Types

• Three educational paths are available to men that lead to a career as a registered nurse. Men may choose to pursue a bachelor of science in nursing degree from an accredited college or university. Men may elect to pursue an associate degree in nursing from an accredited program at a two-year community college. Men may pursue a diploma from a nurse training program at a local hospital.
  
  

Coursework

• Nurse education programs for men and women involve classroom instruction. Coursework typically includes such subjects as anatomy, chemistry, physiology, nutrition, microbiology, behavioral science, psychology, methods of nursing and others, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Students who pursue an associate or bachelor's degree also must fulfill basic liberal arts course requirements such as English, history, mathematics and others.
  
  

Clinical Training

• All nursing programs for men and women include supervised clinical training at a health clinic, hospital or other health care facility, according to the BLS. Students may experience hands-on training in the maternity ward, psychiatric ward or pediatrics ward of a local hospital. They may obtain supervised experience at an ambulatory clinic, a public health department, a home health agency or at a nursing care facility.
  
  

Examination

• All nursing candidates, regardless of gender, are required to take and pass the National Council Licensure Examination in order to be licensed as a registered nurse. Many registered nurses choose to pursue a specialty field of practice. The top specialty choices for male nurses as of 2005 included critical care, medical/surgical and nurse educator, according to the American Assembly for Men in Nursing.
  
  

Benefits

• Job opportunities for registered nurses are expected to grow by approximately 22 percent between 2008 and 2018, according to the BLS. Opportunities for males are expected to be at least as good as for females, according to Johnson County Community College. The median income for registered nurses as of May 2008 was approximately $62,450, according to the BLS.