I am a male nurse on an inpatient unit in a hospital who began a couple months ago. Recently I used the bathroom in the staff lounge, and after I left to sit down at the nurses station, an older female nurse came up to me grinning and whispering,
"Hi, I followed you after you used the bathroom, and used it next. I want you to know, the ladies here will be annoyed with you if you leave the toilet seat up after you use the toilet. We had a previous male nurse who the ladies became angry at because he didn't put the seat back down. I would put the seat back down if I were you."
I interpreted this to mean that really, she, rather than anyone else, wanted me to put the seat back down.
Is it really this person's job to be a toilet police? At least I actually put the damn seat up I can't count how many times I've found urine sprayed all over a toilet seat in the down position after a woman used it because she "hovered." I have to say, I found the comment sexist and condescending and am thinking of reporting it. What do you think?
Specializes in OR, Nursing Professional Development.
So here's what has never made sense to me about the default 'seat must always be down' rule. If I'm going pee and the seat is down, I put it up, not for my benefit but so that women using the bathroom don't have to sit on a seat that I've pee'd on. And even though putting the seat up isn't for my benefit, I don't complain the person before me didn't leave it up for me, so why does it make sense to complain because I was kind enough to keep the seat from getting peed on?
If one must put the seat up to prevent peeing on it, one should reevaluate their aim. And if one does get pee on the seat (either from not putting it up or hovering), one should clean up after oneself. I'm team go with the majority. If the majority of the staff using a unisex bathroom are women, then the seat should be down. If the majority of staff using a unisex bathroom are men, no one should complain if the seat is left up.
Poor aim and (seriously disgusting) toilet seat left up are the primary reasons I don't use the unisex bathrooms in my department and will take the longer walk to the locker room.
If one must put the seat up to prevent peeing on it, one should reevaluate their aim. And if one does get pee on the seat (either from not putting it up or hovering), one should clean up after oneself. I'm team go with the majority. If the majority of the staff using a unisex bathroom are women, then the seat should be down. If the majority of staff using a unisex bathroom are men, no one should complain if the seat is left up.
Poor aim and (seriously disgusting) toilet seat left up are the primary reasons I don't use the unisex bathrooms in my department and will take the longer walk to the locker room.
If we were truly going with what's most convenient for the majority of people using the bathroom, then women should be expected to leave the seat up when mostly men use the bathroom.
There was a time when black people had to drink from a separate water fountain, the majority wanted this, did that make it right? Of course not, just because the majority wants something it doesn't mean it is the right thing to do. Say what you must but the argument about the majority is not a good one to make.
I don't think it's sexist. You did leave the seat up didn't you? She probably speaks the truth to everyone - male or female. If it was all guys and the female nurse had the habit of not flushing her tampons, would it be appropriate to say something? You spend a lot of time at work. She's honest, giving you a tip to make your life easier. Would you rather passive-aggresive? Everyone is ticked off so they don't help you when you need it? A note on your locker? These woman are your mentors, your team. Put the seat down. They will love you for it.
There was a time when black people had to drink from a separate water fountain, the majority wanted this, did that make it right? Of course not, just because the majority wants something it doesn't mean it is the right thing to do. Say what you must but the argument about the majority is not a good one to make.
There was a time when black people had to drink from a separate water fountain, the majority wanted this, did that make it right? Of course not, just because the majority wants something it doesn't mean it is the right thing to do. Say what you must but the argument about the majority is not a good one to make.
Specializes in Med/ Surg/ Telemetry, Public Health.
Reporting that sounds might petty. It may have been a joke, lighten up ad get your shorts out of a bundle. It's just common courtesy for a male to put the seat down after using the toilet. Besides there are bigger things at work for nurses to be worried about than leaving the toilet seat down.
Rose_Queen, BSN, MSN, RN
6 Articles; 12,058 Posts
If one must put the seat up to prevent peeing on it, one should reevaluate their aim. And if one does get pee on the seat (either from not putting it up or hovering), one should clean up after oneself. I'm team go with the majority. If the majority of the staff using a unisex bathroom are women, then the seat should be down. If the majority of staff using a unisex bathroom are men, no one should complain if the seat is left up.
Poor aim and (seriously disgusting) toilet seat left up are the primary reasons I don't use the unisex bathrooms in my department and will take the longer walk to the locker room.