In my CNA course guys are not allowed to provide care to female residents during...

tmiller027 · Feb 20, 2004

clinicals (for those of you that don't know I took a year off my BSN clinicals due to my mothers illness and she has since passed away). Our CNA instructor advised that at all of the long term care facilities that our school utilizes men cannot provide care to female residents (although females can provide care to male residents). She went on to explain that this policy will probably make it difficult for the men to obtain employment after the course ends at THESE facilities whereas most women may be offered immediate employment upon completion of the class, and pending passage of their state licensing examination (since the men are relatively less useful only being able to care for male residents). Is this a common practice in the world of CNA's? I haven't seen this issue in BSN nursing clinicals, although I've heard it can be in issue durign the OB rotation. How do long term facilities that have this policy avoid sexual discrimination lawsuits if they are open about not hiring male CNA's (as much) due to this policy? Why would this be such an issue with CNA's and not RN's (assuming that it's not, I've never heard of men having a harder time getting RN's jobs due to this issue although I've been told that certain patients may prefer not to have a man care for them).
I'm was hoping to work as a CNA over the summer to get back into the "routine" for BSN clinicals which will resume for me next fall. I'm sure, I'll be able to find something, but it irks me that all three facilities that my CNA school utilizes have this policy.

I'm in my first week of CNA training and am male. They told me I'll be thrown right into the mix with everyone else and they don't have the staff to keep male employees and female residents separate or anything like that. I never heard of a place doing that, but I"m fairly new to this myself. There are a few other male CNAs there, one just got an award from the state last year.

Tim

RedRoses4Me · Feb 20, 2004

Hello I am a CNA have been one for about a year and a half, at the long term care facility I work at there are male CNA's, and they do the same job as me, if a resident wants a female the usually state that they do not want a male to care for them sometimes it is their family that only wants female caregivers...Carla

Trauma Columnist · Feb 20, 2004

Roland - so sorry for the loss of your mother. Please continue your studies. I don't think in my area (central Illinois) it makes a difference...

SmilingBluEyes · Feb 20, 2004

Roland please accept my sincere condolences on the loss of your mother. I am truly sorry. Take care and good luck with your studies.

colleen10 · Feb 20, 2004

I just wanted to add my experience.

For the first 7 week of my first semester we were in a county operated LTC facility. They did not have this type of stipulation and did have a few male CNA's that took care of female residents.

I don't know this for sure, but I don't think it can be considered sex descrimination because they are following their own policy that women cannot be taken care of by men. They aren't saying they won't hire you because you're a man, they are saying that they won't hire you because they don't have a need for more male care givers because they don't have that many male patients.

I agree it's a very fine line, not very fair.

StarNurse2006 · Feb 20, 2004

Roland, I'm sorry to hear about your Mom, but good for you for continuing with the BSN program, I'm sure she would be very proud of you!

I am a female CNA, and at the facility I work at, we have more female CNAs than male, but males can care for females. Naturally, many of the residents are more comfortable with a female, especially for showers, but I am always willing to trade a shower with a male CNA so that no one has to feel uncomfortable. This works well, and ALL of the male CNAs we have are awesome. Don't worry too much, because we female CNAs love having the "big strong males" around! LOL :chuckle

Good luck to you, I hope everything works out and that you can get a summer job based on your knowledge and competency, rather than your sex! :)

Jennee

zambezi, BSN, RN · Feb 20, 2004

I agree that males should be able to care for females--unless of course there are outstanding circumstances (and hopefully more men will enter the profession so male patients will have the same options).

We have had this discussion frequently in my unit where we have an abnormal ammount of male RNs (which I wouldn't trade for the world--I love them to death!) Anyway, none of the guys in my unit will cath a female patient unless there is another female in the room, or they will just find another RN to do it...apparently a few years back one of our greatest nurses had a patient claim that she was molested or something...there was a big investigation and the RN was cleared but it left a lasting impression on all of those that remember...and truthfully, I can see their point. An accusation by a patient, even if proven to be false, can hurt.

Yes, male can care for females, females can care for males. We are professionals and we work in a professional way ( or should anyway...). All I am saying to you is be careful, be respectful, be professional, and if you are going to be doing something that could come back to bite you, ask someone to be your assistant.

nurseygrrl, LPN · Feb 20, 2004

Roland, I am sorry to hear about your mother's passing. I am sure she is very proud of what you're accomplishing.

Where I work, male CNAs are not allowed to care for female pts. I think it's a silly rule and it should be up to the individual, but it's a rule nonetheless. However we have many excellent male CNAs and plenty of male pts. for them to take care of. You guys are a big asset to the units you work on. Don't worry, I don't think being male will hamper your ability to get a job. Good luck!

ktwlpn, LPN · Feb 21, 2004

I want to remind you all that we are talking about LTC...My facility does not have a policy regarding this however most of our units are segregated and 2 of the all -female units do not have full time male cna's nor are the floats pulled to thoses units.The residents whom are alert and oriented have the right to be cared for by the cna's they are comfortable with.On the secure units it is dealt with on a case by case basis and for some of the ladies there is no better trigger then having a male cna give them peri-care...Sets many of them off for the rest of the day.So in this instance one has to put the rights and the welfare of the residents first and not what is "fair" for the cna....

rhonda L · Feb 21, 2004

i think thats wrong, we're all professionals here, thats discrepency. they need to think about the message its sending.

Roland · Feb 21, 2004

Ktwlpn, I guess I don't understand the distinction between females caring for males, and males caring for females. I think that if there is going to be a "same sex only" care policy that it should be enforced for BOTH sexes. In addition, if it affects hiring practices I would think that would clearly violate federal anti-sexual discrimination practices. I remember my uncle once fuming when he had to pay out a LARGE settlement for not hiring females at his construction company. He claimed that none of the guys would work with females around (and having worked there occasionally it was somewhat true). However, the law is the law, and he had to pay BIG TIME (so big that his company went out of business in fact).