Male nurse in L&D

nurse2033, MSN, RN · Sep 8, 2011

Anyone heard of a male MD? I'm sick of this type of discussion. If the manager told you they won't hire a male it is discrimination. If you want the job, file a complaint. It will be up to you to sell yourself to your patients, which you will be able to do easily if you have the desire. Good luck.

allnurses Guide · Sep 8, 2011

I have known two male OB nurses, and if you handle yourself professionally most women aren't going to care when their in active labor whether your male or female.

Personally, I would file a complaint if I didn't get the job with EEOC. http://www.equalrights.org/publications/kyr/sexdiscrim.asp

tony2353 · Sep 8, 2011

Ok, thanks for the posts! I feel that I can stablish a trusting relationship with my patients after the initial shock of getting a male OB nurse. I am not trying to be hard headed, but I don't like to be told I can't do something just because I am male... Well , will see what happens in my interview

canigraduate · Sep 8, 2011

It is against federal law to discriminate based on sex. If they were dumb enough to tell you they don't want you because you are a man, they are in violation of Equal Opportunity laws.

However, being a male OB nurse will probably be difficult and you would have to get used to being rejected by your patients, especially those with conservative religious beliefs.

NickB · Sep 8, 2011

Wow, so many things to address in this thread. First of all, yes it is discrimination but would you really want to work somewhere that the manager is that closed minded and wouldn't ever want you there even if you fought it and won? Maybe a different hospital would be more open minded about it.

Secondly, I have never had a patient refuse my care. I have had patients be a little unsure at first but that is always resolved and I will be so bold as to say that my patients love me. I get compliment after compliment day in and day out and I am very proud of that fact. I love what I do and it shows in my daily performance. I currently work in post partum and nursery. I attend vag deliveries and c-sections all of the time to take care of baby, I precepted in labor and delivery, and I will be in labor and delivery in November. I have never had any issues in any of these circumstances.

There were so many things I saw in the posts above that I want to address:

1. The idea that a woman would be a better nurse because she can relate. First of all, how does that apply to a woman who has no children. I have children, was in the delivery, and helped with everything. Secondly, a woman who has had children will compare your experience to hers. You may tell her you're in pain and she may think that it wasn't that painful for her. If you tell me you're in pain, I believe you because I never gave birth. Third, any woman can just be an obstetrics nurse. For a male to do it, he has to really really want to do it and that will show in his performance. That's not to say that there aren't women who really want to be obstetrics nurses. All I'm saying is if a guy is doing it, it isn't just because he thought it might be cool to try.

2. The woman having no problem with a male nurse but the husband does is just crap. It is a sign of his insecurity. As a husband, I want the best person taking care of my wife, male or female. Furthermore, nothing about the labor and delivery process should be up to the dad. The mom had to carry the baby for 9 months and she is the one who has to deliver the baby. It is about her and it is his job to only support her decisions.

3. A third of the women I work with have sausage fingers... Just sayin...

4. I am not a pervert nor is the one other male obstetrics nurse I know of in Central Florida. The process has no sexual appeal to it whatsoever. It is anything but sexual. It is, on the otherhand, a very beautiful and miraculous process and that is why I do what I do. I love to care for these mothers and their newborns at this time. The nurses who took care of my wife for our first child were rockstars and they inspired me to be the same, if not better.

And any of the nurses I work with will back me up on any of this. Even the ones who were skeptical when I started. Today, I had a female nurse come over to me right after I finished transitioning her patient's baby and ask me if I would help the mom breastfeed for the first time? I've never latched a newborn on to myself, yet she felt that I would do a better job at helping this mom than her. It's all about the desire to be good at what you do. OP, if you want to do this, than do it. Let your performance speak for itself.

xtxrn, ASN, RN · Sep 8, 2011

Ok, thanks for the posts! I feel that I can stablish a trusting relationship with my patients after the initial shock of getting a male OB nurse. I am not trying to be hard headed, but I don't like to be told I can't do something just because I am male... Well , will see what happens in my interview

I have no kids. (this pleases many children ). That being said, I've been strung up in stirrups for pelvics too many times to count, had various probes up into the unseen parts, etc...and the body at the end of the hand doing all of that generally belonged to someone with XY chromosomes. It was his JOB. (I can say with relative certainty there were no 'jollies' to be had- it surely wasn't 'good' for me... ). I scared one MD one time (told me something was tipped- I told him it probably got tired of waiting and went ahead and lied down...poor guy nearly dropped the probe). But I never cared what plumbing they owned as long as they were professional. JMO.

I'm sure no male I ever hosed with a Foley was particularly glad to see me coming, but they held still :lol2: If they had requested a male nurse (when one was available) that was accommodated. It was another dingle-dangle and another Foley, both of which were forgettable. Check off the to-do list for the shift.

I can respect that people may have preferences as to who their nurse is. But I think it's abysmal to deny a male nurse a job on a "female" unit, simply because he's got an external plumbing. At least let the guy give it a whirl, and if too many patients refuse, then transfer to another unit. But a blatant "No, you're a boy" sounds like 3rd grade. :cool:

linearthinker, DNP, RN · Sep 8, 2011

I have heard this before. I think it sucks. I'd say the "discrimination" comes more form patients than the systems, and I think the employers should go ahead and staff the OB unit with males and force the patients to just deal with it, but for some reason hospital systems are not beating down my door begging for my opinion.

I was going to agree with Gadget, but our rationale is too different. I don't have a problem with lady partss, I have a problem with whiny, entitled pains ITA, and that is the reason this FEMALE nurse, mom of 7 (homebirthed) babies would never set a toe in any L&D unit. Not unless we go back to chloroform, or it is OK to gag them.

bsnanat2 · Sep 8, 2011

It is always interesting to me how some female patients think nothing of having a male OB who does all manner things, but don't want a male nurse whose duties are far less "imposing" on them. Also, I think many nurses or instructors who tell male nurses/students that a patient would be more comfortable with a female nurse actually mean that they are more comfortable assigning a female nurse. During my OB rotation I had an instructor who said this and I was assigned "non patient duties." I had a patient's husband call me in from the hallway to ask a question and got to do a little education for him and his wife. He came to the desk later and said his wife "would like the guy to be her nurse." This is supposedly the same woman who had refused earlier. Turns out they'd never even been asked.

LVN2RNMom, ASN, BSN, LVN · Sep 8, 2011

One of my best OB/GYN Dr's was a male. He was gentle and kind. He also never used the phrase "Oh, stop being so sensitive. I've been through this before". Yes, I have been told that by a female MD. So, NO I would not mind a male nurse. A professional is a professional.

MunoRN, RN · Sep 8, 2011

Being a male Nurse my instinct is to take your side against "the man" (ironic right?) But this isn't actually illegal. Employers can't discriminate based on sex if hiring a male OB nurse would only require "reasonable" accommodation. But if hiring a male OB nurse would require "undue hardship" then refusing to hire males is absolutely legal. Based on my experience of how often female patients refuse male RN students in OB, I think an employer could make the case that a male RN in OB would put the employer in a position of undue hardship. My hospital doesn't hire male RN's in OB, I don't think anybody has challenged it yet, but I doubt they would win.

It is frustrating that OB patients are fine with male Docs but not male Nurses, this is a well know double standard not just in OB, I'm not sure there is much to be done about it.

MissBrahmsRN · Sep 8, 2011

there's a nurse who happens to be a male in my hospital's L&D. he's been there delivering babies for 20 years and many women have asked for him by name. i had a female OB who works there tell my pregnant coworker: "there's no one better when you are having a baby. he's amazing."

my OB is a guy, i've had 2 female OB/GYNs in the past and while i know this is just bad luck they both had very poor bedside manners...both of them would basically qualify any issue i had with "well i'm a woman and i've never had that so...." the nurse who was there when my son was born was a female and she had 5 kids so she thought that she knew everything and basically was nice & gave me the epidural i wanted but kept rolling her eyes at me and saying things like, "i know it's not THAT bad." ummm...lady, it's not your uterus this time is it??? i asked for a male RN when i checked in but they said the 2 they had on staff were both off that day..stinks..

later when i was in nursing school the women working L&D were terrible. they were fine as RNs go but you have never met a cattier *itchier bunch of girls. and the two that i worked with that had kids of their own kept acting like the moms delivering were doing everything wrong.. :uhoh3:

i guess i've just had back luck with female caregivers in the female medical arenas:confused:

LongislandRN23 · Sep 8, 2011

More people (employers and patients) seem to be opposed to having a male OB nurse, but not to having a male OBGYN.