We’ve all seen men quite happily take on the roles of doctor, porter, health trust boss or even Health Secretary.
Now, however, more men than ever are training for the medical roles once viewed as traditionally female, such as nursing.
The trend comes just as girls are being encouraged into historically male careers such as engineering.
Quite right too! Finally, we can all be guided by our talents and ambitions rather than our gender.
If there any men out there who still need convincing a health caring role is for them, this is for you.
Time for a change
It doesn’t matter whether you’re a man or a woman, it’s your caring personality and life experience that count when dealing with people.
So a change of career into a new role such as nursing and midwifery is perfectly natural. In fact, such roles can be ideal for those chaps looking to make a change later in their working lives.
More mature men may be dads themselves, have elderly parents, or have helped family and friends through illness or difficult times.
Supply and demand
Unfortunately our ageing population doesn’t go hand-in-hand with a healthier population.
However, the upside to this is the opportunity to work in medicine for the elderly –one of the most satisfying career choices you’ll ever make.
Helping people to make the most of their later years is extremely rewarding. It may also be that an elderly gent feels more comfortable with personal care from another man.
See the world
Nursing skills are recognised globally so for a young, single man this career can be a way of working around the world before settling down.
For more mature men, maybe with responsibilities, it could lead to the possibility of creating a new life with your family in sunnier climes.
Career progression
For many the caring role is enough, but if you have ambitions to progress, the opportunities are there to land more responsible positions, such as Nurse Practitioner.
There is also the chance to look at more specialised roles – for instance in mental health nursing.
Transferable skills
Don’t think that because you’re in a high-powered business role right now, a move into nursing is off the cards.
Nursing needs a clear, focused mind and the ability to make good decisions, sometimes in the most pressurised of situations.
With training, a successful company director makes an excellent nurse.