by trefer84

Updated Nov 03, 2008 at 01:06 AM by trefer84

Hello everyone, I am a 24 year old CNA. I have been working as a CNA for a little over 4 months at my local hospital. It is listed as one of the top 100 hospitals in the nation, so I am very glad to have this job. I have had a few things that struck me kinda odd working with mostly women. I am a straight male as well. I will just list the things that have bothered me working at this hospital.

#1 I have had a female nurse look at my crotch and say to another nurse that I was packing. I guess she thought I could not hear her, but I have great hearing. I guess it's not terrible, but I know if I mentioned something like that to another guy and was heard, I would probably be reported for doing so.
#2 I have had female patients tell me they didn't want me to help them use the bathroom, but have never had a male say no.
#3 I was in a patients room with the door closed doing peri care on a lady when the door opens up without knocking at a float pool nurse told me I needed to get a patient I was not even assigned to a glass of water. The core charge nurse overheard this and took her asside to explain why that was uncalled for.
#4 I had a male lpn tell me not to get a patient up in the chair because it was too much work. I don't really care how hard it is to get a patient up, because I know sitting in bed all day does no good for your body.
#5 There is a lot of gossip and dramma which I could care less for that seems to go on during the shifts.
#6 I get asked to lift patients all day. I don't have a problem helping out, but after moving a 400 pound lady 3 times.. my back does not feel so hot. I wish we had more males working on our floor.
#7 I am almost always the only male working on our floor. We have two other male cna's, but they work the night shift. I can't really jump in and talk with women about men and all that gossip stuff without wanting to jump off a bridge.

I love my job and it makes me feel great to be able to make some ones life that much better because of the care I gave them. I get a long with a lot of the patients and bs with them over talking to a lot of the female staff.

Do any of you guys have the same complaints? I don't complain to any one and these are not serious complaints really.

Re: So I am a male Cna at a hospital

Welcome!

It sounds like you have some legitimate complaints, but also like you are taking them pretty well in stride. Good for you. I think there will always be a few women who may pounce on an opportunity to behave as badly as they feel men have, but I know many who are glad to see men in the field, and not just for your back. I hope as you get to know your coworkers better, you'll find some who can be good friends. Some of my favorite co-workers are women, and we have some pretty lively discussions, at times.
If nothing else, when estrogen levels get high, you can gather some good intel on the other side, at a time when you're young enough to do you some good. If I had known at your age some of the things I've learned at my age...well, I might not have lived to be my age.
I haven't noticed any of my coworkers checking out my crotch, and I can't say I would appreciate it a lot. I do get a little bit of sexual harassment, but it's generally playful. I've known guys in other lines of work who couldn't distinguish between flirtatious and nasty, but the gals I work with can flirt without making you feel threatened or put down.
I find I also get "hit on" by patients rather more than I would ever have expected. About 90% of it is little old ladies having a harmless giggle. A couple of times, women more my age have seemed to be hinting they might like to pursue a relationship beyond nurse-patient. It's hard to tell how much is transference--they're in the hospital and feel dependent because of it. Some may just be lonely. Either way, it can seem a little tricky to keep things professional but avoid being distant.
But it does get easier. I have to admit, the situation seemed even more unsettling when the patient was not a female, but the same rules seemed to apply.
Opinions can vary on being "used" for your muscles. The last shift I worked, I was asked to go to a neighboring unit because they had a patient on the floor and needed help to get him up. It is, unfortunately, a problem we encounter a lot on my unit, and I was able to draw on experience from my previous position, in which getting patients out-of-bed or back to bed was a major part. So instead of getting myself, my coworkers, and the patient hurt, I was able to organize a safer lift that didn't really require a male presence. In other words, it was my brain that got used for that lift. My back was just one of six that didn't get hurt. I do get requested to help turn or pull a patient up in bed pretty regularly, but it usually only takes a few seconds, and I get plenty of help when I need it.

Anyway, best of luck in your endeavors. Sounds like you've got a pretty good handle on it. And while I'm sure you'll hear it more than a few times, if you find you're enjoying being a CNA, do strongly consider getting a nursing degree. You are already overcoming some of the same challenges, and there is definitely a place in nursing for caring, talented guys.

Re: So I am a male Cna at a hospital

Well both replies have given me some insight of what I 'might' expect to hear after as I peruse my nursing degree. Again, I want you to know that you seem be taking everything quite well, trefer84, and hopefully nothing will get you down about it. Also, I hope there isn't too much more heavy lifting for you.

Re: So I am a male Cna at a hospital

I too am a male CNA working around mainly women. I feel your pain.

There is gossip and drama all around me as well. I ignore it and do my job. I'm not particularly social. I am old enough to have had a few bad experiences being in the gender minority at work so I am not particularly social...especially when it comes to some of the younger CNA's who are just troublemakers. I just find its less stressful that way.

As for women making comments about your body or bodily organs, I guess its easier for a straight male. I, on the other hand, don't hesitate to tell any co-worker when that kind of comment is out of line. I'm sorry I just don't get paid enough to tolerate personal comments unrelated to work especially when, as you said, had I made those comments to a woman it would have been sexual harrassment.

Re: So I am a male Cna at a hospital

how much do cna's make?

Re: So I am a male Cna at a hospital

I make around $16.00 now. I think I'm pretty much maxed out and burned out..

Re: So I am a male Cna at a hospital

hello there. I was distured at what your co-worker said about you in #1 - THATS SEXUAL HARASSMENT. Plain and Simple. If the tables were turned you would be written up in a heartbeat. What that co-worker said was unprofessional and can create a hostile working environment. WRITE THAT CO-WORKER UP STAT!

As far as being in guy in a female dominated profession, it gets better over time. You will develop thick skin. I work with many excellant females. I have a select few (can count on 1 hand) who always seem to be in a bad mood 24/7. Either ignore it Or offer them a Hershey's chocolate bar. Kill'em with kindness.

Good Luck

Re: So I am a male Cna at a hospital

Originally Posted by rvcnaguy

I make around $16.00 now. I think I'm pretty much maxed out and burned out..

Wow, wish I made $16/hr...

Re: So I am a male Cna at a hospital

I am working right now in the ICU as a nurse and I am a male. Two things that bugged me.

#1 Despite this being every man's dream (or you are stuffing your scrubs with something...only kidding) I would talk to the nurse about this. Plain and simple this is sexual harrasment. If a male doctor said this about an RN breasts what do you think would happen? Deep s#!@t There is no, and I mean no reason you should have to put up with that. Talk to her, then go up the chain of command if it continues. You are a health care professional and part of the care team, not something to stare at.
#6, You should not have to be the only one to lift patients. It doesn't matter how strong you are. Get more people to help or talk to your charge about getting lift devices. My hospital is now has a "no lift policy" meaning we have technology and do not have to lift. Essentially I can reposition a 300 lb unconsicous pt with the push of a button. People still call me in to help, and I either make them use the lift or get more people. Our demographic (young men) have the highest rate of back injuries among nurses for that reason. You are young and if you want to have a lasting career in nursing I would start lifting smarter.

I also don't let people call me a male nurse. Sometimes I look at them and say with a smile "Well I take care of female patients as well." How would someone else like it if I called them a Female Doctor or Female Engineer? It doesn't bug me, just annoys me

Re: So I am a male Cna at a hospital

Like the others have already mentioned, the main remark by the other staff member was out of line, inappropriate, and unprofessional. Definitely needs to be reported and written up so that others don't have to go through the same harrassment as you already have. The second thing regarding lifting, I know where you are coming from. many of us males in the nursing profession can over lift our female counterparts and thus are heavily relied upon. Gets old? Definitely and I wish many times that they would learn to trust each other as they do so often when we aren't around. But, when we are present we are seen as cheap slave labor in their eyes many times. I encourage the use of lift devices, transfer sheets, slide boards, gait belts, etc. to make our jobs easier and safer for our patients. I have been working on getting a no-lift policy in effect at our hospital or at least have a designated lift team for some time now. Since being in healthcare (just over 3 years now), I have been called on numerous occasions for patients who have fallen, transfers to bed/chair, and from stretcher/bed/chair/etc. We use PT when we get the chance to, but they aren't always around when you need them, so we are forced to do the lifting on our own.