Men’s Health Nursing: A Guide to the ANA’s Newest Specialty

Why do men have a shorter life expectancy than women, and what are we doing to change it?

Typically, men have only 1 X chromosome, whereas women generally have 2, giving them a genetic advantage in combating infections.

In general, men also:

Smoke more
Have higher suicide rates
Delay healthcare screenings

In addition, boys and young men have a higher death rate than girls and young women, typically due to violence and accidents.

To address the lifespan gender gap, the American Nurses Association (ANA) recognized men’s health nursing as a distinct specialty on February 26, 2026.

Importance of the men’s health nursing specialty

What are some of the benefits of the men’s health specialty recognition by the ANA?

Historically, men’s health has been addressed within primary care or urology. The 2026 Men’s Health Nursing Scope and Standards of Practice changes this by providing a holistic, sex-specific framework designed to close the lifespan gender gap.

The president of the ANA, Jennifer Mensik Kennedy, emphasizes the importance of men’s health to the community.

“Designating men’s health as a nursing specialty sharpens our capacity to provide focused, evidence-based care that uplifts men, their families, and their communities.”

The specialty will also support the development and use of gender-specific communication styles that can improve patient compliance and gender-competent nursing care.

Men face a higher disease burden overall, with significant health disparities in comparison to women, as well as a shorter life expectancy. The study titled Differences Across the Lifespan Between Females and Males in the Top 20 Causes of Disease Burden Globally: A Systematic Analysis of the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021 shows that 13 of the top 20 causes of health loss are remarkably higher for men, including road injuries and a range of cardiovascular, respiratory, and liver diseases.

The study reveals unique health challenges experienced by men. Co-author Dr. Vedavati Patwardhan states:

"We need national health plans and strategies to address the health needs of men throughout their lives, including interventions targeting behavioral risks such as alcohol use and smoking that typically begin at a young age."

What are the most common men's health issues?

The men’s health specialty will improve how nursing clinicians approach the top 10 men’s health issues contributing to the lifespan gender gap.

Physical

Heart disease: This condition is the leading cause of male mortality. Testosterone is essential for maintaining blood vessel health and sexual function. Low testosterone marks a higher risk of cardiovascular disease and heart failure in men.
Hypertension and stroke (cerebrovascular disease): An asymptomatic "silent killer," hypertension increases the risk of early-onset strokes.
Prostate and testicular diseases: The focus is on treating benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and improving survival rates through early detection of male-specific cancers.
Tracheal, bronchus, and lung cancer: The respiratory cancers impact men at higher rates due to smoking practices, though the gender gap in mortality is gradually narrowing.
Diabetes and metabolic syndrome: These conditions are heavily linked to obesity and serve as indicators for increased cardiovascular risk and chronic metabolic dysfunction in men.

Behavioral

Substance use: Men show higher rates of alcohol, tobacco, and illicit drug dependence than women.
Depression: Men can often mask depression as irritability or anger. If depression is untreated, it may lead to high-risk behaviors or even suicide.
Suicide: Suicide rates among men are 4 times higher than among women in the US. Men's mental health nursing interventions focus on gender-sensitive support.

Preventive care for male patients

Screening compliance: Delayed healthcare engagement is a behavioral issue aimed at shifting men toward preventive care rather than emergency-only visits.
Road accidents and workplace injuries: Men bear significantly higher numbers of fatal injuries and road accidents.

What does the men’s health specialty mean for your career?

The recognition of men’s health as an official nursing specialty, with its scope and standards for specialized care, provides a clear roadmap to greater clinical autonomy and leadership in this field.

Addressing men’s health disparities in 2026

This specialty allows nurses to target the specific social and biological factors that contribute to poor outcomes in male patients:

Preventive engagement: The framework will provide evidence-based communication strategies to improve engagement and reduce preventable mortality and disease burden among male patients.
Mental health and suicide prevention: The interventions will target high-risk behaviors and the stigma surrounding male mental health.
Chronic disease management: The specialized protocols will address metabolic syndrome, cardiovascular risk, and urological health.

New career paths and professional identity

The ANA adopted the Men’s Health Nursing Scope and Standards of Practice, developed in collaboration with the AAMN. This framework establishes the core competencies, expectations for nursing care, and ethical responsibilities required to treat men.

These standards provide a shared language for clinicians, allowing facilities to benchmark outcomes, standardize protocols, and address male disparities like premature mortality and suicide.

The formalization of this specialty creates a "professional home" for nurses who previously felt their work for men’s health was fragmented. It opens distinct career options:

Leadership and advocacy: As men’s health is now recognized as a health equity issue, nurses can lead initiatives focused on underserved male populations, including rural workers and veterans. Nurses can also use the ANA health standards to lobby for male-specific public health funding and legislation.
Education and research: As nursing schools integrate these new standards into their curricula, there is a growing demand for faculty who can teach sex-specific health concerns. Research will be needed in male-specific health behaviors, medication adherence, and the impact of masculinity on treatment outcomes.

The official Scope and Standards of Practice document clarifies the clinical roles of registered nurses (RNs) and advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) in this area.

Education and certification

With the American Association for Men in Nursing (AAMN) currently developing microcredentials in men’s health, the first bundle is planned for release in October 2026, allowing nurses to align their continuing education with these new standards to gain an edge on credentialing.

This work is laying the foundation for a full men’s health certification through the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC).

While you wait for the rollout of a men’s health certification, you may be interested in looking into other nursing specialties with currently established credentials.

Patient engagement: General nursing vs. men’s health nursing

Nursing care in the men’s health specialty utilizes collaborative approaches to overcome common barriers to engagement. The following table outlines how adjustments in communication and outreach can effectively improve male patient engagement strategies.

Engagement evolution

Feature	General nursing approach	Men’s health specialty approach
Communication strategy	The therapeutic communication approach emphasizes empathy, active listening, and open-ended questions.	The goal-oriented approach prioritizes direct communication and focuses on problem-solving.
Language	The general nursing approach uses vulnerability-based language, such as mental health, therapy, and screening.	The men’s health specialty approach uses action-based language such as mental fitness, consulting, and preventive maintenance.
Clinical tone	The general nursing approach is to adopt a nurturing clinical tone, which can sometimes feel paternalistic.	The men’s health specialty approach uses a consultative clinical tone, which can feel more like a peer-to-peer conversation.
Initial engagement	The general nursing approach means that the patient may delay seeking care until the symptoms are severe or unmanageable.	The men’s health specialty approach relies on early activity-oriented outreach and low-pressure screenings to build trust before a crisis occurs.
Environment	The traditional approach is that the patient has to go to a medical center, which may trigger avoidance.	The new approach is to initially engage men at sports venues or workplaces, with further studies or treatment at health centers.

Which type of nurse or nursing is best for men?

The general approach often inadvertently triggers "healthcare avoidance" in men by framing health as a loss of strength. The specialty approach, championed by the AAMN, reclaims health as a prerequisite for performance.

How to become a men’s health nurse?

This field is open to all nurses who are interested in serving male patients better. It is certainly not limited to male nurses. That said, the number of men in nursing careers is growing, and old stigmas are being left behind.

Shifts in community clinics, urology, and workplace wellness programs may offer opportunities to earn continuing education units (CEUs) in men's health. The recognition of this specialty likely precedes a new board certification in the area.

Tip: Get ahead of the curve by clocking men’s health nursing CEUs now.

Nurses can also showcase this experience on their Nursa profile to pick up specialized PRN shifts in men’s health clinics or primary care settings.

How can I get involved with men’s health initiatives?

The movement is spreading, and now is a good time to get involved. Here are a few available options.

Join the AAMN (open to RNs, licensed practical nurses (LPNs), and nursing students regardless of gender).
Participate in Men’s Health Week, around the third week in June.
Advocate for men’s health initiatives within your current work settings, or talk about men’s health with your family and friends.
Review the official ANA Men’s Health Nursing Scope and Standards of Practice.

If you think the new specialty may be a good fit for you, plan ahead and get an early start in men’s health nursing with related continuing education.

Sources:

Your guide to men’s health nursing: The ANA’s newest specialty