Barnes-Jewish College Goldfarb School of Nursing is shining the light on a health opportunity for men — a career in nursing.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), as of 2019 more than 12% of registered nurses in the U.S. are men. Men are entering the nursing profession in growing numbers and they are in high demand. Overall, the demand for registered nurses is predicted to exceed 3.19 million by 2024.
Today, gender norms are evolving and more men are recognizing that nursing is a rewarding, lucrative and stable profession with substantial opportunities for growth.
Like their female counterparts, male-identifying nurses enjoy the many benefits of a nursing career including job security, flexibility, and the satisfaction of making a difference in people's lives.
In addition to having a unique understanding of men's health care issues, male nurses bring valuable diversity to a traditionally female-dominated profession. This can create a more balanced workforce and leads to better patient care.
All patients have different personality traits and preferences. Some male patients feel more comfortable talking with a male nurse about issues related to sexual and reproductive health.
Goldfarb wholeheartedly embraces gender diversity in nursing. Currently, the College's student enrollment is 14% male.
To ensure our students feel engaged and included, Goldfarb offers a dynamic student club called Goldfarb Men Excelling in Nursing (GMEN). This gender-neutral, all-inclusive student organization focuses on promoting men in nursing and on the issues facing male nurses. The group provides a forum for male students and alumni to discuss issues and offers resources to enhance their educational and professional development.
GMEN was established 10 years ago at Goldfarb by then-student John Gransbach. Gransbach's experience as a male in a predominantly female field made him search for support. From his advisor, he learned about the American Assembly for Men in Nursing (AAMN). With support from the College dean and his advisor, Gransbach established and was president of the first local AAMN chapter in St. Louis. They named the local chapter Goldfarb Men Excelling in Nursing, or GMEN.
"I'm glad the group is still going 10 years later," Gransbach says. "GMEN gave us opportunities to talk to high school and college students about going into nursing. With the nursing shortage, we need to broaden our recruitment to get more men into the nursing field."
Gransbach, who graduated with honors from Goldfarb in 2012, went on to have a successful and varied career in nursing. Today, he is a clinical nurse educator in behavioral health at St. Louis Children's Hospital.
He says the biggest accomplishment of his career was opening the Pediatric Behavioral Health Unit at St. Louis Children's in 2020. It was the first adolescent behavioral unit to open in St. Louis in more than 20 years.
Currently, Gransbach is pursuing a doctorate in nursing (DNP) and psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner (PMHNP) and a minor in health care systems innovation.
