[ragingmomster]

Our unit has hired a male new grad RN to work in L&D, he starts later this summer. I do not have any experience with this situation because I think it is rare and I only have 2 years experience in L&D.

Some of our nurses are concerned with having this RN do checks without a chaperone and insist that having a male RN will be like a millstone around the neck of the rest of us who are already overworked.

Not one to turn up my nose at something new, I am looking for RNs with experience in working with a male RN in L&D. Better yet, any male RNs willing to share their experiences so that I can share information with my co-workers.

[brissie]

Male ob/gyns perform checks and conduct invasive exams without chaperones. Female nurses start foleys on male patients without chaperones. I am a male NICU nurse and have worked with male L&D nurses and CNMs in the past, they have always been professional and excellent nurses. The nurses on your unit who grumble had better be very careful, this kind of complaining can lead to sexual discrimination type legal issues.

[cheshirecat]

I have worked with midwives who where male. 99.9% of our patients loved them and had no issues. They where respected as the professionals they are.

They delivered, did ante and post natal care without chaperones.

[Belinda-wales]

As a Uk midwife I worked with male midwives not many but they are there they were great- no problems the patients loved them- The way I see it is it is ok for the doctor be male on our unit 90% are men they do examinations in hospital and in there office why is that so different - I feel the OP islooking for problems just give the nurse a chance what ever there sex!

[MarySunshine]

ragingmonster,
Does your unit require a chaperone for the male doctors to do checks? If not, then they shouldn't require them for the nurses. If chaperones aren't required then you shouldn't make it more complicated than it is. Problem solved.

I think you should just all be sensitive to the fact that a minority of women will feel uncomfortable having a male nurse, for a variety of different reasons. The majority of women probably will not mind at all (providing he's a good nurse!) and you should all just be glad that you will be better staffed now.

[Jolie]

Originally Posted by brissie

Male ob/gyns perform checks and conduct invasive exams without chaperones.

I am surprised to read that you have male physicians doing invasive procedures without chaperones. That has not happened at the hospitals where I've worked. One hospital, in fact, required a female nurse present any time a male doctor visited a female patient in her room, regardless of whether an exam was to take place. We even accompanied the male pediatricians on their rounds to visit the new mothers.

As for the male nurse in L&D, I believe it would be prudent for him to have a chaperone present during vaginal checks. But this amounts to a small portion of a L&D nurse's duties, so I can't see it being an overwhelming burden on his co-workers.

[Faeriewand]

There was a big lawsuit here a few years back, female pt accusing doc of inappropriate exam. DH had to sit on the jury. Then I noticed when I went in for something my doc gets a female nurse to accompany him into the exam room. For his own protection.

[KellNY]

Originally Posted by brissie

Male ob/gyns perform checks and conduct invasive exams without chaperones.

Not at my hospital they don't (or in the OB/GYN office I used to work at) Neither do the females usually.

[LadieRn]

Male doctors in LDRP where I work must have a female nurse accompany them when they do vaginal exams. Which seems to be the norm at other hospitals that I have worked at also.

[VegRN]

At my hospital a female staff member must be present for all pelvic exams where there is a male doctor and a female pt.

And on the psych unit most male doctors request a female staff member to be present during any physical assessment of female pts (and generally the pelvic exam is deferred). Why??? because people make accusations and who is the hospital going to side with in the event a pt makes accusations. He said/she said situations are hard to prove, the hospital doesn't want a lawsuit so they side with a pt.

Several years ago, a male nurse was fired after a female pt (with a huge psych hx) made accusations against him. Some of our male nurses will still not do female caths or things like that. They trade tasks with a female nurse or at least have a female staff present during a procedure. I mention the psych history because this pt was truely off her rocker, has said things in the past that didn't mesh with reality and was generally not reliable. Bottom line is....

Having a chaperone present is for the protection of the male medical professional (and I guess you could also say the pt if the dr or other staff member were a creep)

The reason it happens with female pts being examined by male doctors and not the opposite is because of the reality of who files most of the sexual harassment complaints. The bulk of the complaints are filed by women against men. That is the reality.

Oh, and when I had a gyn appt with a male ob/gyn a few years back, there was a female staff member there for the pelvic exam.