I would like opinions from the rest of you guys. It seems everywhere I turn that there is this double standard that men nurses should not be providing care for any of women's intimate needs. I am still in nursing school, but it seems women nurses have no problem caring for either a male or female patient (students included), but men do not have that ability? I just don't quite understand this, when it is not even the patients perogative involved, just these female nurses who think they know "whats best". I would like this taboo to dissappear. Does anyone else see this? Any ideas who to remedy this issue and be able to call a nurse a nurse, and not a male or female nurse, each playing by different rules. I am pretty frustrated.

I'm not male, but I don't see this as an issue in my area of nursing. Our male staff provide the same care to the same patients as the femlae staff do.

doog, you are 100% right, count me in your corner

I'm not a fella, but I work with lots of them. It's funny - just last night, I had a nurse ask me to place a foley in his female patient. It wasn't HER request - he just thought she'd be more comfortable with a female. Of course I did it for him - no problem.. but what I seem to notice is that the younger males in my department (nurses and techs) are more likely to have a "giterdone" attitude and just DO it, unless the patient requests otherwise, while the more mature males tend to ask a female to do these things, even if the patient doesn't comment.

What do you think? Could there be a bit of a generation gap with nurses? Is it more likely that more mature female nurses are the ones *assuming* that a nurse who's male "shouldn't" be doing female care of this sort?

I'm a female, but when I had my baby, I specifically sought out a female OB-GYN, and was extremely uncomfortable answering questions when a male nurse came in my room. It was just too personal.

I would have died if I was in recovery (from a C-Section) and had a male repetively wiping my bottom and pushing on my stomach to make sure everything was out, tending to my cath, etc.

I do not feel that male nurses are any less capable of taking care of any patient than a female...it's just a matter of personal comfort and dignity to the patient.

When you have a baby, you get exposed enough already.

I guess my point is regardless of the patients wishes, these female nurses are automatically assuming that we (for some reason?) should not be providing care. It really wouldn't be an issue if the patient said they would be more comfortable with a females care, which wouldn't bother me at all, at least I can understand that. I have a big problem just accepting an answer that is "well thats just the way it is" If all people accepted that as an answer, women wouldn't be able to vote, and african americans wouldn't have equal rights. I know these examples are extreme but I really hate this distinction that males can only do " ..." while females can do it all. What can be done to change this?

Originally Posted by augigi

I'm not male, but I don't see this as an issue in my area of nursing. Our male staff provide the same care to the same patients as the femlae staff do.

Have males being nurses been common place in australia for some time? I thinking their maybe some cultural differences between there and here.

Originally Posted by EmerNurse

What do you think? Could there be a bit of a generation gap with nurses? Is it more likely that more mature female nurses are the ones *assuming* that a nurse who's male "shouldn't" be doing female care of this sort?

I'm thinking it is more common with the mature nurses, but it is not limited to them exclusively. I have gotten the same attitude from new 20 something grads as well. I think that the younger patients are more open to male nurses as well.

Originally Posted by BSNtobe2009

I'm a female, but when I had my baby, I specifically sought out a female OB-GYN, and was extremely uncomfortable answering questions when a male nurse came in my room. It was just too personal.

I would have died if I was in recovery (from a C-Section) and had a male repetively wiping my bottom and pushing on my stomach to make sure everything was out, tending to my cath, etc.

I do not feel that male nurses are any less capable of taking care of any patient than a female...it's just a matter of personal comfort and dignity to the patient.

When you have a baby, you get exposed enough already.

I am totally with you, as a patient if you feel uncomfortable with a male nurse then you should get a female nurse no questions asked. My issue lies with being told point blank I can't take care of a female patient simply because I am male, without the patient even being given the option.

Originally Posted by CHATSDALE

doog, you are 100% right, count me in your corner

I knew I wasn't the only one, and my guess is this attitude is the norm rather than the exception, and I really dislike it. Whether we are male or female we obtain the same knowledge through school and experience, why should our care be limited do to our genitalia?