According to the 2024 National Nursing Workforce Survey, by the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN), the percentage of men in nursing declined from 11.2% to 10.4% from 2022–24. This decline comes as the nation faces a nursing shortage, making it a crucial time to encourage more people to enter the profession.
Nationwide, the AACN and university nursing programs “are expanding their recruitment efforts to men and other groups that have been historically underrepresented in nursing to fill the staffing shortages.”
At UNC Greensboro, those efforts are producing results. Currently, the School of Nursing has 213 male students enrolled across all programs, including 87 in prelicensure pathways. For the past three academic years, an average of 16.3% of the school’s total nursing students are male.
Addressing the Nursing Workforce Shortage
Dean Debra Barksdale and the UNCG School of Nursing are answering the call to address the overall nursing workforce shortage. “Our goal is not to recruit students to nursing because of their gender. It is to break down outdated stereotypes about who can be a nurse and ensure that talented people can see themselves in this extraordinary profession. Nursing offers remarkable opportunities to lead, innovate, serve communities, and build a meaningful and rewarding career. At UNCG, that mission is deeply connected to our commitment to social mobility — opening doors to a profession that can transform not only the lives of our patients and communities, but also the lives of our graduates and their families.”
UNCG provides supportive pathways into the profession with innovative options such as the BSN First-Year, Direct Admit, the Prelicensure Entry-Level MSN, and the Veterans Access Program (VAP).
By the Numbers: Male Students in UNCG’s Prelicensure Programs
- First-Year Direct Admit BSN: 34
- Traditional BSN: 29
- Veterans Access Program: 12
- Prelicensure MSN: 12
- Total prelicensure male students: 87
Opening Doors for More Male Nurses
Their stories reveal a common theme: Nursing wasn’t always the obvious choice, but each found a profession that combines science, service, leadership, and opportunity. Here, three Spartans share their journeys and advice for the next generation of male nurses.
Keith Njuguna: High School Assignment Sparks a Calling
Keith Njuguna had a knack for science and math, and he enjoyed connecting with people. His path to nursing began with a high school assignment to interview a professional working in a career of interest. Knowing his Aunt Beatrice’s passion for nursing, Njuguna interviewed her and became intrigued by the profession. After researching nursing programs, UNCG’s BSN First-Year Direct Admit program stood out.
He says there were about 20 women and five men in his First-Year Experience class at UNCG. “We became friends and study partners since we were going through the same process at the same time,” he says.
Njuguna pursued nursing because it offers strong career prospects, competitive pay, and the opportunity to enter the workforce with less student debt than medical school.
“It’s important to have men in nursing to sustain a diverse work environment,” he says. For males interested in nursing, he encourages job-shadowing with a male nurse to better understand their perspective on the profession.
Njuguna is expected to graduate in spring 2029. He plans to work for one year and then return to earn a Doctor of Nursing Practice degree (DNP).
Alex Wall: Pursuing Advanced Practice as a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA)
From an early age, Alex Wall knew his success would ride on “smarts and knowledge.” He is also fascinated with how the human body works.
Encouraged by his mother-in-law, a nurse and passionate advocate for the field, Wall discovered the wide range of opportunities nursing offers and chose UNCG to begin his journey.
“When looking for a CRNA program, I appreciated UNCG’s strong pass rates, affordability, and diversity,” Wall says. He started his three-year program in January 2023 and will graduate in 2026.
Wall’s CRNA 38-student cohort included 15 men. He says all CRNA students are focused on being high-performing nurses.
“Being at UNCG has been a positive experience,” he says. “I am learning advanced practice nursing to care for patients who need anesthesia; gender is irrelevant when providing this high level of care.”
Wall believes many men have the capacity to be good nurses, and more men should consider nursing. After graduation, he looks forward to working at Moses H. Cone Memorial Hospital supporting his family and thriving in his chosen profession.
“The nursing community is fantastic. You work long hours, but it is enjoyable and intellectually challenging, and you help make patients better,” he says.
Sebastian Rodriguez: From Athlete to ICU Nurse
As an aspiring professional tennis player, Sebastian Rodriguez spent considerable time with physical therapists. Those experiences sparked his interest in healthcare.
He did not initially see nursing as a career choice. But working in a nursing home as a caregiver and as a medical technician, and later as a certified nursing assistant in an ICU expanded his understanding of the nursing profession.
“I became interested in the science behind health problems and helping patients make sense of their conditions,” Rodriguez says.
Rodriguez was drawn to UNCG’s strong reputation and the size of its nursing program. His nursing cohort included approximately 25 male students out of 135 nursing students total, and he quickly found a sense of belonging within the program.
Rodriguez finds nursing an attractive career path because it encompasses so much — critical thinking, science, research, and patient interaction — and believes more males should consider the profession.
“It’s important for the nursing workforce to reflect the diversity of the patients it serves,” he says. Following this line of thinking, he encourages potential students to disregard stereotypes, talk to other male nursing students, and job-shadow a nurse.
“Men in nursing is not an unusual thing; they are needed,” he says. “The focus should always be on the care of the patients, not on someone’s gender.”
After graduating, Rodriguez will begin his career at the Cardiac ICU at the UNC Medical Center with the goal of becoming a strong bedside nurse and then pursuing a graduate program at UNCG.
Written by Amy Burtch, AMBCopy
Photography by School of Nursing & Sean Norona, University Communications
