gender as a qualification

[mark_LD_RN]

I work as a L&D nurses and would love to hear others experiences, advice and opinions on males in this area. My patients love me and am told often by them that i am the best nurse they ever had. I love my work and believe males should be treated equally in these areas. Discrimination against male nurses not only hurts the male nurses but the nursing profession as a whole and the patients. To block males from female dominated areas short changes the patient, some males like my self are excellent in the ob areas and have a lot of compassion and other qualities to offer.

[live4today, RN]

Hello Zhakrin,

Thanks for wanting to know why I apologize when I am wrong. It is my faith that teaches me to forgive and seek forgiveness when a wrong occurs. If I talk the talk, I must walk the walk. Hope that answers your question.

[RNKitty]

Originally posted by mark_LD_RN

Hi , Thanks for all the support everyoneI recently signed a contract to work 3 days a week in L&D and postpartum at a local hospital, and now also work full time in L&D at another hospital. So I am working 6 days a week in an area I love. I was offered the contract by the manager there I did not have to ask! So many of my patients had such good things to say about me that she said she had to meet me in person and wanted me to work there more often. My patients still love me as much as ever, I am continuously told how good or nice I am, several a couple told me I was "awesome" others have told me I was the best nurse they ever had. you can see things are looking up for me. THANKS again for all the support. please keep writing.mark

Good for you Mark. I am amazed you found a position. The only time I have worked with male OB nurses was at a military hospital. When they went civilian, they couldn't get hired, even with experience! One manager actually had the guts to say the patients wouldn't feel comfortable with a male nurse. Can you imagine the lawsuit she possibly set herself up for?

We need more good nurses in L&D - let's not overlook them simply for gender.

[kaycee]

Mark,

My pregnancy days are long over but I would have been lucky having someone like you taking care of me during one of the most memorable moments of my life, the births of my kids. Keep up the good work and I hope more guys can follow in your footsteps!!

Lynne

[mark_LD_RN]

hi every one all is going well with my new L&D job the staff loves me just got one doc that has a problem the patients have been gret as usual.have had several that had come in for nst or other test request me for their labor nurse.thanks everone for your support

[LilgirlRN, ADN, RN]

I put catheters in men all the time and they don't object, If you gotta go and you can't, then who cares which sex put the catheter in? Same goes for a delivering a baby, I don't care who does it as long as they know what they're doing :)

[canoehead, BSN, RN]

Good for you Mark, I am glad to see men getting in to L&D.

But how do you deal with the women that are a little "odd" ?

In my area even the male docs have a chaperone when doing a pelvic, because even an accusation of inappropriate behavior is a blotch on their reputation. Women seem to be less vulnerable that way (not fair but that is how society is working)

Or those lady partsl checks that require more pressure and discomfort. I don't want to imply that you would be inappropriate in any way, but I know almost every female nurse has had someone get angry for being too rough- as a man that would be more difficult to deal with.

Can you tell me how you manage given these problems?

[mark_LD_RN]

it is the male docs choice he makes to have one present according to the patients bill of rights a patient (male or female) has the right to have a person(family,friend or staff of any gendedr they chose) present for certain parts of exams. reguardless of the nurses gender. I inform each patient what their rights are and ask their permission pefor doing anything( this is something all female nurse should do but don't . this is said from personal experience with my wife as a patient and from watching nurses i work with.)

I originally used a chaperone and found my patients to be more uncomfortable and nervous and have been told so by a couple of them. I still offer a chaperone or a nurse of the same gender if they like. I have never had one take my offer yet. my patients love me and request me on return visits. I feel it is all in how you present your self. I use an open freindly approach .latest studies show you are less likely to be sued if you treat your patients in this manner instead off the old sterile medical model approach of you are the client i am the professional role.

as for the checks that require more pressure or discomfort, I am often told i am much more gentle than the females they have had check them. but again i handle it by asking their permission, telling them what i am doing and why and and usuallly tell them i am sorry and don't mean to hurt you. I personally have never had a patient get angry with me for this or any other reason for that matter. I think it is just a preconcieved notion that it would be more diffucult for a male to deal with.

you can not image the positive responses i have gottten from my patients. it is a daily think at work for me to recieve cards or letters from patients. the staff even jokes when i come in if i have something,"they say look it 's another gift for mark." I have had numerous patients and families tell me i am the best,most caring and /or most compassionate nurse they have ever had.

the doctors have been fine with me all except one and that is his problem not mine. the midwives love me they have their patients request me and they schedule their inductions for when i am working.i was told last week by two of them that of the 3 hospitals they work at I am the only true labor nurse,because i love to labor the patient and not nurse the chart.

I think it is time to stop with the gender issue and worry about who is best to care for the laboring patient be it male or female.my patients and families have no problem with it so the medical "professionals " should not either.

I enjoy my work and treat patients and family with respect, I also make it a point to include the s/o as much as possible. i always let the patient decide who she wants to stay in during exams and what ever. Oh the other thing is i work hard to protect their modesty i keep them covered during exams and such always make sure doors and curtains are closed. ( something else i have noticed the female staff at my facility does not do,they seem to think just because they are female it is ok to expose the patient more than neccessary.

well hope this helps clarify and answer your questions.thanks,mark

[canoehead, BSN, RN]

Thanks Mark it answers my question very well. I think if we had a dozen of you for every labor unit there would not be as much controversy over home vrs hospital births- we'd have the best of both worlds.

[TIREDmidnightRN]

Male nurses should be given the opportunity to work in any area for which they are qualified. However, any patient who feels uncomfortable receiving personal care from a nurse of the opposite sex should have those feelings respected. I still remember as a student LPN I had ONE NIGHT LEFT to get "signed off" on surgical preps. My assigned patient was a young man who did NOT want "THAT" shaved by a "little girl". I traded "preps" with a male student. respecting the client means respecting his/her deepest feelings of privacy and allowing him/her to control at least that little aspect of care.

[brassdragon]

I am a new Male nursing grad and found out the only ones that had problems with me being a male in my OB rotation wan not the patients but my instructor, the same went for my pediatric rotation. Out of all the students I got the most out of those rotation as long with the pateints that I took care of. I am trying to get into pediatrics which is another mostly female dominated field

[mark_LD_RN]

well BRASSDRAGON, stand up for your self and pursue an area that interests you. peds is not as hard to get into as yoi=u think.hang inthere and you can be working in an area of your dreams just as i am now.good luck and write me if i can be of help

[Iam46yearsold]

I have never seen a male nurse in L and D. If I was in labor, truthfully I would prefer the support of a female nurse.