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.
I have not committed a straw man fallacy. OC says that nothing, ever, is objectively wrong and that legal equates to moral. I gave her several examples of things that have been legal but are almost universally regarded as objectively wrong. She disagrees and still says legal equals moral. At this point we have nowhere else to go, I'm just left in total disbelief.
Go watch some Media & relax. Cause I'm done, this is ridiculous. Lol. It was ridiculous to begin with & got even more ridiculous when you brought up all those examples.
The only person that looks ridiculous is the one insisting that legal equates to moral, even after the examples given.
You suffer from the handicap of being safe and comfortable in a first world country, because those are the only people who can afford such foolish ideology.
In regards to the "little old women" I hope they were very acute dementia...yes "little old women" have modesty ...maybe even more so than younger ones (sometimes) . Sexless? no. Just respectful- that's all. Equality is great and wonderful, but some people are male and some are female...it will always be that way...its just plain respectful. And the lay person will tend to see genitalia as sexual , where professional nurses know when its work and when its not. Its about the patients' comfort....not ours!
outsidethebox...sounds like that CNA was trying to get out of work...you can very easily do a female ekg and not expose a thing (you might have to push something aside, but you can do that with the back on your hand or use your wrist or forearm. Our male medics in the ER do it all the time and walk the females to the bathroom. And do bedpans-all with the patient's permission.
I'm a male in a predominantly female field. I don't think it's sexist at all. I work with females that would rather me help a male patient to the restroom. Just as well as I'd rather the female nurses help the female patients to the restroom. At the end of the day we are all there to make the patients feel more comfortable.. i always ask my patients male or female if they'd rather have me help them or a female staff member. Some males are uncomfortable with having a male nurse assist them. Which Is complete understandable. Whatever makes the patient more comfortable should be what's done.
Skipping to the end of the comments it appears this thread has gotten a little out of hand. That said, I'll offer my viewpoint as an Obstetrics RN who is a Male. With the few exceptions of when cultural background has dictated having a female RN assigned, I've yet had a patient ask me to not insert the catheter. I will say that from the time I enter the patients room for the first time, or greet them at the front desk (for inductions, scheduled procedures, etc.) I always treat my patients with the upmost respect and work hard at building their trust and confidence in me as their nurse. As a tech I would have to shave patients before cath or open heart procedures, I had my first female patient ask my to shave her a heart when I came in to prep her for surgery. That moment of humor killed all apprehension that I had, and I've never had it since. I do try and pay attention to the non-verbal cues given by my patients as to their comfort level with me and on the ONE occasion where I didn't think the patient was comfortable with me checking her cervix I asked if she wanted a female RN to do the follow up checks afterwards, she accepted and later thanked me. I've NEVER had a patient ask that I not insert a foley. I treat each and every one of my patients with the respect I expect my own wife, daughter, and mother to receive and it's worked well for me and my patients. If you act professionally and confident, it will almost never be an issue. There will always be exceptions, but as Nurses we are to protect our patients and respect their right have a voice in their care, that includes not removing that voice by assuming they don't want a particular RN to provide them care.
it helps with the, um, digestion of some of those type of threads...
Red Kryptonite
2,212 Posts
I have not committed a straw man fallacy. OC says that nothing, ever, is objectively wrong and that legal equates to moral. I gave her several examples of things that have been legal but are almost universally regarded as objectively wrong. She disagrees and still says legal equals moral. At this point we have nowhere else to go, I'm just left in total disbelief.