Jerry Lucas, R.N. (and Proud of It)

Ask Jerry Lucas what he does for a living, and he'll proudly say he's a nurse and has been for more than 20 years. He's not worried about anyone calling it a woman's job.

He was an Army combat medic during Operation Desert Storm and now pulls overnight shifts in the ER at Floyd Memorial Hospital in New Albany, Indiana.

He's seen and done enough to know "it's not about nursing being a men's or women's profession. I will do everything it takes to save your life. It doesn't matter what gender I am."

Jerry got his early medical training in the Army, then went for his nursing degree at Indiana University. In the beginning, he met with some raised eyebrows. He didn't let it faze him. "My job was to get through school. I wanted to learn more about emergency medicine."

He wasn't trying to kick down any doors—he just wanted to keep doing something where he knew he could make a difference.

In the ER, Jerry doesn't encounter much of a division between men and women or even between doctors and nurses. "If you respect people and do your job, they'll respect you back," he says.

Jerry works a rotation where he puts in six days straight on the job, followed by eight days off. He uses his time off to raise awareness that nursing is a viable—and fulfilling—profession for men.

In 2002, just months after he'd joined emergency teams at the World Trade Center disaster and noticed a nursing shortage, Jerry started MaleNurseMagazine.com. "I get letters from guys who think they're too old to start nursing school, or who are worried about nursing being a woman's job," he says. "I tell them all that matters is whether they want to work to save people's lives."

That's something Jerry will keep doing, no matter what.

Jerry's Tips

1. Keep things in perspective.
Sometimes I get fed up with my job. But then somebody thanks me for saving his life, and then I remember why I do it.

2. Have varied interests—it's healthy!
I work in a travel agency on my days off, and I make sure to spend time with my wife and our four daughters.

3. Keep your attitude in check.
I can change people's minds about men who are nurses by setting a positive example.