For the fourth year running, the American Association for Men in Nursing (AAMN) has recognized the University of Pittsburgh School of Nursing as one of the nation’s top schools for recruiting, retaining and providing “a supportive educational environment” for male nursing students while simultaneously promoting the contributions of male nurses in the workforce.
Pitt is one of 16 schools nationwide designated as a Best School for Men in Nursing by AAMN in 2025. Fourth-year nursing student Quinn Eckert traveled to Orlando, Florida, to accept the award on Pitt’s behalf at the 50th Annual AAMN Conference Oct. 16. During the awards dinner, Eckert was also honored with the 2025 Outstanding Student Award, which recognizes the achievements of one undergraduate nursing student each year.
Eckert has helped establish Pitt as a top choice for male students looking to pursue nursing careers as president of Pitt’s Men in Nursing Club. Created in 2023, the student-led club is “committed to providing a supportive community for male nursing students and professionals to connect, share experiences and offer mentorship to one another.” Under Eckert’s leadership, the group has also made efforts to bring more male nursing students to Pitt.
“Receiving this award demonstrates the steps we have made as a club to recruit and promote male nursing students,” Eckert says.
The AAMN uses a variety of criteria to select the Best Schools for Men in Nursing, including a school’s efforts to increase gender diversity in the student and faculty bodies; publish materials and provide programs that highlight men’s contributions to nursing; and provide opportunities for male students to connect with male role models, such as faculty members or nurses in a clinical setting. The organization also considers a school’s number of male graduates, percentage of admitted male students and percentage of male faculty and staff members, among other data.
Currently, 13.1% of students at Pitt Nursing identify as males (12.9% of undergraduate students and 16.9% of graduate students), up from 12.5% in 2024.