No Discrimination
I think it is great you want to be a nurse. Nursing jobs are very rewarding and can be frusterating. The nursing industry has come along way, I dont think you would notice discrimination if it did exist in some hospitals.

Good luck with your studies.

Hey Lama,

Female Aussie 22 year old RN here working in a metro ED. I'm guessing if you're a 'senior' you must be in the US, am I right? I really have no idea of the nursing system over there or of how long it would take you to become a nurse anaesthetist (over here I'm guessing it'd be around 4-6 years including your 3 year basic bachelor then some post-grad).

I don't know what the ratio of female to male nurses over there is, but here we have heaps (and more and more each year) and the majority that I have worked with are fantastic. The majority too (though I could care less either way) are straight, too. I'd be really suprised if people still had that perception of male nurses in this day and age.

As far as career goes, I've been qualified for 18 months now and I don't think I could do anything else. The work is incredibly challenging, is highly technical and you have a massive amount of responsibility (ie. People's lives) but it is so so rewarding and I learn something new, get to see and do the most awesome things, as well as piss myself laughing at something every single shift.

Best of luck with your studies, it's an awesome job

Hey, my name is Brendan, Been an RN for about 4 years now and i love it. I really think the stigma is extinct within the profession regarding male nursing for the most part. I mean you will stilll come across these little 85 yr old women or retired war vets that are stuck in they re ways and dont realize how much the profession has changed. Having said that, if your working in the sticks in omaha or something you might get a little kick back too. I remember when i was deciding whether to apply to nsg school or not, going through the same things in my head, luckly my dad, who is a firefighter told me he ran into alot of RN's in his line of work and that it is a very noble profession. And it is, i now work in the ER in the largest trauma center between LA and san fran and it kicks ass. not to mention the pay is wonderful. And even if all that being said doesnt do it for you, think of this.... go into engineering and the guy to girl ratio is 40:1... go into nursing and the ratio is reversed...... its great

Male nurses
Go for it! You won't regret it. I've been through alot in my 35 years of nursing and still think it's great. There are many types of nursing jobs available. Nurse anesthetists (CRNA) you need a master degree from a nurse anesthetist program. So you would want to get into a 4-year nursing program. You are also required to have ICU experience before applying to any of the nurse anesthetist schools. This means you would be in school 4 years, work for at least 1 year (maybe 2) and then attend the 2-year CRNA school. Those 7 years will go by FAST!