Required to watch circumcision?

[CrunchyMama]

I'm a nursing student and unfortunately will be starting my OB rotation in a couple weeks. I'm against circumcision and I'm wondering if nursing students are "required" to assist or at least witness circ? I'm doing my clinical during 2nd shift so I shouldn't have to worry about refusing to watch due to circs mainly being done in the morning. But I'm just wondering if this is something a nursing student is involved in. Thanks!

[creating_wellness]

As a nursing student, I watched a few circs, learning about the different methods. It was optional to watch. A few students who felt disturbed by the procedure opted out, which was fine by our instructor. I was pretty disturbed, but I also felt it was an important learning experience.

I will not have my future children circumcised. BUT it's an extremely personal choice that each parent should make for themselves, and I would not presume to judge another parent, who, out of love for their child, is doing what they think is best.

I agree with many of the previous posters who have discussed how we as RNs must prioritize the client's beliefs and feelings and withhold our own strong feelings on certain issues-- that's a primary component of culturally competent care!

Now, for me personally, it is a bit tricky though-- since this is a permanent alteration in a human being's anatomy that is being decided for them. It affects their future sexuality, but it depends on how the man decides to feel about it, when he is an adult-- either way-- and there is no way to predict how this future adult will feel about a decision made about his body when he was an infant.

It seems like this issue ALSO falls into the spectrum of advocating for your patient to encourage elective procedures to take place when the patient himself can elect them.

(Oh jeez... that Sex in the City episode about the "sharpei member" comes to mind... AND now I've got the mental picture of a video from psych class where a classmate decided to do a very graphic presentation on female genital mutilation in Africa, complete with screaming five year old girl and unsterile tools and no anesthesia... and NOW I'm thinking about an ex-boyfriend who's intact, and very happy about it...::snaps out of it:: ...back to being 'serious'...)

I digress. As I was saying, on the other hand, as with any other patient who is not legally or clinically competent, these decisions-- which are never easy-- fall on the patient's guardian. As healthcare providers, we must respect that, and endeavor to provide unbiased information.

The trouble is, at the intersection of medical & sexual politics, and the status quo, it becomes difficult to find unbiased information for both options. Does anyone have a good source?

I can empathize with the original poster, because it is a difficult moral dilemma to be in.

[NoCircRN]

I have worked in labor and delivery for over 14 years now and I decline to participate in infant circumcisions. I don't want my name anywhere near that chart in 18 years if that boy decides to sue the MD and hospital for performing a procedure on him that he did not consent to! I am an intactivist and am always educating patients about why they should leave their sons whole and sexually normal. You have a right to object to participating in any procedure that you morally object to, including circumcision and abortion. Good luck in your nursing career.

[NoCircRN]

It is not the parent's decision to make, they are altering a person who can not give consent for this procedure where healthy, functioning tissue is removed. I understand your point but the only person who should be making that decision is the person who's body is being affected. I know many men who are unhappy and physically affected by infant circumcision. When the member of an infant is cut, the physician has no idea how that boy will grow and develop and often times too much skin is cut off and the man has painful erections, more issues with scar tissue, and faces future ED. The foreskin has a purpose and for normal, natural sexual function, men and women need all their genitalia. His Body, His Choice.

[howsoon]

I also am against RIC & have 3 intact sons. During school I (against my initial will) did watch a circ. I am actually glad I did so that I have 1st hand knowledge when arguing against RIC. It was hard to watch & I eventually want to get into L&D & worry about this being part of the job but looking back, I am glad that I have the experience.