When you hear the word “nurse,” what are the first three words that come to mind? There is no doubt that “caring” is one of them. Maybe “compassion,” “trusted,” or “hardworking.” But what about the nurse’s gender? It’s OK if you thought “female,” because you wouldn’t be alone.

Longstanding societal stereotypes have made it such that we associate women with the nursing profession. I myself fell prey to this stereotype early on in life. When I graduated from college, I was working at a hospital in New York City where I worked closely with both doctors and nurses, and even though my gut was telling me that nursing could be the right profession for me, every nurse I worked with was female. So instead of applying to nursing school, I decided to take post-baccalaureate premedical courses and went the physician route.

It wasn’t until I turned 28 in 2010 that I decided nursing was in fact the right profession for me. It was the obvious choice because I knew I had the attributes that make a great nurse. Knowing that I could make a real difference, I disregarded the fact that only 9% of nurses were male at the time, and I pursued an accelerated second bachelor’s degree in nursing.

I have never looked back and have no regret—except that I didn’t choose nursing sooner. I am certain that my journey into nursing is not unique, but rather the tale of many other men out there who may have been discouraged from choosing nursing simply because of societal stereotypes and gender imbalance.

Giving support to other men considering nursing.

Photo by Hush Naidoo Jade Photography on Unsplash

As a result of my own experience of initial doubts and delayed entry into the nursing profession, I knew early on that I needed to help break down barriers for other men out there who might be considering nursing as a career choice but have reservations about doing so. Luckily, early in my career I stumbled upon the American Association for Men in Nursing (AAMN), a national organization whose mission is to shape the practice, education, research, and leadership for men in nursing and to advance men’s health.

This organization provided me with a platform and a community. Today, I serve as a board member at-large for the national organization and as president of the local New York City chapter, where the executive board and I strive to build a community of male nurses to support and uplift each other, increase the number of men choosing to become nurses, and optimize the health of all patients (with a particular attention to the unique needs of our male patients).

As more men enter nursing, more women enter medicine.

While the work of this organization is just one factor among others reflecting a major societal shift in expectations for men and women, recent data suggests that we may be reaching a turning point, with the Wall Street Journal recently reporting the number of men in the field tripling from the early 2000s to now. The nursing workforce is now comprised of 12% males, up from a mere 3% in the 1970s, which represents a 9% increase over the last 50 years. At the same time, the number of women entering the historically male-dominated field of medicine is increasing even more rapidly, reaching 36% in 2019, the same year the number of women in medical school surpassed the number of men for the first time. Though the increase in numbers of men in nursing is substantially smaller than the increase of women in medicine, this shift speaks volumes about the changing perspectives on gender in nursing and the rest of health care.

Reasons more men are becoming nurses.

  1. Job stability/demand/competitive salary: Nursing offers exceptional career prospects, combining long-term job stability alongside a constant demand for skilled professional nurses. Additionally, nursing offers a competitive salary that reflects the value and expertise required of the job.
  2. Flexibility, diversity of opportunity, and growth: The flexibility of a nurse’s schedule is unmatched, offering an exceptional work–life balance. The different clinical areas you can work in as a nurse range from critical care and medical–surgical nursing to psychiatry or ambulatory care. With endless opportunities for professional development, you can become an advanced practice nurse and work as a licensed independent practitioner, or you can grow as a leader to improve and transform care delivery. The world is your oyster.
  3. The role of the military: When I went to nursing school, two of the 12 guys in our class were using post-9/11 GI bill funding that they earned from their military service in the United States Navy to pay for nursing school. Joining the military as a nurse affords one the opportunity to develop exceptional leadership skills while serving our nation with pride, delivering high-quality nursing care to service members and their families. It gives you the chance to make a meaningful impact while building a rewarding career that blends professional growth and purpose.
  4. Ability to make a difference: Caring is not just a quality that women possess. Just as men often excel as police officers or firefighters—professions that require immense care, compassion, diligence, and bravery—they can bring those same qualities to nursing, proving that it is a career where their strength and empathy can truly shine.
  5. Representation: In a profession where the goal is to deliver safe, high-quality, culturally competent, person-centered care, it matters that the people delivering this care look like the people they are caring for. Since males represent about half of the U.S. population, having more male nurses who may have a better understanding of men’s health needs and the ability to address them would serve our patients well.

What’s next?

Yes, this rise in male nurses is impressive; it is what we have been waiting for and what our society needs. The days of gender-specific occupations need to end and people should be free to choose the profession that makes them happy without constraints and labels that make them question their choices. I look forward to the growing trend of men in nursing and for the gender gap to continue to narrow.

So, the question is: are you man enough to break stereotypes and make a difference that truly matters. Are you man enough to care? This is your call to action, because the future of nursing needs you.

Frankie Hamilton will begin a new role as vice-president of nursing operations at Maimonides Medical Center in Brooklyn, NY, in March of this year. He is an adjunct lecturer at the University of Mount Saint Vincent in the Bronx, NY, where he teaches courses on nursing leadership for graduate nursing students. A lieutenant in the United States Navy Nurse Reserve Corps, he is pursuing his DNP and PhD in nursing, with his research focused on nursing leadership and nursing excellence. Frankie is a fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE), serving as clinical inclusion advisor for the Healthcare Leaders of New York, the local chapter of ACHE. He is also the president of the New York City Chapter of the American Association for Men in Nursing, and he serves on the Sepsis Advisory Board for the Sepsis Alliance and the advisory board for the Hofstra University School of Nursing and Physician Assistant Studies.