Kimberly Fischer is trying to shatter glass.

The senior finance major is making her way through a traditionally male-dominated field, an idea known as “breaking through the glass ceiling.”

“At times it feels a little like I am the odd ball out,” Fischer said. “In a male-dominated field, even though I believe that I understand where everyone is coming from, I feel like sometimes the men think that they share some secret bond that I could never understand.”

There is also a reverse glass ceiling for men crossing over to traditionally female-dominated fields, like nursing, travel, marketing and childcare.

With times changing, and more homes becoming double income, men are able to seek out careers of something they are interested in rather than basing opinion all on salary.

According to Jennifer Merrit, author of “Does the Reverse Glass Ceiling Exist?” men are finding that they can experience both in female careers.

Eli Heicher, a registered nurse at Sarah Bush Lincoln Health Center said he thinks that he is treated differently in his profession, usually more favorably.

Patients will often, on assumption address him as doctor when he walks into the room.

“I think I’m seen as more of on authority figure because of my gender,” Heicher said.

“On the other hand, I’ve had patients who, when I tell them I’m a nurse, often question ‘So when are you going to become a doctor?'”

James Painter, chair of the school of family and consumer sciences, is a registered dietician, a predominately female field.

“There are about 70,000 to 80,000 registered dieticians in the country and about 98 percent of them are women,” Painter said.

He became interested in the field when he was an undergraduate.

“I took a class in nutrition. I was more interested in the preventive medical ideal and not the treatment,” he said. “Prevention fit better into nutrition and I got hooked.”

Stacy Kaiser, a licensed psychotherapist who has appeared on CNN and MSNBC, said she has noticed more men turning up in female-dominated careers but does not know if it is a trend yet.

“I only knew that I wanted to have a job that was rewarding, exciting, interesting and allowed me to maybe make a difference in people’s lives,” Heicher said.

It is still a new concept and people are starting to become more aware of it, Kaiser said

Painter said he could agree with that.

“I think they probably treat me different because it’s unexpected,” he said. “It’s unusual for patients to see that.”

Women tend to be more nurturing than men, but Painter said he still did not feel any discouragement from going forward with his career in dietetics.

“I think most people, especially my professors were interested in having males in the dietetics field,” he said.

Men are finding jobs in more women’s fields today than they had been in the past; the true is same for women.

“I think that originally when I picked this field of study I was just attracted to it because of its versatility,” Fischer said. “Now, I still like it because of the constant change, the excitement, and the need to think creatively and quickly.”

According to a 2003 survey by the U.S. Census Bureau, the percentage of men employed as registered nurses jumped to more than eight percent, from just under five percent in 1983.

Dianne Nelson, the director of the nursing program said men are quite often successful in nursing, although they have a low percentage of males in the profession.

“The term male nurse has a negative connotation for some people,” she said.

Heicher is one of two male nursing students Nelson has.

“We are over 94 percent female,” she said.

Heicher has been an RN for three years.

“There is no greater time to be a nurse than now, male or female,” he said. “Nursing offers a wide spectrum of professional opportunities than any person should consider.”

Heicher said he is proud to do the work he does regardless of stereotype.

“There are people out there with such insecurities that they would be ashamed to say they want to be a nurse,” he said. “I am a nurse and I like being a nurse.”