381 nurses are men; in the Air Force, 30% of 3,790 nurses are men; and in the Navy, 36% of the 3,125 nurses are men. One must remember that in the nursing profession that only 6% is male. In the Army, 67% of CRNAs are men, 40% of the OR nurses are men, 34% of ED nurses are men, 29% of critical care nurses are men and 39% of medical/surgical nurses are men.

As far as salary, a staff RN in this city makes approximately $65,000 per year.

A Nurse practitioner in this city averages $85000-95,000 per year.

A Nurse Anesthetist in this city starts at over $115,000 / year and some make over $200,000.

And this is not a highly paid economic area of the country, being in the southern US.

The future shows a significant shortage in the field for RNs, with the shortage increasing in the next 15 years.

It is a good field with a good future.

Answer 2

Yes there are lots of male nurses, but it is still a female-dominated field. That's not a huge deal, though. It's possible someone would give you a hard time about it once in a while (like in Meet The Parents), but not anyone whose opinion you should listen to. There does exist a stereotype that many male nurses are gay, but that's not fair.

You can make enough to live on, but I think you have to become either an LPN or RN (can't remember which) to be able to live well.

Answer 3

Some idiots will assume you are gay when you get into nursing, but you need to consider the source. Yes, RNs make good money. Further, it is wonderful to have a job where all you do is help peolple. You never have to sell something someeone doesn't need to somebody who can't afford it anyway.

There are times you save a life. Some days you feel so good your feet won't touch the pavement on the way to your car after the shift ends.

Finally, since 90% of nurses are women you meet a lot of nice ladies with whom you have something in common, and who are looking for a guy with a good job. I have never regretted it.

Answer 4

I was in hospital in june/july/august and there were about 4 male nurses although it's not common it is a great thing to go into, once your finished you can go anywhere as nursing staff will always be needed, also while I was in there a nurse was talking to a doctor and i overheard that in places like duhbai they can earn up to 80 grand a year. I'm also possibly planning going into nursing just because you can go to alot of places and the salary is a great amount

Answer 5

Hey, I wish I'd of asked those Q's when I was 18! AND my mom's a nurse, my wife's a nurse. My wife works with many male nurses they are paid exceptionally well with great benefits. I.E. a core staff nurse with a BA of science in nursing can make anywhere from per/hr rates as low as $20 - $ 60's. crazy? Yes, The field has so many options, IF you're a "travel nurse" you get competitive wages like, $35 an hour PLUS paid housing allowance like $1000 - 2000 a month. (me and my wife are on a 6 month assignment in Hawaii right now $2k a month) we dont see a bill for rent, utilities or water. Since you sound interested, you sound like you'd like helping people. Get in the field, rewarding for those who love it.

Answer 6

In today's job trends you see more male nurses. With factories moving over sees many males go to school to become a nurse. My husband and brother-n-law are both nurses.
For you to be 18 it sounds like you have a wise future ahead.

Good Luck

Answer 7

OF COURSE!!!! Many, many men are nurses. It's actually extremely commonplace. It's about as common than female doctors (and there are numerous female doctors!) The job outlook is above average because the older generation will be retiring soon. Good pay too. Hours are the only downside, but you'll get used to it. If you love the job, go for it. . .and hopefully you will enjoy taking biohazardous specimen samples from patients on a daily basis. . .

Answer 8

Although nursing is a female-dominated job, male nurses are starting to grow in number.

Yes, you will get paid enough. I suggest that you get a lot of certifications and experiences or ultimately get your PhD, those that do earn more. The more specialized your skill is, the better the financial reward.

Answer 9

Well,most of nurses are female but there are some males.And I dont think there are jobs for males and jobs for females.
Not sure about the pay though

Answer 10

I have a friend of mind is in nursing school

Im pretty sure you would make enough and it would be an easy job and no there nothing wrong because it your life, and that what you want to do, others dunt need to worry about it

I dunt know much more bout nursing but ya Goodluck, do something you are interested in, not easy path, easy money might be good but it can get disappointing later on.