Women have flocked to male-dominated occupations such as law and medicine for decades, while men are only slowly discovering the opportunities in a female-dominated field such as nursing.
Men's reluctance to enter the field may have more to do with a view of nursing as "women's work" and stereotypes about male nurses, said hospital executives and nursing school administrators.
But those who have ignored those perceived barriers have found a profession that offers relatively high pay, job flexiblity and a level of job satisfaction difficult to find in any other field.
Tim Mislan, chief nurse executive at Missouri Baptist Medical Center, was working on his doctorate in immunology when a lunchtime conversation with his sister, a nurse, evolved into a discussion of why she enjoyed nursing.
"It (nursing) had all the pieces I was interested in," he said. "One of the best decisions I ever made was to go into nursing."
There were four men in Mislan's graduating class of 200 in 2000, he said. They've joined 2.9 million nurses, of which 6.6 percent are men, according to the American Association of Colleges of Nursing.
However, that number is expected to rise based on the number of men enrolled in nursing programs. Nationwide, men make up 11.4 percent of nursing students in bachelor degree programs and 9.9 percent of master degree students, according to a 2011 survey conducted by the American Association of Colleges of Nursing.
Locally, men make up 12 percent of the students the Goldfarb School of Nursing at Barnes Jewish College, 9 percent in the nursing program at the St. Louis Community College and 8.7 percent of the students at Saint Louis University.
When those student receive their degrees, they'll find a variety of settings and types of work waiting for them. Nurses can be found working at bedsides in hospitals and long-term care facilities, in surgical suites, correctional facilities and the military. They can be found teaching in classrooms and as administrators in hospitals and nursing schools.
"They can even be found in Walgreen's," said Michael Bleich, a Maxine Clark and Bob Fox dean and professor at Goldfarb School of Nursing at Barnes-Jewish College. "It's a very challenging field. People think medicine is complex; nursing is every bit as complex."
Nursing is not about passing pills and making beds. Nurses run diagnostic tests; they set up plans for patient care, teach patients and families to manage illnesses or injuries; and explain home treatments.
"They offer patients and families psychological and spiritual support," Mislan said. "It's amazing. They can make huge differences in people's lives, and they can do it every day."
Jobs in nursing are expected to grow 26 percent by 2020, faster than the average for all occupations, according to the Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Growth is expected because of technological advancements that will permit a greater number of illnesses to be treated; an increased emphasis on preventive care and an aging baby boomer population that will live longer and more active lives and will expect more health care services, according to the labor department.
Median wage for registered nurses working in hospitals is $66,650. Hospital nurses may work nights, weekends and holidays. They may be on-call, which means they are on duty and must be available to work on short notice.
The combination of high wages, steady growth and challenging occupation is attracting people who are seeking second careers, some of whom may be have been laid off, others who are seeking jobs that are more challenging, offer higher wages or provide more job satisfaction.
About 60 percent of registered nurses start off with associate's degrees, said Karen Mayes, director of nursing education for the St. Louis Community College District, where about 9 percent of the nursing students are men.
An associate's degree takes two years to complete, an advantage for those interested in a second career because the training time is relatively quick. Those who have bachelor's degrees often can enter an accelerated program and receive a bachelor's degree in nursing in 15 months, Mayes said.
One byproduct of the accelerated programs is the large number of students with varied backgrounds and skills they can bring to nursing. At St. Louis Community College, "we have everyone from (laid-off) Chrysler workers to teachers to accountants," Mayes said. "These are people who have decided they need a change."
Nursing brings plenty of change. Every day brings new patients and new challenges.
"No two days are alike," Bleich said. "You won't a find a discipline more satisfying."
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