Instructor is not letting me get female patients during clincal

Tweety, BSN, RN · Jan 15, 2006

Don't try and read your instructor's mind. Ask point blank, "I notice I'm getting only male patients. Is this deliberate and why?"

It could be she thinks she's doing you and the patients a favor, keeping you and the patients in a comfort level that's old school thinking. Or it could be just a coincidence.

Good luck in school.

froghair · Jan 16, 2006

i agree with tweety, ask her point blank is there any reason why she isnt giving you female patients to look after. whats the worst she can do?

Bala Shark · Jan 16, 2006

i agree with tweety, ask her point blank is there any reason why she isnt giving you female patients to look after. whats the worst she can do?

I usually have to pick my patients..Last time, I picked two women patients, and my instructor told me that, " You cannot choose women patients so I am going to choose and I am giving you male patients."

froghair · Jan 16, 2006

id call her on it there is no reason why you shouldnt be able to look after female patients

UM Review RN, ASN, RN · Jan 16, 2006

I usually have to pick my patients..Last time, I picked two women patients, and my instructor told me that, " You cannot choose women patients so I am going to choose and I am giving you male patients."

Well, that's just weird.

We had a couple of guys in our class and they were allowed to take care of women. Sometimes the women refused guys, sometimes they refused students altogether, but it was more like the patient's choice.

This sounds like the instructor's choice, and it IS very unrealistic.

Even if she was prepping you to work for the VA, there are women there too!

She needs to 'splain herself.

KatieBell · Jan 16, 2006

After that comment, which was strange and did not provide any rationale for anything, I wouldn;t even address it with the instructor, I'd go to the dean or whomever, is responsible for the instructor. For most Med Surg stuff, you can learn the disease process as well on a man as a woman, but that really isn't the point.

The department I last worked full time in was 65% male. No choices there for patients, and nurses. So, I think she needs to adjust her expectations and attitude, but talking to her is not going to help as she has already expressed her interest in you taking males only, I'd go above and just ask why is this happening, in a non-judgemental, non-whiney way. I'm willing to bet the dean would be verrry surprised and also verrry interested.

TexasPediRN · Jan 16, 2006

My thoughts are that no matter where you go for clinical, or end up working- you'll never only have male patients. Therefore, she needs to allow you to take female patients.

Now granted- there are some female patients who do not want a male nurse. If you go the day before to pick out your patients, I would talk to the patient and ask if they minded having a male nurse. If you go in the morning and get your patient assignment then- ask the patient first. That way when the instructor says no, you have an arguement that the patients dont mind having a male nurse, and that you really do need to be exposed to working with women.

Its just wrong that you arent getting female patients right now. I'd love to hear her explaination on this- and please confront her about it (but nicely!). you really need to be given an answer about this.

StormyNightsLPN · Jan 17, 2006

I think it's BS.... our instructors have stated that in the past, Female patients enjoy male student nurses just as well or even more than females!! I would go to the Director of Nursing at your school. They teach us to be nonjudgemental and not to be biased, but it's being done to you. Good Luck!!

genhen · Jan 22, 2006

That's crazy. I'm a 2nd semester male student. 95% of the female patients did not have a problem with me being their nurse. Those that did told me and I had no problem. Our instuctors actually pushed us to make sure that we had some opposite sex patients in clinical. It was funny to watch some of the female students shave male patients. They were terrified to do it. As a male, I thought that was hilarious. I had to remove a Foley from a female and it was no problem. Although, I have not put one in yet.

Funny story though, one male patient that I had acted very strangely toward me. He was defensive and obnoxious. I still pushed forward. I told him I was going to do a head to toe assessment on him. I went to close the room door and he freaked. I left the door open and did a "cursory" quick assessment. I took vitals on him and the whole time he is watching me closely. I finished and left.

I go home that night. My wife is an RN in ICU. I tell her this story and she starts laughing her head off. She tells me that my patient thinks that I am gay and he doesn't like it. At first, I told her she was crazy. But, I keep thinking about it and came to realize that she may be right. I'm kinda absent minded with that kind of stuff. I wouldn't see that for a million years. Also, I don't wear my wedding ring when I work because it interferes with putting on gloves. But, the next day, I wore my ring. I talked to my patient about family life and told him that I was married and had two kids. He physically breathed a sigh of relief. So, "All male nurses are gay", is not true.

Anyhow, your instructor's elevator does not go all the way to the top.

Peace

Genhen

nursemelani · Jan 22, 2006

Hee-hee

When I went to school for my LVN, there were two men in the class of 30. When we did our OB rotation, the instructor told the guys to practice saying "Nothing in your lady parts for 6 weeks", until they could say it without blushing.:imbar

DaFreak71 · Jan 22, 2006

I am in nursing school now..I been throught the OB clincal rotatin last semester. Now I am at just medical surgical..One of my instructors does not let me get female patients for some reason..I think it is biased and she is not going to prepare me for the real world..What do you guys think?

I think it's wrong to not allow men to have women patients while they are in nursing school. I would ask her why she is of the opinion that it isn't appropriate for you to take care of women. My husband is a nurse and he's never once had a woman tell him that she didn't want him as her nurse, even in school. I'm sorry you're experiencing this.

I'm in nursing school too, and we just found out that we have to have same-sex lab partners for our simulated bed bath lab. I disagree with this policy because I think it only serves to reinforce the idea that women SHOULD have a problem with a man being their nurse, or at least reinforcing the idea that women should only be cared for by other women. You men have an uphill battle to fight when it comes to equality in the workplace. In the real world (outside of nursing school) I hope that you'll find there isn't a big problem with serving female patients.

Best wishes,

Adri