The club launched in 2014 following Dean Meredith Wallace Kazer’s, PhD, APRN, FAAN initiative to promote and retain men in the nursing program at the Marion Peckham Egan School of Nursing and Health Studies.

“This past fall was extremely exciting for us as we became an official chapter of the American Association of Men in Nursing (AAMN) – The Egan School Chapter. The club provides a place for the current male nursing students to come together and interact with other nursing students from all cohorts. This allows them to meet people in different parts of the program and provides an additional support system,” said club advisor Steven Belmont, DNP, CRNA, APRN, assistant program director and assistant professor for the Fairfield University and Bridgeport Hospital Nurse Anesthesia Program.

Members of the club are able to join the AAMN as student members. This allows them the opportunity to have access to all the AAMN offers, including the career center, scholarship opportunities, and a variety of other benefits.

David Bogen, CRNA, MS, clinical coordinator for the Nurse Anesthesia Program, also attends the meetings and serves as an additional male faculty member. The Chapter hosts many guest speakers throughout the year and chooses them based on the club members' interests. 

“In the past, we have had male nursing leaders come and talk about specific career paths (ex. nursing administration),” Dr. Belmont added. “We have also had people come and talk about the variety of opportunities in nursing. That is one big thing I try to emphasize in the club. The opportunities in nursing are endless, and I want to introduce them to what some of the possibilities could be.”

This year, the Vice President of the AAMN spoke to the students virtually about national nursing organizations and the benefits of becoming a member. In the future, Belmont hopes to connect with other chapters to interact with members from outside the school.