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The George Washington University (GW) School of Nursing has launched a chapter of the American Association for Men in Nursing (AAMN) in an effort to break down gender stereotypes within the profession and support men in nursing. The student organization for men is nursing is now recruiting students to join in completing community service, engaging high school students in the nursing profession, and hosting events related to stereotypes in the nursing field.

Almost 90 percent of students in the GW School of Nursing were female in 2016. Jess Calohan, the faculty adviser to the AAMN GW chapter, says men represent about 10 to 12 percent of the profession in the civilian sector.

Calohan tells GWHatchet.com, “This is an opportunity for us to teach them strategies of how to better communicate with each other and also with other nurses. It’s an all-inclusive type of environment and not just limited to male membership.”

AAMN is a national organization with 46 chapters in the US. Nursing schools struggle with recruiting men for nursing programs because of gender stereotypes, but groups like AAMN work to decrease the gap between the number of males and females in the nursing profession. The GW chapter is still working on honing its mission and vision but hopes to continue recruiting members before hosting its first membership meeting this semester.

To learn more about GW Nursing’s new chapter of the American Association for Men in Nursing, visit here.