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IT'S A GUY THING,TOO

MORE MEN TURNING TO NURSING CAREERS

NEW FEATURE: Nursing Now will look at important changes and trends in the field of nursing. Because nurses form the largest body of medical caregivers, the services they provide affect all of us.We will show how these trends are changing care in ways that patients may - or may not - notice. Look for this new feature every month, only in Vital.

Ninety-three percent of Michigan's active registered nurses are women. That means 7%, or about 5,600, are men. And that's a trend many see continuing to increase.

The Michigan Center for Nursing's 2006 stereotype-busting poster campaign Nursing in Michigan: It's a Guy Thing Too! featured eight men who are nurses and highlighted the roles they play within health care. It was designed to encourage more men to become nurses, says registered nurse Carole Stacy, the center's director.

Brad Baize, 48, is a registered nurse at Henry Ford Health System's Vattikuti Urology Institute, a worldrenowned center for robotic prostate surgery. A 24-year nursing veteran, Baize says being a nurse who is a man allows him to offer his patients care with a unique perspective.

"[The male patients] do have a sense that I can relate to what is happening. They feel a little bit more comfortable talking with me than they do with female nurses," says the St. Clair Shores father of two. "I have more of a tough love. I tell people what is going on and explain to them the consequences if they don't comply. There's a sense of caring that comes through."

Baize also would like to see more men consider nursing as a career.

"I do encourage men to get into this field, and those who know me are very receptive to the idea," he says. "My brotherin- law became a nurse eight years or so ago, and a lot of it had to do with us talking about the wonderful amount of opportunities. If you are a nurse, there is always a need for your skills."

Learn more about the It's a Guy Thing Too! campaign at www.michigancenterfornurs ing.org.