Adtalem Sets the Pace for Educating More Men in Nursing

Adtalem educates more men who are nursing students than most universities have in total nursing students.

Men in nursing are in high demand, and Adtalem Global Education is delivering.

Not only are Adtalem’s schools collectively the No. 1 grantor of nursing degrees in the United States, Chamberlain University and Walden University together enroll—and graduate—more nursing students who are men than men and women combined at most of the top 30 nursing schools by total enrollment.

At Chamberlain, that translated to approximately 4,000 men in pre-licensure bachelor’s programs as well as master’s programs and the Doctor of Nursing Practice in fall 2023. Walden enrolled more than 2,000 men in post-licensure bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral nursing programs.

Nursing is a profession that allows for incremental growth and learning. The profession gives nurses opportunities to start practicing with an associate or bachelor’s degree,

says Walden graduate John Voight, MSN ’13, who once managed emergency rooms and is now a chief nursing officer.
 

You can grow a little bit more and decide if you want to go into education, leadership, or become an advanced practice clinician.

Workforce Trends for Men in Nursing

Men in nursing are trending upward. As of March 2024, the percentage of men who are nurses had grown by 59% over the last 10 years. Despite this upturn, men represent only 12.6% of registered nurses (RNs) and 10% of nurse practitioners, according to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data from 2023. Meanwhile, job growth for RNs is projected to continue at a rate of 6% between 2022 and 2032.

Top specialties for men in nursing include high-demand fields like emergency/trauma and nephrology, which Chamberlain students can explore through its Practice Ready. Specialty Focused.™ program.

The interest our male nursing students show in nephrology and emergency room nursing through our Practice Ready. Specialty Focused.™ programs mirrors the popularity of these specialties in the workplace.

Dr. Danika Bowen, vice president of clinical operations and and innovative strategies at Chamberlain

Both programs are 16-week online courses co-developed with the Emergency Nurses Association (Emergency PRSF) and DaVita (Nephrology PRSF). They are intended to offer third-year BSN students the opportunity to delve deeper into the specialties.

Read Solving the Nursing Shortage at the Specialty Level

Men are also drawn to mental health nursing at a time when 49% of Americans live in a mental health shortage area. Chamberlain and Walden both offer the Master of Science in Nursing Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner program, which helps prepare nurses to diagnose and treat mental illnesses.

Read Adtalem has More Mental Health Nursing Students than the Rest of the Top 25 Schools Combined

Why We Need More Men in Nursing

Bringing more men into the profession of nursing not only helps alleviate the nursing shortage, it can increase health equity, access to care, and patient satisfaction. For example, some male patients may feel more at ease talking with a man about issues such as prostate cancer, which disproportionately affects Black men. Additionally, men in nursing bring a diversity of thought to the industry and contribute to a more inclusive healthcare environment.

For more information, email the Adtalem Global Communications Team: adtalemmedia@adtalem.com.