Career Change - Male Nurse (unemployed, degree, work, wage)

[NJ216]

I'm thinking about becoming a male Registered Nurse. I was going to enroll in the community college's nursing program and then transfer to a university after 2 years.

Is anyone here a registered nurse? Can you give me some advice? Any Male RNs?

[sheri257]

Yeah ... go for it. Best career decision I ever made. It's really tough to get through school but, you'll never be unemployed. As for being a male RN ... it's really not a big deal anymore.

[heydade]

Originally Posted by sheri257

Yeah ... go for it. Best career decision I ever made. It's really tough to get through school but, you'll never be unemployed. As for being a male RN ... it's really not a big deal anymore.

It's not...she's right. Everyone loves a male nurse.

[POhdNcrzy]

I looked at nursing as a possible career change recently. I am male and thirty-something. Overall I think it can be a great career that pays well, bottom line, so I am positive on a nursing career for anyone.

Well, I enrolled in a CNA class at a local community college near Denver (Front Range Community College, do not bother with a CNA class from them, trust me on this).

Unfortunately it was like 3 weeks of Harvard medical school just to sit for state licensing to be able to help old people eat, get into the shower, and scrape p**p off a lot of wrinkled old b*tts, all for a starting wage of $10/hr (who the heck can live on that in America today??).

My logic was a CNA class would be a good way to break into the field and start making a buck or two (uh, or half-a-buck thanks Ben Bernanke, doo&hb*g).

One thing I ran into right away in the CNA course that really bothered me was the gender issue in nursing. Sorry, I feel this is still very relevant today. The class was 90% women and the instructor was a (na&ty byo%^h of a) woman. I felt like some kinda reverse Amelia Earhart, or maybe just a lone badger tossed into a pit of hungry snakes. Catch my drift?

As for the shortage in nurses, sorry but there is only a shortage of nursing SCHOOLS right now. I repeat, there is NO NURSING SHORTAGE! Don't kid yourself. Will the demand for nurses be strong in the US over the next few decades, yes, that IS likely. Right now, there is no significant shortage of nurses in the US. The "shortage" is being addressed by hospitals in several ways already. Hospitals are hiring and "importing" foreign nurses (yes, how about that, big surprise there !!) and I'm sure they are paid less and their professional creds often fudged. (Same ole, same old).

The best advice I've heard IMHO is do the RN course work in 2 years and then sit for the RN exams. You will be hired as an RN just like someone who did an entire 4-year degree in nursing. (Four years, jeez, wasn't that King Tut's entire lifespan or something, talk about academic BS overkill!)

[Huckleberry3911948]

ditto on prior post.also consider US army nurse. 90k with OCS 2 years all expense paid
full lieutenant. none of the above have student loans, none of that.
you can do your whole RN in jr college loan free. here i like LVN 42 units and then 30 units of
crossover to RN only 3 years but military is best 2 years personal preference.

pdclipart.com
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[sheri257]

I took a CNA course too and worked as a CNA but ... that's not typically what you do as an RN. There's over 50 specialities you can do as an RN so ... I wouldn't let that discourage you. I love the fact that I can do a multitude of specialties with this degree.

[sheri257]

Originally Posted by POhdNcrzy

The best advice I've heard IMHO is do the RN course work in 2 years and then sit for the RN exams. You will be hired as an RN just like someone who did an entire 4-year degree in nursing. (Four years, jeez, wasn't that King Tut's entire lifespan or something, talk about academic BS overkill!)

Well ... this is another myth. By the time you take the pre-req courses to get into nursing school (not to mention the waiting lists) it can easily take four years, if not longer. So technically it's not a four year degree but, in reality, it is.

As for the shortage, it's definitely not as bad as some of the hospitals say. If some of the hospitals paid more, they'd be able to staff but, of course, some don't want to pay more.

Nevertheless, I make $110K a year and that's not including overtime. Granted, this is in California where nurses are paid well and, of course, our cost of living is higher but ... I have no complaints.

[TracySam]

It still kills me when people say "male nurse" or "male model." It's probably the same people that refer to female college students as "co-eds."

Are we in like 1958 or something?

Relax, you can be both a dude and a nurse, and no one will look at you funny.

[pit_crew]

I have been in surgery for 25 yrs. I have seen male nurses come and go. I currently have 2 on my neurosurgery staff. They work well and get along with everyone and are a joy to have as my staff nurses. I wish I had more like them. Women are bitchy. LOL I do not see any stigma attached at all.

[yhwhshalomjr]

First of all ,
It shouldn't matter what gender you are;
I've seen them all, and come and go too
Was an Army Nurse
The main thing is the ability to truly care (care-giver) for another person
that is entrusted in your care,
there is too much neglect and sorry care in the Hospitals now
because people are going into it for the money and not from the heart
You'll know if it's not in your heart to care for patients or not..
because nursing school will be not be fun for you....
I've seen some very good male nurses, they tend to be more caring and detailed oriented; more patience which is an asset that healthcare is lacking now
as long as they don't get wierd with patients...(if ya know what I mean)
If it is in your heart go for it.. I wish you the best
my .02 cents