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Nursing career: After putting my wife through nursing school and having my job downsized, I started at Polk Community College and continued full time until I graduated in 1995. I started working at Lakeland Regional in the CCU as a student nurse and was asked to stay on after graduation. ICU is a busy, intense, challenging place to start and I loved the atmosphere. After a few years I started to mentor the newer students, and a few years after that I began helping out in the relief charge nurse role.

Something unique about you: For over two years, between my last full-time job and nursing school, I was a full-time “Mr. Mom” for our son.

What attracted you to the nursing profession? I’m a nurse because my wife is a nurse. I feel most men are missing out on a great career. I have been a restaurant manager and an industrial salesman, but nursing is my favorite job. If I could do it all again I would have skipped the other careers and start with nursing out of high school. Nursing offers many outlets; I have been a camp nurse, travel nurse, home health nurse and ICU nurse.

Do you think school counselors adequately promote nursing to boys as a career option? No. Until we have a strong male nursing role on TV or in some movie, male high school kids will never ever get it.

The term "male nurse" — Yes or no? No. I tell people I’m a nurse.

Do you find that patients accept nurses who are men? When people need help, it doesn’t matter. People need a good confident nurse, male or female.

Advice for men entering the nursing field: Start early. Nursing can take you many places. You can go anyplace in the country; work as many or as few hours as you want; work in the morning or at night; and work as a camp nurse, travel nurse, flight nurse, home health nurse, or in other parts of the health field.