Joan Evans of the Dalhousie University Faculty of Medicine told this nursing students conference that she would like to see more men at the event. (CBC)

With the shortage of nurses in Canada projected to grow worse, more needs to be done to attract men into nursing, an expert has told the Canadian Nursing Students Association conference in Charlottetown.

Ninety-five per cent of nurses in Canada are women, and while the percentage of women in nursing schools is a little lower, current trends suggest the numbers in the profession itself won't change much.

"Even though nursing education programs might have as many as 10 to 12 to 13 per cent of their students as men, we lose a lot more men than we do women," said Joan Evans, director of the communications skills program at the Dalhousie University Faculty of Medicine.

"I think that's another issue that we need to look at, so that when we do get wonderful men into our programs, that we hold onto them."

Nursing student Mark Kantor believes more male role models would help attract men into the profession. (CBC)

This week's conference is an event still dominated by women and Evans worries that the nursing shortage cannot be solved unless both men and women are interested in taking it on as a career.

Mark Kantor, in his final year of nursing at the University of Toronto, has spent time in the community as a nursing student, helping people get more used to the idea of men as nurses.

"There's a lot of stereotypes that prohibit or hinder a lot of men from getting into nursing," said Kantor.

With more positive role models, he believes the profession can be made more attractive to men.

More student places needed

Attracting more students into nursing is only part of the problem. With a virtually guaranteed job and freedom to work almost anywhere, nursing schools across the country are filled to capacity, making it difficult for interested and qualified students to get in.

Sarah Painter, Canadian Nursing Students Association president, believes places must be found for all interested and capable students. (CBC)

"It took me three years to get into nursing school," said Sarah Painter, president of the Canadian Nursing Students Association.

"Why in the face of a health-care shortage we are turning away interested and capable Canadians from nursing education, I think is one of the biggest issues."

Some schools are responding to the need. UPEI started a new two-year nursing program this year, opening up 14 additional spaces for students. Still, as new graduates enter the field, one third of practising nurses are nearing retirement age and others are leaving due to high workloads in short-staffed workplaces.

"We see that sick time is up, injuries at work are up, and people leaving the profession for frustrations is starting to increase," said Painter.

But for those looking to get their careers in nursing started, the future looks good.

"The opportunities are endless. You'll get a job wherever," said Jenna Roberts, a student at Nippissing University.

The current projection is Canada will be short 80,000 nurses in 2011. While many Canadian students worry about finding jobs as they graduate into a global recession, nursing students expect no difficulties.