The nursing industry has changed significantly over the last 40 years, with substantial developments in how nurses use technology to interact with patients and manage a large percent of the patient relationship. Another notable shift has been the growing number of male nurses joining the ranks in this healthcare profession.Looking through data from 1977 to the present day available through the Health Resources and Services Administration’s Nursing Workforce Survey, we found several interesting trends. with metrics available from 1977 to the present day.

Fast Facts

Nursing Workforce Trends Over 40 Years

	Number of Nurses	Female	% of Total	Male	% of Total
1977	1,417,665	1,390,004	98.05%	27,254	1.92%
1988	2,049,213	1,972,672	96.26%	68,249	3.33%
1996	2,558,874	2,439,245	95.32%	125,120	4.89%
2008	3,063,163	2,848,000	92.98%	214,421	7.00%
2018	3,272,872	2,912,000	88.97%	314,195	9.60%

Such a drastic shift in demographic data most likely reflects a growing interest from men who want to become nurses, along with a decrease in negative stereotypes about men in this role. While these stereotypes may still linger, sentiment toward male nurses will most likely continue to shift positively in the coming decade.There has also been a notable increase in the number of men applying for nursing school. The prevalence of professional opportunities and strong job security appear to be leading factors in this increase.This increase in male applicants indicates that the number of male nurses joining the workforce will continue to rise over the next decade. It seems possible that within the next ten years, we will see another 10-15% jump in the relative percentage of male nurses, with the curve starting to bend sharply upward.