U.S. Nurses: What’s the Ratio of Female to Male Nurses?

Advancing Your Healthcare Career,Healthcare Careers,LPN,Nursing Shortage,RN

A common purpose unites U.S. nurses (and those worldwide): to help others through a deep connection with patients and to support those struggling. Overall, their mission is tremendously empathetic and selfless. Choosing this profession is one of humanity's noblest and most dedicated services.

There are many benefits of becoming a nurse: there is an excellent possibility of specialties, according to the personality and orientation of each person; plus, the bonus that nurses are in high demand, so finding a job is usually not a problem for them. Furthermore, a nurse's salary is generally good or very good, according to the type of nursing work they do. Flexibility is another advantage of becoming a nurse, as a nurse may or may not work nights, days, weekends, holidays, traveling (as a travel nurse), and many other possibilities.

It is also imperative to note within the nursing facts that male nurses are becoming more and more common in the profession. Until now, there was a gender gap in nursing: nurses tended to be female, and the fact that one sex is dominant is a significant loss to any profession. It is a fact that gender equity and equality are essential for nursing, as patients feel safer and more confident if they get attention from both female nurses and male nurses.

Some advantages of being a male nurse are:

  • Finding well-paying jobs quickly due to the high demand for nurses in general.
  • Being a role model, given that there are few male nurses, is a way to be a role model for other men who are thinking of going into this profession but are afraid of not finding someone in their situation.
  • There are many scholarships specifically for male nurses and their specialties, and frequently, due to the shortage of male nurses, it is straightforward to get these scholarships.
  • There is an excellent opportunity to travel when one is a male nurse if one chooses the path of travel nursing.

Although male nurses still face discrimination, this profession has many advantages. Male nurses enjoy nursing very much. Understanding this helps them to be more confident in choosing this profession.

How Many Nurses Are Male?

There are more men in nursing today than at any other time, which is good for nursing. 12% of registered nurses (RNs) are male nurses, in contrast with 1970, when only 2.7% were RNs.

Some facts about male nurses are that they choose the nursing profession as their first choice in most cases. It should be clarified that many people often think they could not become doctors, which is why they became nurses, and this is not the case for most male nurses. Additionally, many male nurses enter the military or become anesthesiologists as a profession, as RN anesthesiologists are among the highest-paid nursing specialties in the US. Another male nursing fact is that many nurses start the profession when they are older and not in their younger years. Nursing statistics indicate that male nurses earn more than female nurses; this may be due to the demand for male nurses.

Several websites advocate for male nurses, which help them find scholarships and better job opportunities. They seek to eliminate the gender gap in nursing that has been present so long that both male and female nurses can have better job opportunities. When there is more flexibility in the gender of nurses, more people enter the profession with joy, and this helps to eliminate the nursing shortage that has been so prevalent in the last few years of the pandemic.

How Much do U.S. Nurses Get Paid?

Average US RN Salary: Nurses earn, on average, $77,600 per year, the same as $37.31 per hour, according to the US Bureau of Labor and Statistics. Meanwhile, nurses who pursue a specialty earn significantly more and can more easily get jobs in different locations. They also have an exciting career path that makes their profession perhaps more profitable and/or rewarding.

Average US LPN Salary: LPNs (licensed practical nurses) have a median annual salary of $48,070, or $23,11 per hour.

A great way for female and male nurses to earn more is through travel nursing or PRN jobs. Travel nursing jobs are nursing jobs that can also be performed locally, in the same state, so that they can stay close to their home.

PRN jobs offer shifts usually paid hourly, and through the Nursa app, nurses can choose the hours they want to work.

Blog published on:
September 22, 2022

Miranda is a Registered Nurse, Medical Fact Checker, and Publishing Editor at Nursa. Her work has been featured in publications including the American Nurses Association (ANA), Healthcare IT Outcomes, International Living, and more.

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