He walks into a room and immediately, the patient thinks he's the doctor.

He takes a managerial position no one wants (with too much paperwork and too many meetings, his female counterparts decline the offer). When he's promoted, he becomes subject to envy and resentment.

He's nice, but he's got a hidden agenda, trying to get into the girls' club and then wield his testosterone.

Oh, please.

I've seen cases where both sexes are guilty of perpetuating these stereotypes of male nurses because there are some people who fit them. But the majority do not.

In this issue of Pulse, we look at the much-maligned, and often underappreciated male nurse. These guys aren't the enemy — they're pronursing and proud of it.

And if you think nursing has received short shrift in the media, think about the image of the male nurse. When they're portrayed in television or the movies, they're often questioned and ridiculed for their career choice.

Thanks to more public education about nursing excellence and more positive exposure — such as the Johnson & Johnson nursing ads promoting men in nursing — the tide is changing. There also has been a more concerted effort to recruit men into the profession in the last few years.

Still, male nurses represent just under 6 percent of the total nursing population; one that's suffering from a severe shortage. They are needed desperately to fill nursing vacancies.

Nursing needs them, because although women still represent the majority, members of the younger generation aren't looking at nursing as a career option. That's a huge nut to crack, and ignoring a large segment of the population isn't going to help.

For men who do chose nursing, writer Pamela Keene found that caring for others, job opportunities and a challenging career top the list of reasons. They're proud of what they do, too.

Nurses "hold everything together with the patients, doctors and others in health care," said Mike Marshall, a rehab nurse at the Shepherd Center.

"We make a difference and influence others' lives, and this has an impact on my own life."

Leonard Budsock is in the accelerated nursing program at Kennesaw State University, and will graduate in December 2004. At 50, he is entering his second career. He had kept the idea of becoming a nurse in the back of his mind for many years until he finally acted upon it.

"One of the appeals of nursing is that there are so many possibilities," Budsock said. "I want to match my talents with the work I do, and in nursing, you can find a place to do that."

According to Kevin McHugh, a nursing instructor at North Metro Tech, "the wide choices of specialties and the great opportunities in the field, plus the job security, all are reasons more men should choose nursing. There's no other job like it in the world."

Do you have any story ideas for Pulse? Please e-mail me or call me at 404-373-5131.