Family and PT reactions to male nurses

[Warrior504th]

With some medical professions and even nursing specialties where privacy is of greater concern, or perhaps through the eyes of family who do not experience the care given firsthand, do you find that male nurses are disliked or a major discomfort to many? I imagine in less health critical circumstances that this would be towards the forefront of some family members minds and wanted to know what you've seen/heard/experienced on the topic.

This is of more concern to myself as a future RN with a particularly masculine build... Though it comes naturally to offer a gentle touch and warm smile whenever appropriate!

[WalkieTalkie, RN]

My male co-workers are some of my favorite nurses to work with. They are typically no nonsense and they are more fun to work with at times. A lot of the female nurses on my floor tend to be caught up in minute details when it comes to patient care. Most of the guys are like me and care about getting the basics and important cares done and then worrying about the little details later.

Then there's the attitudes...A floor full of PMS-ing female staff is never a good thing. This might sound cliche, but it does happen. Heck, I've even been one of those PMS-ing nurses and it's much worse when there's a whole floor of us. There's also the gossip aspect. While there are a couple of guys who gossip just as much as the gals, it doesn't occur as frequently.

There are several male nurses and techs on my floor, and I often would rather work on a shift where there are more men than women. Just my

As another poster mentioned, sometimes the elderly patients are confused and often ask if the male nurse in their room is a doctor. Sometimes this can be a good thing. I once had an elderly lady who became extremely combative and confused to the point where she drew blood on my orient. She kept asking to see the doctor and believed that my male co-worker was the doctor. I had him step in and just stand there (not even saying anything), so I could give her some Haldol to calm her down.

I've never heard any of our patients complain about having a male as their nurse or tech. I have had women (usually younger ones) ask for females to do their baths or toileting. I've also had younger males request males for the same procedures.