Male nurses, who represent less than 1 percent of the nation's nurses, are in huge demand in the job market, the Chinese Nursing Association said on Sunday.

Cheng Gen, a CNA member in charge of male nurse's work, said male nurses are expected to be very popular in the future job market considering their small number and huge market demand.

Cheng said male nurses mainly work in the intensive care unit, emergency medicine department, cardiovascular department and mental illness unit.

Such a population is swelling rapidly, especially in large cities such as Beijing and Shanghai, Cheng said, adding that among the approximately 60,000 registered nurses in Beijing, more than 2,000 are men, accounting for 3 percent, a share higher than the nation's average.

Cheng attributed the rapid rise in the male nurse population to a significant improvement in pay for nurses. In the past, men were reluctant to stay in nursing and many quit their jobs because of low pay and limited career opportunities, Cheng said.

The National Health and Family Planning Commission said on Friday that nurses' working conditions and pay have improved in recent years.

Among 5,809 nurses working in 112 hospitals across China, 84.2 percent are generally happy in their work, according to a third-party survey commissioned by health authorities.

China's number of registered nurses stood at nearly 2.5 million at the end of 2012, according to statistics.

(China Daily 05/13/2013 page7)