With 1.1 million nurses needed by 2025, more men are flocking to nursing schools all over the country. Male nurses make up 12% of the registered nursing force, up from 2.7% in 1970. By the year 2029, the role of male nurse is predicted to grow by a further 7%. That means the time is now to jump on board if you’re a man and you want a rewarding career in nursing.
Still on the fence? Here are all the reasons it pays to become a male nurse.
Reasons it to Become a Male Nurse
Stable Career Path
Nurses are in high demand. Hospitals, doctor’s offices, oncology centers, and other healthcare facilities all need nurses. The more nurses who enter the field, the greater their patients will benefit. Nursing comes with higher than average pay, excellent benefits, and the prestige of being known as the backbone of any given healthcare system.
Rewarding and Challenging
The rewarding aspect of nursing comes from helping vulnerable patients in need. Knowing that you are making a difference in people’s lives can make you feel good about your work day in and day out. Other than that, nursing appeals to men because there is a technical side that forces them to come up with solutions on the fly, particularly if they specialize in a field like trauma nursing or anesthesia.
Pay is Excellent
The salaries for male nurses are highly competitive. The average national salary for RNs is $75,330, according to the BLS. Many nurses make more than that, especially if they attain their Master’s degrees in nursing and become advanced nurse practitioners. Some nurses make as high as six figures for the work they do.
Job Flexibility
Men can pursue any field of nursing their desire. They can go into the emergency room or become a nurse anesthetist to assist surgeons during procedures. They might work as a flight/transport nurse, public health nurse, or family nurse practitioner. Each of these male nurse positions has its own qualifications and certification requirements. Find the field that interests you and start pursuing your ideal nursing career.
Opportunities for Travel
With nursing in such high demand, you’re never limited to working in one spot. There are nursing positions available from New York to L.A. and from Michigan to Texas. All you have to do is work with a nursing recruiter to find a position that matches your skills and attributes. Work as a travel nurse and you can include seeing the sights in new cities as a necessary aspect of your nursing career. You’ll be able to work short contract jobs at various facilities around the country and get paid well for it.
Career Incentives
Nursing comes with excellent benefits like health, dental, vision, and life insurance. You may have access to a 401k or another type of retirement account, and additional incentives like tuition reimbursement. Some nurses have paid time off.
While travel nurses often don’t get paid time off, they get access to incentives many staff nurses don’t, such as tax breaks, housing discounts, and travel reimbursements.
Male Patients May Appreciate You
Men forced to be in the hospital for whatever reason may appreciate a male nurse working on their floor. That’s not to say that men need other men to care for them, but any additional level of comfort you can provide to patients in need can be helpful when they’re at their most vulnerable.
Help Destroy a Stereotype
Finally, by working as a male nurse, you can fight to eradicate the stereotype that nursing is solely a woman’s profession. Men can excel at nursing just as women can. By entering the field of nursing, you can prove that it is perfectly acceptable for men to become a nurse.
The Most Popular Nursing Specialties for Male Nurses
Below is a look at a few of the top career choices for men.
Nurse Anesthetist
Otherwise called a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA), you are responsible for administering anesthesia before, during, and after medical procedures. 41% of nurse anesthetists are men. The position is expected to grow by 45% through 2029 and comes with an average salary of $117,760.
ER Nurse
Emergency room RNs, also known as trauma nurses, work in the emergency departments of hospitals or critical care emergency facilities. You would work closely with doctors and other medical technicians to administer critical care to patients. The average salary is $75,330 and the job is expected to grow by 7% through 2029.
Flight Nurse
A flight or transport nurse provides pre-hospital, emergency, and critical care to patients during aeromedical rescues, evacuations and other situations. The median salary is $71,945 and the job is expected to grow by 19% through 2029.
Become a Male Nurse by Applying with Prolink
No matter what kind of background you have, the nursing field needs intelligent and capable leaders like yourself. If you are a man who wants a rewarding career, start applying for nursing schools around the country. Many online nursing programs now exist that can help you expedite your license to begin working in only a couple of years.
If you already have your nursing license and you want a lucrative job at a top medical facility, apply with Prolink today. Prolink can match you with high-paying jobs located countrywide. We partner with some of the best facilities and give you exclusive access to in-demand jobs the moment they become available. Let us help you become a male nurse. Get started by calling (866)777-3704.
