We think this goes without saying, but when you think of a nursing professional, do you think of a man or a woman? While our experiences definitely suggest that there are plenty of male nurses, the gender ratio in this profession leans heavily towards females, who dominate around 90% of the entire nursing workforce. However, it seems that the stigma of female nurses is starting to wane as the population of male nurses has nearly tripled since 1970. What is causing this gradual professional shift? Are the perks of this profession finally becoming apparent to everyone as more individuals, regardless of gender, are wisening up to them?

The truth of the matter is that nursing is a great way to start a career. For most professionals, this occupation is all about helping others, putting the needs of others above one’s own necessities. It is a profession based on solidarity and a necessary rung in the ladder to wellbeing and healthcare. Despite being portrayed as a selfless field in media, it is also a fantastic starting point for those who, at some point, would enjoy a managerial or administrative position. Being a nurse straight out of college nets you around $40,000 to $60,000 a year, which is a great salary for those who are starting. Depending on the location where you’re hired, the starting wages might even be higher. And that’s without mentioning the perks in some unionized hospitals.

In other words, nursing is a profession that allows you to give your all for helping others, while also earning a good salary to boot. For many people that have just recently finished their studies, and are looking for a point of entry into the nursing trade, this is incentive enough to seek a job a the local hospital. This includes young men who have recently turned their attention precisely towards what their female colleagues have been enjoying. In Nebraska, particularly, this growing trend has taken the state by storm as men outnumber women in the nursing profession.

Of note, however, is the fact that this growing interest in the nursing trade by men seems to be focused on certain specialties over others. While there are male nurses in all medical departments such as obstetrics, geriatrics, ICU, or cardiology, among others, there are certain positions and departments that attract more male nurses than the average everyday job. For instance, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, men are more attracted to the higher-paying jobs, as well as those that have a higher skill requirement and carry a higher risk of complications such as nurse anesthesiology, flight nursing, or ER nursing. Around 41% of the total male nurse population can be found working in these fields.

Nevertheless, this fact poses a welcome respite from the ongoing nursing shortage currently assaulting the trade, and which puts the entire population at risk as the quality of service tends to decrease in understaffed hospitals and healthcare centers.

According to several testimonies, being a male nurse is not as taboo as it once was. In some health centers, it’s even commonplace to see some shifts where there are predominantly more men than women to the point where even some female patients are growing comfortable with the notion of being assisted by male nurses. “I remember one instance where it was a cultural difference. A girl needed to use a bedpan and asked for a female nurse. I told her I’d have to look around, but all the females were on break. I wasn’t trying to be funny, but I told her to hold it or let me help her,” said Marty Robbins, a nurse working in a Toronto health center.

The fact is, it’s difficult to put a gender tag on providing care. Whether it’s from a man or a woman, as long as they are knowledgeable in their field, have the appropriate certifications, and are willing to provide the best care, there’s no reason to believe that a professional is less qualified to provide treatment than their counterpart of the opposite gender. Furthermore, the fact that a man decides to study to become a nurse, for whatever reason, is slowly becoming less taboo as the social stigma revolving around the career for males is dissipating. “Some people out there think that guys who become nurses are doing it because they can’t get into medical school, or they think they are homosexuals. If you truly care about nursing, you’re not going to care about what people think,” said Larry Meneghini, associate professor at the St. Xavier University in Chicago.

The nursing trade is hurting for extra hands, whether they are those of a man or a woman. Every little bit helps!