Male Nurse Insert a Foley

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Specializes in Ortho and Tele med/surg.

Last week I helped a male nurse insert a Foley catheter and it felt inappropriate for a man to do it. It almost felt like rape. Am I justified for feeling this way?

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Specializes in Neonatal ICU (Cardiothoracic).

Inserting a foley for medically necessary reasons is no more rape than you bending over for a digital rectal exam and calling it rape.

If possible, I would make sure I had a female staff member there to assist. Most patients don't mind. They know it's not sexual at all.

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Specializes in Ortho and Tele med/surg.

I don't know, I just felt uncomfortable as this woman wasn't conscious to be aware of what was going on. Also, I wouldn't want a man to do it on me. I would be so uncomfortable.

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Specializes in Case mgmt., rehab, (CRRN), LTC & psych.

The insertion of a foley catheter during the course of one's work day is definitely not an act of rape, regardless of the gender of the individual who inserts it.

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Last week I helped a male nurse insert a Foley catheter and it felt inappropriate for a man to do it. It almost felt like rape. Am I justified for feeling this way?

No, you're not -- it's no more "almost like rape" than it is "almost like rape" for a female nurse to provide personal/intimate care to a male client. The RN is a healthcare professional providing professional services, regardless of the nurse's gender. Of course, if the client has a strong preference and that preference can be accommodated, that should be done. But there's nothing inherently inappropriate about the situation you describe.

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Specializes in ER.
Last week I helped a male nurse insert a Foley catheter and it felt inappropriate for a man to do it. It almost felt like rape. Am I justified for feeling this way?

don't know if I'm "supposed" to post here, but... I think it is appropriate to have an aide in the room whether you're male or female to make it a safer situation (for liability purposes) (not to say this ever happens because it takes two seconds to do this - sometimes, unless they're 92, demented and combative...)

It's a tough thing for the patient, but we're doing an intervention that has to be done. think if they are experiencing urinary retetention and haven't urinated in 12 hours... they will be thankful to have that relief.

You can also ask for an order for Lidocaine Urojet to help with the discomfort that some males experience (and offering that can help you feel better too)... just a thought.

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Specializes in ER.
Inserting a foley for medically necessary reasons is no more rape than you bending over for a digital rectal exam and calling it rape.

If possible, I would make sure I had a female staff member there to assist. Most patients don't mind. They know it's not sexual at all.

It's interesting to me to have a female staff member there for a male foley insertion.. because there isn't a request for a female nurse to have a male staff member when inserting a foley in a female patient... hmmmm.... just any other person (that you can find) is good for liability sake to have in the room. :up:

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Specializes in Critical Care.
Last week I helped a male nurse insert a Foley catheter and it felt inappropriate for a man to do it. It almost felt like rape. Am I justified for feeling this way?

No, you are not justified for feeling this way.

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Specializes in ER.
Last week I helped a male nurse insert a Foley catheter and it felt inappropriate for a man to do it. It almost felt like rape. Am I justified for feeling this way?

I just re-read your post... stepcmpb are you a female? If you were helping a male nurse and felt that way, that's inappropriate. How is it any different that a male nurse look at you and feel that way about inserting a foley into a male patient? Inserting a foley is an intervention a trained professional can do, male or female. I'm appalled that a comparison to rape is made, quite frankly.

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Specializes in ER.
I don't know, I just felt uncomfortable as this woman wasn't conscious to be aware of what was going on. Also, I wouldn't want a man to do it on me. I would be so uncomfortable.

You could always ask for a female nurse if you were the patient. Feeling uncomfortable with your own body and a male nurse is one thing, but you don't need to put your personal feelings into the profession of nursing for males. That's awful.

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Specializes in ER.
don't know if I'm "supposed" to post here, but... I think it is appropriate to have an aide in the room whether you're male or female to make it a safer situation (for liability purposes) (not to say this ever happens because it takes two seconds to do this - sometimes, unless they're 92, demented and combative...)

It's a tough thing for the patient, but we're doing an intervention that has to be done. think if they are experiencing urinary retetention and haven't urinated in 12 hours... they will be thankful to have that relief.

You can also ask for an order for Lidocaine Urojet to help with the discomfort that some males experience (and offering that can help you feel better too)... just a thought.

Ooops, ignore this post, re-posted with a clearer understanding of the OP scenario.

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Last week I helped a male nurse insert a Foley catheter and it felt inappropriate for a man to do it. It almost felt like rape. Am I justified for feeling this way?

No, you aren't justified in feeling this way. This male nurse is a professional just like a female nurse. Nurses insert a foley as needed into patients of both genders all the time. This is our job. We do it to provide patient relief and help our patients onto the road of recovery. I find it horrifying that you even remotely see foley insertion almost like a rape. One is a medical necessity and the other is a violent crime.

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