Hey all,

I am a guy and I made the decision--or leap--to goto nursing school, and honestly it was a very tough decision to make. I read this article which kinda swayed me to goto RN school.

Thanks,

Tod

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http://www.nursing-scholarships.net

http://www.288th.com/nursing-scholar...rofession.html

A Man's Guide to Get a Nursing Scholarship in a Woman's Profession

Typically, when individuals decide to attend college and choose nursing as their major, they are most likely a white woman and are between 18 to 45 years of age. However, while many men will oftentimes dismiss a career in nursing because it is, stereotypically, “a woman’s profession,” men should not be so quick to dismiss a nursing career due to a chronic male nursing shortage and a variety of perks, such as a high income, etc.


The Potential Income of Male Nurses
Male nurses are certainly in demand; thus, employers, such as hospitals and free-standing clinics, may pay premium wage for a qualified male nurse. For example, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that the median annual salaries of Registered Nurses are rising greatly, according to the findings of their May 2004 salary survey:

Employment services: $63,170
General medical and surgical hospitals : $53,450
Home health care services: $48,990
Offices of physicians: $48,250
Nursing care facilities: 48,220
Thus, with salaries ranging from the mid-to-high five figures, more men may begin to choose a career in nursing and reverse the tide of female dominance in nursing as a whole.




Nursing Gender Inequalities Hurt Patient Care and Discourage Men From a Nursing Career
According to HRSA, men still comprise a very small percentage (5.8 percent) of the total RN population although their numbers have continued to grow. Of the estimated 2,909,357 RNs in the US, 168,181 are men. This represents a 14.5 percent increase over the 2000 NSSRN estimate, when 146,902 RNs were male. This also represents a 273.2 percent increase over 1980, when the number of men in the RN population was estimated at 45,060.

Thus, even with this dramatic increase in male nurses over a twenty year period, a chronic staffing shortage remains, which—in part—could be alleviated with more men becoming nurses. However and until the nursing shortage is resolved, the quality and availability patient care will continue to suffer as demand outpaces supply.

More Male Nursing Scholarships Means More Male Nurses
Recently, the number of male-oriented nursing scholarships has generally increased; thus, as male nursing scholarship funding levels increase and as nursing salaries increase, more men may enter the field.

Some male nursing scholarships and male nursing-oriented websites are listed below:

American Assembly for Men in Nursing Foundation and Johnson & Johnson’s Campaign for Nursing’s Future are offering a new $1,000 scholarship program for male students pursuing professional nursing education programs.
Male Nurse Magazine
Men in Nursing Journal
Nurselookup.com