Any male nurses on your OB unit???

Specialties Ob/Gyn

Published

I just have to ask this one, because we have a newly-just passed boards-older male nurse that works on our med surg unit, and when our OB unit is short staffed, we pull from the med surg floor to help us. Well, last week we were short 2 different noc shifts and this new nurse was pulled to work back in the OB unit.

Needless to say, he let it be known that he did not like it back there and was even making sneering comments about having to JUST ROCK babies all shift! WE all got the impression that he thought it was beneath himself to float to OB!!!

I find this interesting, because we have 2 other male nurses.. one on medsurg and one from ER that have no problem floating to help us. THey actually enjoy the change of scenery on occassion!

Was just curious if anyone has a male nurse that regularly works on their unit and if so what do your pts think of it!!! I had a young good looking single male RN with my first baby when I was 19, and I was very uncomfortable with HIM changing my chuxs and checking my stitches!!!:uhoh3:

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There has been a couple of occasions when we had a male nurse pulled to ob that i can remember. (once in nsy and once on ob hall). the one that came to ob hall just got vitals and ran errands, etc. i dont think they complained or anything. as a matter of fact, i think it was the same guy. not for certain, though.

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Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.

Where I work, we don't have any men employed on our OB unit however we DO have agency nurses who are male and work w/us on occasion. THEY ARE OUTSTANDING....just like w/anything else, if a person is stuck somewhere he/she HATES to be, it is rough for them and the unit they float to. If a person LOVES what he is doing, chances are, he will excel at it and do it with few complaints. This man does not sound so different....

You have to realize, OB is NOT everyone's cup of tea, and I have seen many female nurses who hated it there as much as this man you describe. It's not a male/female thing, just a nurse being stuck working where he does NOT want to be and feels uncomfortable. Let us leave it at that.

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I am male and next week my clinical rotation is on OB on evenings and I can't wait! I think the entire roatation is going to be fascinating!

And as far as it being "beneath me" to rock the lil' ones - I have never in my life ever even seen a single solitary wee one that I didn't absolutely, positively fall head over heels in love with! Let me get my hands on one and they are going to have to force me to go home at the end of my shift!

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Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.

WE DO MORE THAN ROCK BABIES, though, in case you wondered.

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ooo000ooo I am well aware of this LOL - Tis why I said I can't wait and that I believe it is going to be fascinating!

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What does his being male have to do with his comments? I once worked with a female nurse who would hit her patients, she was reported over and over but for some reason was allowed to continue working. Does that mean that being female was the reason she hit patients or that all female nurses abuse their patients? NO!

it sounds like you realize this because you mention that their are other men that don't mind floating to your unit and do just fine. So I wonder why the post was tittled the way it was.

If I had to guess I would bet that this nurse was nervous about coming to OB and because of that made it sound like it was beneath him. OB tends to be very intimidating to men in nursing and their is an unstated but blatantly clear message that it is odd for a man to work in this area. what a stupid thing to say about rocking babies lol .. I get to hold the baby while I am transferring it to the Ohio and then when I hand it to the SO.

There are 2 male nurses working o my unit of which I am 1. I have never had a complaint from a patient and am requested very often by patients who's sisters or friends I have cared for.

I worked PP for a year and a half and have been doing L&D about 8 or 9 months now. during that time I have had 5 patients ask me get them a female nurse, this included the 2 Muslims I was assigned to by charge nurses who wanted to embarrass me. that leaves 3 patients, out the hundreds I have cared for that preferred a female and those 3 were back at the hospital I used to work at where other nurses would warn my patients about me and offer to request a female for them.

I work at a great place now and haven't had the "male issue" come up. The first hospital I worked at I was treated pretty badly by other nurses. I was accused of some very awful things, given heavy patient loads, yelled at, teased and set up.

There are 3 reactions I get from patients

#1 and most common, they don't bat an eye and don't seem to think twice about my gender.

#2 They are surprised when i first walk in the room but within minuets seem to forget about my gender.

#3 at the end of my shift they tell me that at first they were surprised to have a man for a nurse but that they appreciated my care and are glad I was their nurse.

I know what your thinking, "of course they don't tell him, they just keep their real feeling to them selves".

Well that first hospital I worked at, had to make sure I wasn't as awful as all the staff said I was. So for 6 weeks they secretly interviewed each of my patients. They asked, about quality of care and how comfortable they were with me. I never once got any bad reports and all of the documented responses were the same as the ones I listed above. I have talked with Male Obstetricians and they say these are the same reactions they get when they see patients for their female partners.

I can understand that it concerns you and that you wonder how your patients feel about having a male nurse. If he is a good and caring nurse they most likely aren't going to have a problem with it.

Concern is a good thing but please be careful not to let that concern turn into something else like the nurses I used to work with did.

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Originally posted by bedpan

I am male and next week my clinical rotation is on OB on evenings and I can't wait! I think the entire roatation is going to be fascinating!

I was absolutely dreading this rotation. It turned out to be awesome.

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Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.

do those women who object to a male RN also object to a male MD handling their care?

just wondering...

I have never seen a female patient refuse a male to care for her where I work yet.

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Funny thing was that the 3 who did ask for a female nurse all had male doctors =P

I once asked an out of town patient why she had come to my town to deliver. She said she had wanted a female doctor. this was after I had been her nurse threw out her entire labor and delivery. I said "oh I'm sorry we should have gotten you a female nurse too then". She said oh no you were great, it didn't both me a bit". lol go figure

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Specializes in OB, Telephone Triage, Chart Review/Code.

At the hospital where I work, they do NOT allow male nurses in L&D. I don't know about Postpartum. We had a male floated to us in Nbn Nursery though.

I once worked in a hospital that had a male RN in L&D. I didn't hear of any problems with him. I was working Mother/Baby at the time.

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Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.

how do they get away w/that Debbie? That is blatant discrimination.

I am floored.

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