I think I'm professional, but now I'm not so sure, after I told some American friends that as a male nurse, I don't catheterize women.
'That's sexist' was one of the kinder comments, while one of the more rational comments said - "We are professionals. As long as we behave in a professional way, then we should all have to do the same job."
I naturally asked 'does this mean we're nurses first, and men/women second?' and they didn't give a concise answer.
Am I the only male who thinks that it is harder for a female patient as well as for a male nurse to do such an intimate procedure?
Am I the only nurse who thinks that gender does matter? What harm does it cause if I choose not to do a procedure when there are capable people around who could do it just as well, plus make it easier for the patient. As a male nurse, I need a female chaperone if doing such a procedure on a woman anyway, so why not make it easier for everyone and simply keep the male out of it altogether?
But what does being a "Professional" mean? From what I'm hearing from others it sounds like I am a sexless machine capable of doing it all because that is what I am paid to do. Instead I think of myself as a caring carer. I have my faults and biases. I make mistakes and I sometimes let my feelings help make my decisions. But I have a big heart and I do the job because I care first. I enjoy making people laugh when they're sick. I enjoy being able to make a difference in people's lives. I also do the job recognizing my faults, and if I ever think that my views/faults may jeopardize a patient, I know to get someone else to take over that patient's care. I guess I'm not a very successful Sexless Professional. But I can live with being called sexist and unprofessional, just because I sometimes refuse to do female catheterization. I'm sure there's a lot worse things I could be.
A couple of extra points to mention:
For the record, the female staff used to ask me to catheterize the men, and they'd do the same for my female patients, and we never had a problem.
Also it's strange, but apparently I'm allowed to catheterize little old ladies, but not young women. Sounds a bit ageist to me. Do the feelings of older people not matter as much as those of young people? Naturally I'd never contemplate such a procedure on a young woman.
Personally, I think that it is only because women are becoming so masculinized due to feminism that there is such a hostile response. Fifty years ago, it would have been shocking and inappropriate. So many women have lost their sense of modesty and femininity that it does not matter to them anymore. Now, a person like to OP is attacked because he dares to have a different viewpoint.
I'm in FNP school. My job will entail examining both male and female genitalia, doing prostate exams....IOW, having my hands inside all kinds of orifices.
Is it my favorite thing ever? No, that would be I&Ding abscesses. But if a patient needs an exam of some sort, they need it. If they need a cath, it would not be below my pay grade as a FNP to cath them, male or female.
If men cathing men and women cathing women works for your unit, hey. That's great, I won't knock it. Maybe it is cultural.
But I have male colleagues who cath women ALL the time, or who see the business end of lady partsl deliveries, or who help new moms breastfeed. It's not weird unless the provider makes it weird. If it's that important to a patient that she see a female provider, she will ask. Patients deserve a little credit for thinking through their care.
Personally, I think that it is only because women are becoming so masculinized due to feminism that there is such a hostile response. Fifty years ago, it would have been shocking and inappropriate. So many women have lost their sense of modesty and femininity that it does not matter to them anymore. Now, a person like to OP is attacked because he dares to have a different viewpoint.
By the way, I think this reflects badly on the U.S. Shame on us for not showing a person outside this country how professional and patient-centered U.S. nurses can be. These responses reflect on our nursing practice in general and if I were a foreign nurse, I would not want to nurse in a such a place, if people were going to be so self-centered.
Trust me, you--as a woman--do not want to go back fifty years ago. I blush when men make rude or sexual remarks toward me. A man at a bar found out I was a nursing student and proceeded to pull down his pants to show me a lump on his groin--you better believe that made me blush and turn away. But when a patient needs care--if a patient had to remove clothing under my care--I would absolutely not blush because that would be a part of my job--to care for the human body and spirit. A nurse who is comfortable performing these procedures will also make his or her patients feel more at ease.
If your female patient requests a female nurse for her comfort level, that's one thing. You will have the occasional request. However, to surmise that all female patients, or most female patients are uncomfortable with male nurses is a generalization.
You should be prepared and willing to provide nursing care to both genders. Women visit male physicians so where is the difference?
Well I have been a nurse for 20+ years and I have been a patient a few times and I don't want a man doing anything below my neck unless it's through my clothes. I think it is just as bad to assume that all female patients are OK with men seeing then nude. Not every woman is empowered to speak up about it either, especially if she is a survivor of sexual abuse.
Specializes in Pain Management, FNP, Med/Surg, Tele.
At my work, we automatically do all female caths for our male colleagues. They will do favors for us. It's just the way we traditionally roll here.
I do question the logic in it. What if the female nurse is a lesbian? Should she declare her orientation to the patient and turn over the job to a heterosexual one? And why do I get to cath men?
This is all a bit funny to me and I apologize if I offend anyone by laughing. There is only one male nurse on the day shift on my unit and basically it's the culture on my unit that us nurses work as a team. We are all around the same age and so we act as if all 30 patients belong to all of us even though we have our 5 that we are assigned to. If someone is having trouble starting a HepLock and someone else has a few seconds and doesn't mind giving it a try,they'll go start it. We all know how to do it. I personally do not like inserting foleys on females because (to be honest I don't like the smell of the betadine when I put it down there) plus I don't like to guess if I'm in the right orifice. But I'll start it on a male patient in a heart beat for obvious reasons, lol. Also, we have a female nurse who is an open lesbian and she is always ready and willing to start a foley on females so of course we call her if we don't feel like doing it. I said all that to say, just try to work as a team guys, try not to be so hard on each other. The job is stressful enough.
I'm better - much better - at placing Foleys in women than many of my female colleagues. I have taught a fair number of new nurses to catheterize females.
This is simply from experience and from learning from excellent teachers.
There is no one I am not "allowed" to care for. If the patient is OK with me placing a catheter, I will do so. If they prefer a female that is fine, there are many around. But it is the patient who makes the decision.
Anyway, just do the dang thing. Unless there is a cultural consideration (or a patient preference), there really should not be an issue with this. They just did an article on nurses and intimate touch, focusing on the issues male nurses have with this with all patients, not just females. It was interesting:
What I was saying was that there seems to be a nonchalant attitude here about this issue. That women don't mind men around them in that way because 'its all professional'. Again, I understand if there is no other option, but if I have my options open, I will choose a female nurse to help me with my personals.
And no, I never could understand why women want a male gynecologist; it does not make sense. Not that there is anything weird going on......but I would not choose it or recommend that plan of action. And yes, fifty years ago, midwifery was also very common. That is actually a field I am very interested in. It's all based on need......there were not an abundance of women doctors then, so by all means a woman should get help no matter what.
What I was saying about femininity.....women are a lot more open with their bodies in the name of science than they used to be. That's all.
What is wrong with any of that????? Physiology is physiology. It doesn't matter what package it comes in. As far as a male OB/GYN, if his stats are better than any available female OB/GYN available, I'm picking him, no problem. It has nothing to do with FEMININITY. I don't quite think you understand what that means. Gender is a fluid construct. What year is this???
- we all have procedures we don't like, and we all get on with them, but, where I've worked, the vast majority of women do not want a guy 'down there'. It seems American women are different, and that's fine.
- Many patients don't speak up if they're not happy with something - I see this all time about many procedures, and it's often hard enough getting a woman comfortable with a male nurse for washing etc let alone a cath. Asking if they mind, doesn't always mean that they don't mind, when they say it's 'ok'.
- We need a chaperone; it's been very surprising to hear that many nurses here are shocked at this. Common sense that a guy doing it alone is extremely vulnerable. A practical solution that worked for me in the past was I'd do the guys, and the women would do my women. This didn't affect workload, and we all worked as a team, so there was no hassle.
- I'm concerned that some people brought up sexuality regarding this, and one person even suggested it's understandable to get aoused when at the foot of a lady parts! - this is totally freaky and wrong. The best way to turn a man off women, forever, is to put them in a gynae ward or put them down there.
- This has never been a problem, but it looks like it might be a problem in America. Where I've worked, teamwork is what matters, and identifying each strengths and weaknesses. I've worked with some people who are terrible at putting in IV's we'd help them out, yet that same person is great with wounds, and often doctors turn to them for advice. I don't think twice about doing her IV's.
- I'm stunned that many comments here think a guy doing this on a 18yr old woman is fine. It's simply not. I work with children, and send many girls to gynaecologists. Not once, ever, has any one of them been ok with a male gynaecologist. Again, maybe American women are fine with this, but many of my students are American, and they always ask for a woman as well, so I'm wondering who is out of touch here.
- I don't mind criticism, and knew I'd be in for some, but the lack of understanding, of awareness that things may be different in other places, is quite astounding. Maybe the problem is that when I trained, they used say my country was 20yrs behind america - not medically, but socially, from music, tv, fashion to values (although I'm sure we've caught up)
Anyway, there's more I wanted to say, but my mind has gone blank.
Specializes in M/S, LTC, Corrections, PDN & drug rehab.
Ok, read most of the posts. Weirdest thread ever.
I'm gonna make it short & sweet: OP, suck it up & do your job. You're a nurse first & dude second. With LGBT now, does it even matter? If the patient requests a female nurse then you get one, but if they don't then do your job. You are making a mountain out of a mole hill.
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jadelpn, LPN, EMT-B
9 Articles; 4,800 Posts
Cleave and submit. Not.