Male nurses student and skipping OB/L&D clinicals

Nursing Students Male Students

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I am actually a pre male nurse student.

I am looking at a college in which I will attend if I decode to do nursing.

I have never experienced it so I want to shadow a nurse in the summer.

I want to make sure it is what I want to do. After I have made that decision I want to pursue it with all my heart at a young age. I am 19 years old and so if its what I want to do I don't want to wait until I'm 30 some.

Anyways I don't wish to do any OB or L&D stuff if I don't have to. I don't see what that has to do with ICU care (where I am wanting to go). Also I may have a different mind set that others. I don't want to do L&D because is a major invasion of a woman's privacy, imo.

If it were my wife (not married and faarrr from it) and there was no doctor, yes of course I would do it. But checking up on female patients every few hrs... Like- hey I just need to see you are doing down there...major privacy invasion. What female patient wouldn't feel uncomfortable? I think the only reason why most female patients don't mind a male OB is because they are in too much pain to notice. All I know is if I were a woman I would not want some guy staring up there. Same as me being a guy I don't really like female doctors or nurses checking me out down there...really weird and awkward.

All that said I want nothing (or at most little) to do with preforming procedures/assessments on women(I am talking where it exposes them..I don't need to see that). Is it likely that I can just do ped or something else at those clinical hrs?

I know most women would not want me there as well as some RN/instructors and myself. It is not something I would want to see and it would seem as if that would give me the title of "pervert".

Sorry this is so long. I know some of you may think I should do all that stuff, as maybe a good learning experience. I just don't see much to learn in it except assessment of a infant or a C-section.

Specializes in Acute Care, Rehab, Palliative.

OP how have you "literally tried out 10-15 careers " if you are only 19?

...lady partss are everywhere!!! :redlight:...

Yep - my understanding is that a little over half of the human race has 'em!:cheers:

Couldn't resist - this whole thread is just FULL of potential one-liners!:lol2:

Anyway...back to the OP. As you've noted, a nursing education is broad-based enough that one can make use of parts of it in other areas, and if you find that nursing just doesn't do it for you then you can always take a shot (no pun intended - for once) at veterinary science (it's not always about the family dog - farm animals fall ill as well (as you've noted)), pharmacy, emergency medicine, dentistry, and the list goes on & on. As with a fair number of posters, I'd recommend either volunteering (I've no doubt that Icelandic hospitals will take volunteers), or an entry-level job (here in the US it's usually called CNA; likely it's different elsewhere - and, depending on local laws & customs it may or may not require certification. Historically, US nurse's assistants didn't require certification) to "test the waters", so to speak. And, no, observing another person's genitalia doesn't automatically label one as a "pervert" or anything else - depends a lot on the context. Likewise, whether it constitutes an invasion of privacy is a matter of context as well; it's good that you're sensitive to the issue, but it's also important not to project your own feelings onto the patient - they may or may not feel the same way that you do. Which is why communication is an essential part of the nursing profession.

In any case, the very best of luck to you, Jfarmboy - and, one more thing; on this forum you can edit a comment after it's been posted if the need arises.

----- Dave

If I may I would like to set something straight.

I don't necessarily have a "thing" for lady partss.

Don't get me wrong, but without looking one can come across images like that on the internet. I don't know what to call it-false links? Most people already know what it looks like under the shirt of a woman due to horrid ads that pop up on the internet...sorry to say. I even have friends of friends who (thank god) are not friends of mine post inappropriate stuff on FB.

I guess what I was saying is that it is just un-natural to ask gynecology or OB related questions or procedures to of course a female patient. Or if the average guy walked up to a lady and said, "Hows your breasts?", That is no doubt a slap in the face.I guess with being a nurse some things wouldn't be taken the same way. Us humans have always worn clothes to cover up what is not meant to be seen, which in many cases has to. I think it would be modest to give them their privacy if need, and like you guys have said, without making a fool of myself or show nervousness or not being confident. Of course one doesn't say..."uh ya want me to leave". They would have to tell me that after I tell them what I am there to do.

Also I did good in biology in HS and anatomy made up at least 20 pages in my books.

All I am saying is it should be normal for it to be kinda weird at first. I am not basing going to nursing school or not on the fact that I might not like going certain things.You guys may not think that one could change in a day, but I don't think L&D would be that bad. It is newness of life, which I think may be kind of exciting. Learning to do the assessment on a new born would also be good.

I will say it again. If I like helping people as much as what I think I do. i.e.After I have worked in the field and found it was still something I want to do I fill go for it. I think what I could be good at is walking people around or lending a helping hand. Something I have always done without thinking when I was younger. Helping people cross the street or up the stairs. Walking them to the toilet will be no different. If I don't go for nursing I would go for physical therapy in a hospital setting.

I have decided not to worry about what things may be weird at first. I am going to forget about it and just study. Yes, going for CNA would better prepare me for anything in nursing school. I figure if I can handle the CNA's job I shouldn't have a problem going for RN. That said it will be a lot of "ass-wiping" but I would get a lot of hands on experience. Also I am thinking that once I have worked as a CNA my communication skills would improve. By the time I am doing clinicals I would be more confident and know how to communicate properly. I think that would be a better move for me.

BTW, I have noticed many, many spelling errors and typos in my original post. Sorry about that.

I can hardly agree with my original post anymore. I have learned so much since and no matter what I WILL see, it is not going to make me give up. I still plan on going forward but I need to take it from a different mindset= health care is needed regardless to gender. I realize that saying I don't want to treat/help a female patient is basically as bad as being racist.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but you guys have helped me look at it from a different angle. I plan to hit the books and see where that leads me. Day by day I am getting more and more interested in this career, even if that means I will have to clean up vomit and feces. Sorry this is way too long.

Also FYI-I HAVE lived in Iceland.

I am in NY state presently. Over there in Iceland people have a different mind set. They don't worry about people being nude. It was a shocker when a Icelandic woman came into the mens locker/changing room to ask where the womens locker room was. Then to go on and carry on a conversation. So it was both funny and kinda shocking.

Also yes I talked to my mom about CNA's and she said "what....it used to be free with a CPR course". Now it costs around 600.

Specializes in Trauma, Emergency.

Keep up the good work. I'm sure you'll end up doing whatever you do very well :-).

Specializes in Acute Medicine.

I guess what I was saying is that it is just un-natural to ask gynecology or OB related questions or procedures to of course a female patient. Or if the average guy walked up to a lady and said, "Hows your breasts?", That is no doubt a slap in the face.I guess with being a nurse some things wouldn't be taken the same way.

It's not "un-natural". Nurses are professionals and asking those kind of questions are part of the job. Doing a thorough assessment is part of the job. Do you think these women have never seen a male doctor? Of course they have. Most of the doctors on the mat floor I did my clinical at are males.

The problem is you are young and you haven't had any experience as a professional. Once you are in school you will quickly realize what it means to be a nurse, without regard to your gender. As others have said, lady partss are everywhere, even in the ICU. And you will have to assess them on occasion. As a professional.

That is what I meant. Coming from a un-professional stand point(where I am now) it seems unnatural(that isn't the right word-try different).I actually meant that phrase for the average person-a nurse or health care giver not being the average person.

What I meant is I will be making that transition from unprofessional-ism to professionalism.

Currently have had no schooling in the subject or any experience in the field at all.

That will quickly change in the months ahead though.

I know that most OB doctors are males. Even back 19 years ago my mom only got male OB and L&D doctors.

Anyways can we please get over this subject. I can't agree with my previous opinion-it shows me what an idiot I am.

I am going to learn what it means to be a professional and have confidence when I do CNA clinicals and the CNA training program.i.e. female perineal and cath care. This isn't going to be a problem for me anymore.

Everyones got to start somewhere.For me it is better to start CNA and get paid while I take pre-reqs.

Sorry OP but you obvious don't know *** your talking about. Suck it up. Just because you want to do ICU doesn't mean OB is useless. you need to know OB for the nclex and to be honest you should know this stuff anyways.

I may not know what I am talking about...but I am getting there. I know absolutely zero about nursing, but I am looking forward to learning, as I feel it is the right fit for me. You guys may not think so, but that is my own personal decision.

I look forward to studying hard and learning as much as I can from every aspect of it.

People have already said the same thing. I see what you guys are meaning by it.I know I can't just jump into ICU. I need to be a staff nurse for about 1 yr first. After reading everyone's comments I do know that OB is not useless.

As I have already said I have CNA classes starting soon.

I will have been a CNA for about a year before I can even start nursing school.

With a lot of hands on experience it shouldn't be a shocker for me in nursing school. Heck I might even like OB clinicals.

I just want to get used to talking to patients and working in a hospital setting before nursing school.

Nursing school is spring or fall of 2013...so lots of time to learn beforehand.

Um... No. As much as it bugs me to put on condom catheters for lecherous old men, as a CNA it is my responsibility to do it. There will always be things that you don't like to do in whatever field you want to go into, but you can't just pick the parts you like and ignore the parts you dislike.

Part of being a healthcare professional is learning how to be professional. While it's nice that you think it's an invasion of privacy, it's all about how you approach it. You will have to deal with lady partss, even in ICU. You just can't escape putting in Foley catheters. There will be times when your tech tells you so-and-so has a strange lesion/bump/etc. on their genitals. As a nurse, you cannot ignore that.

Specializes in NICU, PICU, PACU.

Nope, can't skip those clinicals, it is part of the program. And you may see pregnant or post partum women in your ICU, esp if you are working at a big level 1 trauma center. We have done C-sections in the ICU, delivered babies in the ICU, etc. There is usually an L/D nurse assigned also, but you will be the primary care person. It is part of the job, and unless you are going to care for males only, you need to get over the lady parts thing lol

Specializes in Critical Care, Trauma, Transplant.

I will also say, in the ICU patients, there is absolutely nothing sexy or sexual about anything that you see there, but you do deal with the genitals quite often. Incontinent patients, swollen genitals, catheters and "tube feed stool" just to name a few. The patients are critically ill and you learn that modesty quickly goes out the window, talking about things quickly becomes second nature. Its just a learned trait, but it is part of the reason why all the different clinicals are necessary.

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