Should Former Male Soldiers Consider A Nursing Career?

A former soldier who now works as a nurse is encouraging more male serving personnel to consider a similar career change.

Now working a lecturer at the University of Plymouth, Danny Clarke says men can care just as well as women and it is time the gender gap was closed.

A former Royal Engineer, Mr Clarke takes practical lectures at one of the new nursing labs at the university.

"When I left the military I was kind of lost in what I was going to do, but I found a really good job in nursing," he said.

"It requires a lot of leadership management," he added, speaking about the job.

"The military are very good at teaching people to be adaptable, and in nursing, you have to adapt constantly through your entire shift."

In the past few years, great effort has been made to encourage women to take more roles in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) subjects.

At the University of Plymouth, the aim is to increase the number of male nurses, which currently stands at just about 11%.

"There was a gender stereotype for male nurses in particular. It has always been there and it will probably not go away for a number of years," said Mr Clarke.

"We are trying really hard to bridge the gap and explain it is not just a job for women. Men can care just as well as women can."

Nursing, he says, is a "completely separate role" from being a doctor.

He believes more could be done nationally to try and promote nursing.

"There are lots of campaigns trying to get more men into nursing, but it is just not hitting the world," Mr Clarke said.

He plans to host a stand at a forces event in Nottingham to try and encourage others to consider nursing as a career.