CHANGSHA, April 17 -- A male nurse society has been established in central China's Hunan Province as men continue to be a minority in the country's nursing profession.

The society, named "Nandinggeer Association," launched by 16 male nurses at the Xiangya Hospital of Central South University in the provincial capital of Changsha, aims to help with male nurses' career planning, academic exchanges and development, said Pan Zhibao, chairman of the society, on Thursday.

So far, there are 63 male nurse members in the society, which is affiliated to the Youth League committee of the Xiangya Hospital, said Li Yinglan, director of the hospital's nursing department.

Xiangya Hospital is staffed by over 2,300 nurses, but fewer than 100 of them are men, Pan said, adding that Chinese men are generally reluctant to choose nursing as a career.

Actually, male nurses are in demand in hospitals, especially in intensive care units, emergency rooms, and operating rooms, for their greater physical strength, according to Pan.

China had nearly 2.5 million registered nurses at the end of 2012, but males account for less than one percent of that number, according to official statistics.