Man Makes History as Facility’s First Black Male Nurse

Ma’lik Morrison is breaking barriers and he’s only 24 years old. He has the honor of being the first Black male nurse to ever work in the labor and delivery department at Moses Cone Health’s Woman and Children’s Center in Greensboro, North Carolina. He serves as a nurse technician on the OB Specialty Care Unit and plans on expanding his role in the future. Morrison reflected on his achievement in an interview soon after landing the job.

“I’ve been trying to work in the woman’s hospital for years… to find out that I’m the first Black male CNA…really made me feel happy and proud,” Morrison said.

He says he takes pride in his work and hopes to open the door for other black male nurses looking to work in labor and delivery.

“Nursing started out as mainly a female field, but as time has gone on, you see more and more men in healthcare…being nurses more because it’s a great field for somebody such as Ma’lik that has this kind, caring and compassionate attitude,” said Renee Kendrick, assistant director for OB Specialty Care Unit.

Statistics show just 9.1% of RNs in the U.S. identify as male and 9.9% are of African descent. But it’s not clear how many nurses identify as both Black and male. The numbers are similar for nurses who work in labor and delivery. Just 9.6% of maternity nurses identify as male and 9.7% identify as Black or African American.

Morrison credits his decision to become a nurse to his aunt, who worked in the industry for years. He said she ultimately pushed him to become the man he is today.

“She gave me some advice on becoming a nurse… ever since, then I figured out nursing is something I want to do, especially if I could be a labor delivery nurse or anything pertaining to women’s health,” Morrison said.

He is set to graduate from North Carolina A&T State University with a degree in Bachelor of Science in the spring.