Male Nurses/female Patients

[ern91]

I'm interested in knowing if anyone has the issue of male nurses refusing to perform certain nursing functions simply because they are male. Having worked in a large teaching hospital and smaller community hospitals, there seems to be a huge difference. In the teaching hospital, male nurses did everything a patient needed, regardless of gender. In the smaller community hospitals, the male nurses sought out female nurses to take care of all manner of female patient's hygiene, all gyn exams ,and anything else a female patient needed. Have we become such a litigous society that we base our practice on gender? Do you find yourself taking care of your male colleagues patients as well as your own simply because they are afraid to touch their female patients?

[nursemike, ASN, RN]

I seem to get consistently lower BPs when they're done by a female. I think it's more comforting, being touched by a female, but it could simply be that the female nurses and aides who've taken my pressure were more practiced than the couple of males who've done it. (One was a doc who commented, as he put the cuff on, "My,you're muscular!" Later, though, I heard a nurse relative of mine complain about the same young doctor chatting up a young, female nurse while one of his patients was trying to die, so naturally I was quite relieved that my homophobia had been misplaced. Unless maybe he was bi...)

But, seriously, folks, I have to agree with caroladybell that the issue here is not the nurse's right to provide care, but the patients' right to receive care with which they are comfortable. My only hesitation with that would be where a consistent pattern of patient preference interfered with a nurse's civil right to earn a livelihood. If a black nurse in a predominately white community couldn't get a job because patients preferred white nurses, I would think that was unacceptable discrimination. Apparently, that is often the case with male nurses who want to work in L&D, and I'm not convinced that gender is a more valid basis to discriminate than race. On the other hand, if being male got me out of being floated to L&D, I'd be pretty happy about it. I did have a pregnant patient, recently, and it scared the poop out of me. (Long story, and not HIPPA-appropriate.)

[nursemike, ASN, RN]

One other thought to any studdly young dudes reading this thread is that getting older, gaining some weight, and losing some hair seems to make one less threatening to female patients.

[danh3190]

Of course I agree with all the posts to the effect that the patient's comfort is most important, and I would never want to see that changed.

That being said, I'm old enough to remember when female physicians were quite rare (~1970) but a male who preferred a male physician would have been put down as a "male chauvanist pig".

[leslie :-D]

Of course I agree with all the posts to the effect that the patient's comfort is most important, and I would never want to see that changed.

That being said, I'm old enough to remember when female physicians were quite rare (~1970) but a male who preferred a male physician would have been put down as a "male chauvanist pig".

the female doctor would call the pt a male chauvinist pig???

that's just plain ignorance.

no matter the comments made, if a pt is that uncomfortable, i only hope they stick to their guns, and not be bullied into receiving care from someone w/whom they're uncomfortable.

leslie

[caroladybelle, BSN, RN]

That being said, I'm old enough to remember when female physicians were quite rare (~1970) but a male who preferred a male physician would have been put down as a "male chauvanist pig".

It depends on the issue the prompts the the "preference". Is the man requesting a male MD because he is uncomfortable with a female doctor handling his personal issues. Or is it because he does not consider a female MD as capable. One is preference and comfort and the other, bias.

Of course, some people can lie about their reasons for preference. Or their comfort issues may be so wrapped up together that they cannot deferentiate which is the reason.

It is somewhat like a nurse giving low dose MS to a dying patient, that dies after the dose. Did s/he give it as a comfort measure or to hasten dying - the intent makes a difference.

[leslie :-D]

It depends on the issue the prompts the the "preference". Is the man requesting a male MD because he is uncomfortable with a female doctor handling his personal issues. Or is it because he does not consider a female MD as capable. One is preference and comfort and the other, bias.

funny.

the nurse in me automatically advocates for the rights of the pt.

but the woman in me didn't even recognize any potential in discrimination based on competence.

i would have never even thought a man wouldn't want my services, based on intellectual inferiority.

good, darned thing-for his sake.

leslie

[58flyer]

funny.

the nurse in me automatically advocates for the rights of the pt.

but the woman in me didn't even recognize any potential in discrimination based on competence.

i would have never even thought a man wouldn't want my services, based on intellectual inferiority.

good, darned thing-for his sake.

leslie

Hmmmmmmmmmm. That has a veiled threat ring to it. If a man so stated that that was the reason for his refusal of your services, what would you do, what could you do, without placing your license on the line?

[leslie :-D]

Hmmmmmmmmmm. That has a veiled threat ring to it. If a man so stated that that was the reason for his refusal of your services, what would you do, what could you do, without placing your license on the line?

sigh....

so sorry flyerman.

i forgot to add the ubiquitous :) at the end of my statement.

have a great day.

leslie

[Jamie Dale]

:wink2: I don't feel that male nurses are the problem in healthcare.As a male nurse myself...i know that 99.9% of the time, the issue is with the female patient. It seems she becomes embarrassed when a male has to assist her. They say things like,"I wasn't raised like that." Which is ironic because, male patients don't seem to care one way or another, who takes care of them. So, no I don't think the male nurses have a issue with helping females.I think patients need to realize that this isn't the 1800's. And, lifestyles change. I mean really....do people look down on female paramedics or emt's?? I see no difference.

[royr]

As a nursing student I have been instructed to make SURE that I have a female care giver present in the room with me when doing any proceedure that require "private" areas to be exposed - as well as get the patient's consent in front of said female care giver to avoid any issues. At times this has made a few female care givers feel that they could spend their time more productivly elsewhere - however this is made up for when they ask for assistance when they require it from me - so it should be viewed as all coming out even in the end - as long as everyone does their share. Remember, there is no "I" in team.

[flasandy42]

>>>

I admit that I will ask a male nurse for lifting help more than I do females, and some do get upset about it. I have 40 years of stress on my back and was terrified of hurting it more. I can't blame them when they have their own work to do, but I do try to do another task for them n return.

[Roy Fokker, BSN, RN]

One other thought to any studdly young dudes reading this thread is that getting older, gaining some weight, and losing some hair seems to make one less threatening to female patients.

I don't know about "studly" ... but dude, that was funny! :chuckle