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 none.
Give me a freaking break. Are you serious? Have you ever taken care of livestock? Farmers diagnose and treat their animals all the time. Just like I diagnose and treat my kids (within reason of course), and I certainly do not consider that practicing medicine without a license.

I'm with you. I lived out in South Dakota for a while. We knew called the Vet unless it was something we couldn't handle. I took care of about 15 to 20 horses. We gave all the shots and vaccination. Trim hooves and broke wild horses. I that state this was legal. after I learned took care of my dogs and cats. And you know what some of the healthiest animals lived out in those planes. Head work but I would trade in my nursing license if I could do it again.

In an ICU you will have female patients, quite possibly pregnant ones. You seem to be more uncomfortable with this than most female patients i've encountered in my rotation. More so than most guys maternity will benefit you and help you overcome your anxiety's with females.

Specializes in Medical-Surgical, Supervisory, HEDIS, IT.

I did not want to do OB at allllllll and was dreading it!!!!!. But I will be honest. It gave me a great appreciation for all OB nurses. I got the chance to see a C-section birth of a 2.6 lb baby and a lady partsl birth. Although I know I will never work in that area, I am thankful that I got the chance to experience that.

Basically all I can say is...just deal with it...It is a short clinical and there is no way to really get out of it. And there will most likely be OB questions on the NCLEX. I learned more in clinicals then I did in class. The knowledge you get will seriously help!

Most OB clincials are only 4 or 5 shifts and that's it!

Good luck!!

It is a disturbing double standard. You rarely see males in L&D, I havenever seen one. There are no malesworking in mammography, and nomales in post-op gyn floors, yetwhen a male patient needs a urologic procedure or a cath thefemales come out of the closet toall be in the room at once. Whatis up with that.

Specializes in Trauma, Critical Care.

I work ICU. Just the other day I helped a male coworker give a lady partsl suppository to a patient. We also do special Hibiclense baths to all our patients daily and that includes washing hoo-has and doing cath care.

At my school, OB clinicals were 1 semester and it incorporated mother baby, NICU, and L&D. I only saw 1 lady partsl delivery. The experience was so exciting and moving, you kinda forget you're looking at a strangers lady parts. I also saw many fellow male students handle L&D with class and grace (and maybe a few jokes on the side). Plus, your clinical instructor is going I ask patients' permission before you just waltz in and "invade some privacy." :)

It is a disturbing double standard. You rarely see males in L&D, I havenever seen one. There are no malesworking in mammography, and nomales in post-op gyn floors, yetwhen a male patient needs a urologic procedure or a cath thefemales come out of the closet toall be in the room at once. Whatis up with that.

I've been in nursing >25 years, and, in my experience (in numerous facilities in, now, five different states), efforts have always been made to accommodate male clients' preference for male caregivers for personal care when requested, the same as female client requests for female staff for personal care are accommodated as much as possible. I have also seen males working in GYN units. However, I've never seen female staff make any particular effort to be present or observe when a male client needs a cath or other personal procedure, beyond whoever might be actually performing the procedure. Do you have some specific examples of that that you have personally observed?

The individuals working in mammography centers are mammography techs, not nurses, who do nothing but mammography. If you know of any males who have completed training as a mammography tech and have been unable to find jobs, I would be interested in hearing about that -- but I'm guessing that men aren't really lining up to become mammography techs.

Specializes in Hospice / Ambulatory Clinic.

My male classmates got shut out of few interesting deliveries because the patients didn't give permission for male students

Mammography tech is an on the jobtraining offered to licensed x-raytechs. Male x-ray techs were neveroffered an opportunity to cross train. Currently, there are no malemammo techs in the US. Visit anyurology clinic and the physicianssimply don't staff for their malepatients. If a hospital has a mammoDept, all female L&D unit,than thatfacility is committing gender discrimination and subject to alawsuit if males are not given equalgender care in intimate procedures. In short, with 95 percent of allnurses being female, little privacyis offered to male patients. Thatin itself speaks volumes about howlittle advocating is being done forethe other half of patients.

Specializes in Hospice / Ambulatory Clinic.

Well we can advocate for our male patients but unfortunately we can't force men to be nurses so we can have parity. The same thing being said when I was a patient myself I had male nurse and felt completely fine about. I didn't give it much though because when it came down to it was a nurse who care about my well being and thats what matters.

OP,

I just want to say thank you for being so respectful. I did not see your question as immature or lame or stupid. You were just saying that you did not want to be there if a woman was uncomfortable with it. Sure, that might be a little naive, but it is incredibly thoughtful for you to show so much respect for someone else's privacy. I think that very attitude shows what an excellent nurse you will make!

I don't really need to repeat everyone else, but really, most women understand that your help isn't embarrassing...especially if you handle it professionally. So I say go for it.

Specializes in Ortho Med\Surg.

Funny, my aunt in Los Angeles had a male do her mammogram 3 years ago...... just sayin'

Ummmm....do you think you wont clean and bathe woman in the ICU???? or insert a Foley or ect???? In any area in Nursing you will be exposed to Genitalia of both Sexes! ----> Senior Nursing Student and Nurse Assistant.

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