attitudes of male and female patients towards male nursing students

psalm, RN · Mar 24, 2009

This has been an interesting thread for me, a female nursing student, to read. I have a strong preference for female nurses, doctors, carpet shampooers, accountants, etc. I am an assault survivor and just being physically close to a man in such a vulnerable way (almost naked with him standing over me on a bed) is enough to make me short of breath. For me to take care of a man is not so traumatic, but to be at the mercy of a man who could easily chose to hurt me or abuse me is terrifying. Plus the whole hospital would leap to his defense and I would be accused of lying, trying to get rich by sueing or some other horrible scenario... Please don't take it personally when a patient prefers a female, it may have more to do with a man who died years ago than it does with the male nurse.

I pray you are getting help for this. I, too, am an assault survivor and incest survivor. I find that certain male characteristics can cause my radar to go up and I can get very tense around men who have the combination of all the characteristics of my attackers. It takes lots of time to heal.

I work with a great group of men; a few who have "the characteristics" and I am not scared of them. But with a stranger I might get tense.

leemacaz · Mar 25, 2009

the ladies are not the only ones who have had a bad experience with the opposite gender....Do they accept that a male may cringe and request a male without feeling that it is a personal rejection? Do they think that a male should be given the same consideration as the female patient? I hope so...no one should be forced to undergo the mental anguish...just a thought on providing a parity in care..and not implying that any nurse is unqualified based on gender.

amateur · Jul 14, 2009

for me, the real problem lies within the head of the individual. i mean, todays are the times of the survival of the thickest faces and he who lets things enter his mind (the negative attitudes of people towards) will likely get confused and troubled.

nursing is about patients so this is an easier thought to think: "i am here to provide you my very caring and best nursing services and if you don't like me or it, well it's your loss."