Re: Male Nurses/female Patients

In nursing school back in the mid-70's we were taught and expected to provide care to male or female patients. I remember being taught and having to provide perineal care during our ob-gyne rotation. Later as an RN, I did caths and care but usually on elderly patients. If a patient was young I sought the assistance of a female colleague. And even later in NP practice, we 'did it all' in the primary care clinics but I had an arrangement with a female NP colleague, she would fit my female patients for diaphragms and I did testicular exams on her young male patients. That was a mutual agreement that we were both comfortable and I think most patients appreciated that as well. I just could not see myself squatting to demonstrate the diaphragm (ouch!)

Now as a Muslim, I will seek assistance unless it is an emergency then one must do what is necessary in a life-threatening situation, meaning rules of touch, etc., are dispensed with.

Re: Male Nurses/female Patients

There tends to be a double standard when it comes to doing procedures. Male nurses are treated differently then female nurses. There are hospitals in the Bible belt that will not let males nurses take care of females, but female can take care of both.
We as male nurses need to protect ourselves as nurse that means having a female be it family member or co-worker present when doing these procedures, If not for any other purpose then to CYA. Most hospitals have such P&Ps. However there are nurses that will pass the buck because they do not want to do it and that is wrong. I always ask female patients if they want female for what ever procedure that involves seeing their genitalia out of respect. Most of the time they do not care. I find if you are respectful then you are not going to have a problem. I also had female nurse make a big deal out of me having to clean up a elderly female,( not really a problem for me but she requested a female nurse) but when it came to a young female then I was treat like a perv. I say they deserve the same respect. The point is that we have to live and work within a double standard whether we like it or not.

Re: Male Nurses/female Patients

I am finding the general norm is that us males nurses do not find it unusual or perverted to care for both sexes of patients, but the attorneys whom represent the hospitals find otherwise. In school we are taught without our sex in mind. We are taught to clinically assess and administer our profession without boundaries, why then are we constricted in practice? The answer lies within the walls of our hospitals. The nursing profession is controlled by females, with a 20-1 ratio between the sexes. If charge nurses discriminate, and allow other nurses to discriminate, then we will be discriminated against. It's nature....

Normally, the patient will be left to decide - male or female? But what do we do when there is no female about? Do we take the chance that we will be reported for failing/delaying to do our duty or do we provide the care required? Both are reportable actions - so which is it? I would like to see some females answer that question....

Re: Male Nurses/female Patients

Originally Posted by rolland542

Normally, the patient will be left to decide - male or female? But what do we do when there is no female about? Do we take the chance that we will be reported for failing/delaying to do our duty or do we provide the care required? Both are reportable actions - so which is it? I would like to see some females answer that question....

OK, best answer I can think of under the circumstances...explain to the patient why the care is necessary and that there is no female nurse available at this time. If the patient still refuses the care, DOCUMENT the whole thing, explanation, refusal, etc. The patient may try to charge the hospital with being inadequately staffed, or some such nonsense, but they can't sue you for your gender. And the patient has the right to refuse medical care. If you document that you attempted to provide it, but the patient refused, you should not be held liable.

Emma "No further questions, your honor" Peel

Re: Male Nurses/female Patients

If a patient refuses your care you document it. Thoroughly. You don't proceed as patients have the right to refuse medical care. Period. I would let your CN know of the refusal as well to further protect yourself.

Re: Male Nurses/female Patients

Like many of the posters here, I've traded off with my colleagues whenever possible when a patient has requested a nurse or CNA of the same gender. However, if staff are of one gender (say, all female) and there's a male patient who doesn't want a female assisting him with personal care, I'll let him know that it will be X amount of time before a male staff member can come from another floor. Sometimes it might be a long time before a staff swap can be made. Occasionally it might not be possible if it's a busy night. In that case, the patient's wishes might not be accommodated and we'll explain that as best as possible, be respectful and treat him with as much dignity and safety as we can. I remember one guy who said he had to stand to urinate, but he'd had so much opiate medication it wasn't really safe to let him stand. The compromise was allowing him to hold the bottle with one hand, letting him hold the gurney rail with the other hand, and his wife (who'd never, apparently, in 20 years of marriage, been in the bathroom with him, either) clutched him around the waist, facing the other way, and I waited just outside the curtain for what seemed like forever. Yikes.

Re: Male Nurses/female Patients

As a male RN, I will perform any task I am ordered to do on any patient regardless of sex. I do, however, work together with my female coworkers to make the patients as comfortable as possible. I can't give you exact numbers, but I would imagine that a female patient would prefer a female RN performing/assisting in a pelvic exam and/or urinary catheter. Another problem is that it is unsafe for a male RN to be in a room alone with a female patient when performing these skills. It is easier in the ED where I work for a coworker to do it themselves instead of just standing in as a chaperone. I return the favor to my female employees without hesitation.

Re: Male Nurses/female Patients

I might suggest that a patient, male or female, who insists on a same gender caregiver, is not
necessarily refusing care. Even if same gender care isn't available. Refusing care is one thing. Being uncomfortable
with the gender of the caregiver for certain personal procedures is something else. I would be
careful about documenting that the patient is refusing care unless you're certain that he or she is specifically
refusing care, not the gender of the caregiver.