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.
Specializes in M/S, LTC, Corrections, PDN & drug rehab.
Yeah, we don't do teamwork here. Only nurses who can get patients to tell them how they really feel know how to work as a team, and we just don't understand it here in the US. You are the Ned Flanders to our Homer Simpson.
I've read the responses, and nothing that's been said comes across as cold. It comes across as simply matter of fact. It just sounds like you're asking hospitals to make exceptions for you concerning patient care. If you can refuse to cath female patients because it makes you "uncomfortable" can other nurses refuse to do anything poop related, regardless of sex, because it makes them "uncomfortable"?
Specializes in M/S, LTC, Corrections, PDN & drug rehab.
Also, there is a difference between "I prefer not to clean poop, or take a sputum sample, "and a male uncomfortable with catheterizing a female. One could potentially carry a risk to the male and his license. Cleaning poop... While stinky and unpleasant does not.
But how can he lose his license just because he feels uncomfortable doing that? What if I felt comfortable inserting an NG tube in male patients? Just because it makes him uncomfortable doesn't mean he risks losing his license. It just means he doesn't like it.
I think it's the vibe you must give off. If patients want a different nurse or doctor, they have always requested one.
As far as Media goes, it's always been around. Why are we making it such a big deal now? Because of the internet? Are we gonna patrol & guard everything? Good gracious. Not to mention teenagers hormones are out of control at that age.
So then you're going to be fine with it when your child starts watching Media? You don't think it damages people at all?
Oh, I love how I am getting personally attacked when I didn't even say ANYTHING about you.
I said I was getting creeped out. Between the responses about things being sexualized (and not even necessarily by you) and a disjointed, partially blanked out Media thread, things can get weird.
Good for you for doing your job that you feel comfortable with. I wish maybe you had spent a little more time talking about actually teaching these young men about safe sex, instead of talking all about Media and "oh I touched on the other stuff but not as much" because really, Media is so much more important than preventing diseases.
I said that because a man is more likely To be put into a unfortunate situation based off the fact he is doing a private procedure on a female. You don't see how? Women don't think twice about caring for men bc we are not really at risk for a man misinterpreting anything, complaing, and that can be a ugly accusation or situation . I see why he or any man would want to avoid it. Now a days, men do have to be extra cautious when working closely with females. Even i general.i suspect that is why the chaperon policy is in place at many faculties. It protects everyone.
I said that because a man is more likely To be put into a unfortunate situation based off the fact he is doing a private procedure on a female. You don't see how? Women don't think twice about caring for men bc we are not really at risk for a man misinterpreting anything, complaing, and that can be a ugly accusation or situation . I see why he or any man would want to avoid it. Now a days, men do have to be extra cautious when working closely with females. Even i general.i suspect that is why the chaperon policy is in place at many faculties. It protects everyone.
I can definitely see how men are in a precarious position when it comes to doing such private care on women. I think having a chaperon in such instances is good not only for the patient, but for the provider as well, just like you said.
You say this, but the rest of your post is talking about how it's apparently not fine.
Apparently you're the only nurse on AN who can get patients to tell them what they really feel, and the rest of us are just guessing? Is that what this means?
You know, if this had been the totality of your point you probably would have gotten off easier. Instead, you talked about what you thought it all meant morally, and you got sandbagged. I'm down with efficiency. I'm not down with people trying to tell me they're morally superior.
What does it mean to "put them down there?" Maybe it's the lingo you hip, older nurses use that I don't understand. It sounds... questionable.
Yeah, we don't do teamwork here. Only nurses who can get patients to tell them how they really feel know how to work as a team, and we just don't understand it here in the US. You are the Ned Flanders to our Homer Simpson.
I am no longer struggling to contain myself after reading nursingaround1's posts in this thread.
You know what, OP? Here's the thing. You have worked with children (teenagers?) for 10 years. I am sure not in the best of circumstances. For any number of nurses, it becomes a "seen it all, nothing shocks me anymore" scenario (an in America. yup, that about covers it).
For you, perhaps after such a long time, it has become near a burn out zone. Just seem to get things under control for these children and something new comes along (ie:media) and whips em all up again. Also, with children who have been traumatized, there needs to be an extra layer of precaution in everything a nurse does, regardless of gender.
I am sure that there is also a level of extra caution when a nurse has kids the ages of the kids in which they work with. Cause you know what can happen. And just when you think that you have a kid in a place where they can function, the parents are not as well meaning as one would hope for.
It is just a sense I am getting from your posts. Teenagers and young adults (or even adults) who have been victims of trauma are a select patient group that we all should be handling with extra precaution. To the patient's best interest.
I think it's the vibe you must give off. If patients want a different nurse or doctor, they have always requested one.
As far as Media goes, it's always been around. Why are we making it such a big deal now? Because of the internet? Are we gonna patrol & guard everything? Good gracious. Not to mention teenagers hormones are out of control at that age.
There is no way for you to know what a patient may be thinking. Some patients simply are not empowered to say this for fear of insulting the very people who are caring for them.
Because it is available 24/7 in the pocket of almost every child and/or their classmate. Videos of every kind of sex imaginable is a far cry from finding dads girly mags.
There is no way for you to know what a patient may be thinking. Some patients simply are not empowered to say this for fear of insulting the very people who are caring for them.
Because it is available 24/7 in the pocket of almost every child and/or their classmate. Videos of every kind of sex imaginable is a far cry from finding dads girly mags.
I didn't read the Media thread before my coffee, so I'm not going to touch on that. Yet.
Conquerer are you saying that because we don't always know what a patient feels (true) and the patient cannot always express it (also true) that only females should cath other females just in case?
I didn't read the Media thread before my coffee, so I'm not going to touch on that. Yet.
Conquerer are you saying that because we don't always know what a patient feels (true) and the patient cannot always express it (also true) that only females should cath other females just in case?
How do we get around this problem?
You know Farawyn I think you just asked, inadvertently, what the OP was asking in the first place. Only you said it better.
OrganizedChaos, LVN
1 Article; 6,883 Posts
So much win!