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Updated · NPR · Jul 21College Men Increasingly Choose Nursing as Men Hold About 1 in 8 Nursing Jobs
3 articles · Updated · NPR · Jul 21Summary
- Only about 1 in 8 nurses are men, but college men are increasingly entering the field, lifting their share in a profession long dominated by women.
- Hot healthcare hiring is driving that shift, with nursing offering a strong job market that makes the career more attractive to male students.
- Sustained recruitment efforts have also helped widen the pipeline, including campaigns and outreach in the South.
- The trend points to a gradual reshaping of nursing's gender mix as employers press to fill persistent healthcare staffing needs.
Insights
Men were once nursing's pioneers. Why do they now struggle to stay in the profession they helped build? Why are men leaving nursing, reversing a decade-long trend, despite the promise of a stable, six-figure career?