Male students represented approximately 12 percent of baccalaureate and graduate nursing students in 2015, up from 9.5 percent in 2005, according to the American Association of Colleges of Nursing.

In a piece headlined “Why I Became a Nurse,” four men tell MinorityNurse.com what led them to the field. They are passionate about helping, they appreciate the range of opportunities, they value being the one who was at the bedside: Their exuberance and experience may match those of other nurses, but the stories are worth highlighting as the American nursing workforce stretches to become more diverse.