Men in Nursing at Trocaire
Historically, the majority of the nursing workforce has always been female. According to the U.S. Census Bureau: While 3.2 million (91 percent) nurses are female, only 330,000 (9 percent) are male. However, the number of men choosing nursing as their career has been increasing in recent years. It’s no surprise, as this is a growing industry with plenty of opportunities in a number of different environments that offer a stable, challenging, and rewarding role. A nursing career holds many advantages for men, such as highly diverse patient care environments and a competitive salary.
“Forget about the stigma. The pay is great, the opportunities are endless and you end up going home every day knowing that you did something very positive for someone else.” — Jorge Gitler, 50, oncology nurse manager; former business owner (Becker’s Hospital Review)
Trocaire offers a number of healthcare pathways for men including LPN, RN, and BS, Nursing program offerings. The college is also focused on supporting students and helping them understand the challenges of the industry. That’s why Trocaire recently hosted a “Men in Nursing Mentoring” event to discuss men in the nursing field. Leading the event were two guest speakers, Steve Marks, MS, RN, Vice President of Clinical Education & Professional Development for Catholic Health System, and Jon Delay, BSN, RN, a Nurse Manager of a Medical Surgical Unit at Mercy Hospital of Buffalo.
The two shared insight and their personal experiences in the field, helping Trocaire students get a glimpse into what their career paths can look like.
Speaker Bios
Steve Marks, MS, RN, is the Vice President of Clinical Education & Professional Development for Catholic Health System. With 30 years of clinical and administrative experience, Steve’s career path has included roles in critical care nursing, nursing and clinical recruitment, emergency medical services, and staff training/education. At Catholic Health, he is responsible for all aspects of clinical training and professional development to help clinicians maintain and enhance their skill set.
Steve is completing a Doctorate of Philosophy in Education, specializing in Educational Technology from Walden University in Minneapolis. He received his Bachelor of Arts and Masters of Science degrees in Psychology from California State University, San Bernardino. He also holds additional undergraduate degrees in Nursing from Loma Linda University and Emergency Medical Services from Crafton Hills College.
Steve came to Catholic Health from Mount Carmel Health System, a multi-hospital system located in Columbus, Ohio. He served as Regional Director of the System’s Center for Innovative Learning, a clinical skills and simulation center he developed in 2012. His responsibilities included simulation-based learning, education and training development, and continuing medical education.
Steve has published and presented nationally on different topics related to simulation-based learning, career progression, and interview preparation.
Jon Delay, BSN, RN, is a Nurse Manager of a Medical Surgical Unit at Mercy Hospital of Buffalo. Jon graduated with his Associates Degree in nursing from Trocaire College in 2009. After graduation he accepted his first nursing job on a Surgical Oncology unit at Strong Memorial Hospital in Rochester N.Y. where he performed the role of a bedside RN for 5 years. In 2014 Jon then stepped into the role of an Assistant Nurse Manager and one year later accepted the position of Nurse Manager on that same unit. In 2016 Jon achieved his BSN from the University of Rochester and then returned home to Buffalo to be closer to family. Currently Jon is considering returning to school to achieve his Master’s Degree in Nursing Leadership.