attitudes of male and female patients towards male nursing students

MQ Edna · Nov 5, 2005

mmm....Teeitup seems a little insecure. How can you refuse a male nurse when you're a male nurse yourself, seems a little hippocritical to me. As a student I had one little older woman who refused a male student (med/Surg), no problems in OB, and now that I've been a nurse for almost two years I have never had a pt. refuse me, male or female.

Tweety, BSN, RN · Nov 5, 2005

I think it's o.k. to have a preference with which sex you're comfortable or not comfortable with. While I know male and female nurses and doctors are equally competent, I prefer men, especially with the intimate exams or treatments.

However, if a female doctor or nurse was assigned to take care of me I wouldn't request a male, I'd leave it be. My insurance is at my own hospital so if I'm a patient there, I will raise a stink if a female coworker wants to put a foley in me or give me a bath, sorry, it's going to be a male coworker or my bladder explodes and I stink. LOL

For once, I don't feel the need to flame Teeituptom. He's allowed a preference. :)

To the original poster, I don't know how patients feel about male nursing students, but from what I've seen on my unit it hasn't been a big issue. I think instructors need to be mindful in making assignments.

royr · Nov 9, 2005

I have been finding that as a male nursing student it is sometimes harder than it has to be to gain trust and acceptance. I have found it to be a rule rather than an exception that because we are a highly visible member of any nursing team, male nurses often compensate by working toward perfection in both accedemic and clinical skills. If your female classmates are happy with grades of 90%, you will find yourself reaching for the 100% mark on every oportunity. This also causes problems in clinicals for us over achieving male nurses, because often patients will refuse care from the less skilled. (your higher skill level will be due to endless hours of painfull extra practice until you get the task perfect every try) Other members of the team will become insulted when your patient insists on you, the nurse of choice after you have proven yourself and gained the patients trust. This situation is making my clinicals harder than they should be for me. I have one patient in particular that does not let me leave my shift on time. Any suggestions will be of help.:)

tankmp · Nov 9, 2005

" Attitudes of male and female patients towards male nursing students"
This is our topic for our nursing research. Im having a hard time looking for some related literature..but, fortunately, allnurses.com made it a little bit easy. However, latest statistics on number of male nurses in our country( Philippines) is really hard to find in the internet..

Currently I am working as a male BSN in India. Personally I feel that while working with the commuinity, clients usually prefer to communicate more with the male nurses. 20 years of nursing carrier in my life I never find any client or patient who dont prefer male nurses.

In our state there is a male vs female nurses bias. Male nurses have least option for upgrading their education. ie male nurses are not allowed to join midwifery course !!!!! eventhough male gynecologist can practise and male nurses are not!!!!!!

This type lack of training block the international carreer of male nurses. We 40 male nurses have cleared CGFNS Exam with/above 600 marks and we cannot go abroad because in our transcript shows lack of theoritical and clinical experience in Maternal, Child & obstratic nursing. Not single nursing shool is ready to provide experience in above mentioned subject only because we are not allowed to practise MCH.!!!!!!!!!

I often see state nursing policy favours female nurses only in my state. To raise hour hand on policies or issues many times we have to go to the court. which is very expensive in India.

Furthermore, overall 10 percent male nurses are serving in our community. usally they are excellent in their education carrier, they are hard working, good ablity to establish good contact with medical communities , other staffs, community and patients. Majority of them received awards from the community.

While working with female nurses we never find any problem with each other. But I do not understand why regulatory bodies are making such policies.

karenG · Nov 9, 2005

I have been finding that as a male nursing student it is sometimes harder than it has to be to gain trust and acceptance. I have found it to be a rule rather than an exception that because we are a highly visible member of any nursing team, male nurses often compensate by working toward perfection in both accedemic and clinical skills. If your female classmates are happy with grades of 90%, you will find yourself reaching for the 100% mark on every oportunity. This also causes problems in clinicals for us over achieving male nurses, because often patients will refuse care from the less skilled. (your higher skill level will be due to endless hours of painfull extra practice until you get the task perfect every try) Other members of the team will become insulted when your patient insists on you, the nurse of choice after you have proven yourself and gained the patients trust. This situation is making my clinicals harder than they should be for me. I have one patient in particular that does not let me leave my shift on time. Any suggestions will be of help.:)

Please dont stress that a patient prefers you to other nurses. Rather take it as a compliment that you are doing your job well and the patient trusts you. I work in general practice and my patients have the choice of which nurse or doctor they see... some flatly refuse to see me because they dont like my style, others will only see me. Its a patients right to choose and its something we should accept. I would far rather the patient felt comfortable and able to talk to someone about their problems, than see me and not feel able to me the problems. The nurses you work with have a problem, not you.

perfection... hmm from reading this and bits that other posters have written, there seems to a culture of being a high achiever in the states.. you all seem to want to get 100% in exams. me... a good pass will do because I do have a life outside nursing... I'm learing to be a fencing coach as well as doing a masters..........and lets be honest- no one has ever asked me what grades I got during my degree! so if I can get good passes with my masters course work.. I will be happy.

good luck..

Karen

royr · Nov 9, 2005

Thank you Karen. I have having trouble with keeping everything going doing the juggling act with all balls in the air so to speak. In addition to school, I do have a life, although not a very exciting one. My wife requires my care at home, as does my daughter. I am constantly running from classes to take care of things on the home front, and then back to school. Thankfully things are improving, as the seventh surgury attempt has by God's good grace restored my wifes eyesight (she had been incapacitated by a birth trauma causing multiple health issues, infection and blindness). With no living grandparents or close family I have had to do the best I can to raise my daughter and care for my wife. I have a small house and a morgage with bills to pay. Gas for the truck and food are getting more expensive every day. I think I should adopt your idea of doing enough to pass and enjoy more quality time with my wife and daughter. I have no social life. Socializing has been hard to do since I really don't know anyone here yet, as we moved to this area simply to attend the college of nursing that accepted me so late in life. I am less than half unpacked, and have been moved in for 6 months. Time is my most precious commodity, as I can't ever seem to find time to sleeo much.

Raevyn · Nov 9, 2005

I am in my last semester GRADUATION IN 30 DAYS.. WOOHOOO (um okay.. with that being said.. heheheh)... we have 5 men in our nursing class... and you know what.. I would take them as a nurse before I would let some of the women in my class take care of me.

There was an article written about our class.. (cause we have the most men ever going back to school.. these men were in a previous life before nursing school, a cop, a fireman, a land broker, a paramedic and a computer programmer)...

One of our Male Members... Loui... made a statement and it was printed in the paper... we still laugh about it:

"Real men aren't afraid to wear Pink Scrubs!"

I think for people who are in our profession, or students thereof who do not support men coming into this wonderful profession... just really do not have the spirit of nursing... it doesn't matter the color of the person nor the gender... a helping hand in a time of need is grasped without looking between the legs!

(im gettin of my soap box now)

YOU GO GUYS!!!! YOUR"E AWESOME!!!!!

HUGS

:balloons: Rae

Bipley · Nov 11, 2005

The two times I have been inpatient I specifically requested a male nurse. I wouldn't do that if I was an inpatient in my own hospital, but when I don't work with the guys after my discharge I request men. However I didn't have to disrobe for any of them or anything similar. I do it for a couple of reasons, the main one being that rarely does any female request a male nurse.

If we can prefer male doctors, what's the big deal about requesting a male nurse? My last male nurse was the best in the business. If I was really going through a rough medical issue and I needed someone with absolutely the best skills... I'd request him again in a heartbeat.

As I wrote on another thread, I also don't make for the best of patients. If he can go home at night without wanting to cut his wrists after taking care of me for that shift, the man deserves metal.

If we female nurses don't set some standards, who will?

Balder_LPN, LPN · Nov 14, 2005

I have encountered no patient issues yet.

The only time my "maleness" has been any issue was early in nursing school a few of the women, a few times perhaps, would start talking "girl talk" ie periods, cramps, sex life at home, how bad men are, that type of stuff, and then look at me and say "maybe you dont want to hear this" and I just shrugged and said "well if a little discussion on (whatever the subject) bothers me, then I should find somewhere else to spend my time than nursing school!"

:uhoh3:

teeituptom, BSN, RN · Nov 14, 2005

I am in my last semester GRADUATION IN 30 DAYS.. WOOHOOO (um okay.. with that being said.. heheheh)... we have 5 men in our nursing class... and you know what.. I would take them as a nurse before I would let some of the women in my class take care of me.
There was an article written about our class.. (cause we have the most men ever going back to school.. these men were in a previous life before nursing school, a cop, a fireman, a land broker, a paramedic and a computer programmer)...
One of our Male Members... Loui... made a statement and it was printed in the paper... we still laugh about it:
"Real men aren't afraid to wear Pink Scrubs!"
I think for people who are in our profession, or students thereof who do not support men coming into this wonderful profession... just really do not have the spirit of nursing... it doesn't matter the color of the person nor the gender... a helping hand in a time of need is grasped without looking between the legs!
(im gettin of my soap box now)
YOU GO GUYS!!!! YOUR"E AWESOME!!!!!
HUGS
:balloons: Rae

Thank you

But I dont and wont wear Pink Scrubs or pink anything else for that matter

Just not a pink kind of guy I guess

nursemike, ASN, RN · Nov 15, 2005

I have encountered no patient issues yet.
The only time my "maleness" has been any issue was early in nursing school a few of the women, a few times perhaps, would start talking "girl talk" ie periods, cramps, sex life at home, how bad men are, that type of stuff, and then look at me and say "maybe you dont want to hear this" and I just shrugged and said "well if a little discussion on (whatever the subject) bothers me, then I should find somewhere else to spend my time than nursing school!"

I usually tell them, "That's okay, I'm a nurse, I know about this stuff..."

A fair number of the nurses on my unit are guys, and some of our conversations are probably not appropriate for mixed company. Things like which CNA I wouldn't mind giving me a bed bath, or whether the charge nurse is exhibiting PMS symptoms. Typically, I don't think these conversations are overheard by anyone likely to be offended by them, so I have to wonder why some women have trouble showing similar discretion.

To a certain extent, I think there is sometimes a little testing going on--they're evaluating our ability to be "one of the girls." A guy who screams and faints over menstruation probably is in the wrong field, and plenty of gender-neutral nurse talk is not for the faint-hearted. I was talking to an aide one day who said she had been having abdominal pain for a couple of days, and before I even thought about it I asked this pretty girl, half my age, how long it had been since her last BM. Haven't yet tried that as an opening line at the local pub, but it is kind of amazing how different a world nursing can be.

I do think some of these discussions can be helpful, in a way. Getting a little desensitized in casual discourse may make it easier to approach such matters in a clinical setting. You can't do a thorough history on a woman of childbearing age without addressing reproductive issues, so getting used to it is probably not a bad idea.

teeituptom, BSN, RN · Nov 15, 2005

Welcome to the wonderfull world of nursing