Have you experienced bias from being a left-handed Nurse?

[Hopetoheal]

I am currently doing research for a paper in my Pre-Req English Comp class. It is about the difficulties faced by the left handed college student and that of left handed Nurses. Can anyone please elaborate on the difficulties you have faced as a left handed nursing student or as a practicing left handed nurse? Did you feel there was any discrimination or bias toward your handedness? Were you able to use right handed equipment efficiently?

Any and all input will be greatly appreciated. So all you lefties out there, here is your time to speak up.

Thanks Everybody!

[Hopetoheal]

Thanks everyone!

This is a really amazing how everyone has perservered. This makes my research that much more interesting. If you think of something else that was an obstacle as a leftie or ways to help with our leftness, please share. I think all of us lefties will appreciate the advice and maybe we can share experiences with each other in order to become the best nurses we can possibly be.

[getting2work]

I'm a leftie in nursing school and there have been moments that are awkward like wanting to go to the other side of the bed to do a skill and having to explain to the instructor why you are fumbling to get everything to the other side. Sometimes it's like an extra step you have to walk through in your mind while learning, but you just get used to it, or learn to do some things right-handed like others have said.

[WarmBlanket]

When I looked at this post I just had to respond ! I have never faced any bias , but certainly have had some interesting problems and situations arise. In nursing school my instructor was determined to teach me to insert a cath "the right way". Not good. My job is in the operating room so fortunately its my call where I stand to put the foley in. I recently started work in a pediatric hospital . With the very young children we park the crib outside the O.R. door and carry them in. I did not feel comfortable - it felt awkward when I went to put them on the operating table . Then I realized it was the way I was holding them ; with their head cradled in my left arm. This made it hard to place them down smoothly if I did not walk around the bed. One funny story : I got a Palm TX PDA and bought a hard case for it . When I tried to get the case open it was a struggle . I asked a friend to try and handed it to her - she opened it up in a flash . It seems the clasp was made for right handed people . But my biggest pet peeve is not a nursing problem . Tape-measures !!! They drive me nuts , always upside down ! Enjoy your special lefty-ness :)

[Nightingale11]

The only thing I have trouble with is when we are learning catheters or IVs, trying to practice it myself but finding I need tips because I am left handed. I have not make myself be right handed! It's so uncomfortable and unfamiliar.

[knaussie]

I am a nursing student and I am just learning to adapt since I am left handed. I also worked in a hospital where I had to draw blood and I had a difficult time learing how because everyone teaching me was right handed. But as always, you adjust.

[nursemike, ASN, RN]

I'm so used to using a mouse right-handed that I can't do it left-handed. So, I was trying out my Dad's graphic tablet, one day, and found I can't use the pen left-handed, either. Freaks me out.

[NurseCard, ADN]

sorry

[ShantheRN, BSN, RN]

My mom took me to the left handed museum in Indianapolis as a kid.....and it was like heaven. Best field trip ever!

I'm in clinicals, so I make sure I stand directly across from my instructor during demonstrations. It's a handy trick I learned from my aunt - it's like a mirror image, so I can mimic the instructor's right hand easier with my left.

I also make sure I stand on the opposite side of the bed. I failed a skills checkoff because my positioning was so awkward, it looked like I didn't know what I was doing. For my second attempt I made sure to flip everything around, and I was fine. I have to stand on the opposite side of the bed to do catheters - otherwise my sterile field goes bye bye lol

Maybe once I become an experienced nurse I can learn to be ambidextrous....but until then, I don't trust my right hand for the important stuff.

[Flare, ASN, BSN]

I think most of us southpaws are so used to adjusting that it doesn't cause a big issue. I can do most things as a righty too. One time I remember struggling was in having to replace a foley in a home care patient that kept her bed against the wall on her left side. In a hospital you can pretty much do it from either sideso no big deal, but I didn't have room to move the bed out. Interesting though - when i had to insert a foley on the mannequin for the home care co. for competencies, the bed was the same way as in that house.

[Hopetoheal]

Do you ever feel like we lefties deserve to be shown our way of learning or do we continually accomodate ourselves to the "right way"? Seems a little discriminatory at times. Everything else is accomodated, low vision, learning disabilities, etc., I am not saying that we are disabled, but don't we all deserve a little better from society? Not special treatment, but fair and equal and safe? Okay, I will climb down from this soapbox. Again, thank you for all the great insight!

[HouTx, BSN, MSN, EdD]

I'm not a Lefty, but one of my daughters is! In my early days as a nurse educator, I realized the need to accomodate 'handedness' in technical training. Most of the time, it works well to have the (lefty) student face me and imitate movements as though he is looking in a mirror.

I have found that the most challenging areas are those in which group synchronicity is required. Left-handed surgeons may require an entirely different room set up - and they must be accomodated! I worked with a group of cardiologists - half of whom were Lefties. During cardiac caths, they insisted on scheduling one of the two left-handed cath nurses to work their cases. But it worked out very well.

[texasbsn]

I had a lot of trouble asperting IM shots at first.I learned to cope.