SPECIAL SESSION: Creating a Male Friendly Nursing Program: A Blueprint for Increasing Gender Diversity

Description/Overview: Given the underrepresentation of men in the nursing profession, it is essential to develop strategies that will provide a pathway of success for men entering the nursing profession. The purpose of this workshop is to describe how a student governance model at the Penn School of Nursing transformed the School of Nursing into an award winning nationally recognized “ Male Friendly Nursing Program”. In 2006, the Male Association of Nursing, University of Pennsylvania (MANUP) student organization was formed to provide resources that resulted in increased enrollment and retention of male nursing students. Since MANUP’s inception, male admissions and retention have grown exponentially, and as a result, campus wide initiatives focusing on men’s mental and physical health have proliferated. Specific strategies will be presented to ensure your School of Nursing is on the cutting edge for institutionalizing a systematic plan for ensuring a gender diverse student body.