Little is known about the relationship between the choice of a sex discrepant occupation and the selection of a nursing career, attitudes toward training, and professional socialization. The research design included a cross-sectional attitude survey of both beginning and advanced nursing school students. Data were obtained from a group-administered questionnaire on 335 men and 508 women in 32 degree-granting institutions which differed in size, location, and source of support. The findings suggest that recruiting would be most productive in lower socioeconomic strata, in small towns and rural areas, and by male recruiters visiting high schools. Mass media communications should stress nursing aspects most likely to appeal to men: professionalism, leadership, administration, science, and technology. Attracting the discharged veteran requires intense efforts. Men present a problem for nursing faculties in that while they view themselves superior to women, they place less value on hard work and were poorer students in high school. Men in their twenties may require a stipend and will do best in the permissive atmosphere of a college. (NTIS)