OB Rotation is Hell

Doulalove,
This is a really interesting thread. I think it speaks to a greater reality than just L&D, but what is the role of a man in nursing...how is that different than a woman in nursing? What exactly is the nature of nursing? As far as L&D is concerned, it is also often a matter of cultural differences why men may be asked to leave the room. Where does cultural sensitivity end, and the need to learn begin...because nursing schools have ordered men to learn maternal nursing. And then the various male nursing students themselves also come with their own cultural biases. For many of these male students, this may be the first time they have come face to face with the birth experience. It is an awesome thing. We should all approach nursing with dignity and awe, and try to get our ego out of the way. Easier said than done.

My OB rotation was great. It's all about your clinical instructor and how they set the tone.

I had a great experience in maternity. I had clinicals at a facility that had separate labor and delivery and postpartum units. I was rejected by a couple of patients, but I did not take it personally. I understood whythe pt and FOB would not want me in there, especially for vaginal deliveries. However, for CS the patients did not really care. I actually brought up to the nurse manager that I would love to work there if they would hire me. She said that hiring a male nurse may be a bit counterproductive considering that some patients may refuse a male nurse. She did add that she believes that it will be great to have male nurses on either units, and that the NICU and Nursery are open though, i think that babies do not usually care if your male or female.

That is really too bad. All OB experience has been wonderful and ALL of the mothers I have been paired with have been so great to work with.

I am doing my OB rotation now. It's pretty awesome. To tell you the truth, I was scared crapless because of the things I have read on this board. Some of the guys had horror stories, and I just figured I would be sitting at the nurses station all the time. I havent been asked to leave a room yet, and I have done antepartum, intrapartum, and postpartum.
My instructor, who is awesome herself, knew the apphrension I was feeling,and broke me in slowly. The nurses have been great to work with and the patients have been very receptive, so far. I have 5 more weeks to go...Its not going to be my chosen field, but I have to say, I am really glad I was able to do it.

I just had to reapond to the thread about the male student nurse and discrimination. Firstly, as a student in a clinical rotation, you are a guest of the facility and not an employee. Therefore all patients at ANY clinical facility has the right to deny you access. Women would be much less likely to reject a "real" male nurse who walks into the room and says, "hi, Im ----and I'll be your nurse". When the student nurse asks the patient if they are okay with them observing it gives the patient an out, so to speak. It makes it a lot easier to say "no".

Secondly, EVERY patient has a right to ask for a different nurse if they want one. Just like they have a right to ask for a different doctor if they want to. They can ask for a different nurse on any basis. If they don't like the nurse because he/she is black, or if he/she is white, or if he/she is just not the right personality. It doesn't matter, when it comes to healthcare, the patient is king. And that's the way it shoule be. We can't dictate to patients what thier values should be. Like it or not, medicine and nursing, are in the service industry. If the patient is not comfortable, for whatever reason, right or wrong, they have the right to ask for someone else.

just had my first two weeks of OB rotation. large N.NJ hospital i'd say 40 bed LD unit with high risk preg common.
let me preface this with my wife had a little girl 4 months ago so i'm not new to the whole experience. my daughter is fine c-sec (water broke @38 weeks/failure to progress after 32 hours of pit running...so yueaahhh) birth so i've seen a little of what is what.
taken care of 3 babies, taken care of 6 mothers
all but one mother was compliant with helping me further my education and palpate her fundus.
what really was most shocking was the attitude of one my fellow nursing students.
he was in LD and saw a vaginal birth with epsitomy and turned so white i thought he was going to faint.
nurses are hit or miss. some younger one's were queen beeing me all night. other more experienced nurses smiled back when i said hi with a smile.

yeah. just thought i'd share that.

Hospital racist given jail term


Robertson went to the hospital to be treated for a head wound

An assault victim who said he did not want to be treated by a black doctor at Stirling Royal Infirmary has been jailed for three and a half months.
John Robertson, 29, came to the hospital with a head wound, after being attacked while he was drunk.
He was abusive to nurses, and when they told him he needed a doctor he made the racist comment.
Robertson pleaded guilty at Stirling Sheriff Court to racially-aggravated breach of the peace.
The court was told that Robertson, from Stirling, had been "considerably under the influence of alcohol" when the incident took place on 4 November.
Sheriff David Stewart told Robertson: "This was a doubly serious offence.
"The abuse of another race is a very serious matter, and the courts will not tolerate such behaviour.
"It took place in a hospital where people were trying to help you. Your response to that help was to shout and swear.
"Attention had to be paid to you, when there were no doubt more deserving cases in the hospital requiring treatment."

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/...al/7735971.stm

They sure as hell don't have that right just because the nurse is black, a guy, gay, whatever.

We're not talking about buying cars or TVs here, this is healthcare. It'd be utterly ridiculous for a woman to refuse a black nurse, hiding behind the excuse that she was 'abused' by a black guy awhile back, and it's ridiculous here for the same reason, or any reason at all simply based on gender.

I understand if a nurse or doctor is doing something specifically to make you uncomfortable. By all means, ask for someone else. But just because of simply who they are? That is sexist, discriminatory, and there is no sugar-coating you can put on it to justify it, and if you feel that way, you are an embarrassment to us all.

Before going into my L & D rotation and PP rotation i was slightly hesitant because I felt that I wasn't going to be able to do much or make the patient uncomfortable around me, being that I'm a 20 year old male nursing student. The 6 days on my PP rotation went actually well and I found it, like in med-surg, if I was comfortable and confident in my actions then the patient was also comfortable. I was able to carry-out all of my assessments successfully and they didn't seem uncomfortable while I was doing so. During my 2-day L&D rotation, I was able to start two foley catheters on patients, start a few IVs, watch 3 vag deliveries, and 2 C/S. All of the patients in L&D were welcoming and made conversation easily with me and made me feel comfortable around them. And most of the nurses and doctors were very helpful. It may be that I live in Hawaii and everyone is naturally helpful and nice; but that could go either way. But for the record, I like med-surg better but it was a good experience.