Male Nurses/female Patients

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:banghead: 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?

Specializes in LTC, cardiac, ortho rehab.

a couple of times i have had female patients ask me to get a female nurse to do certain things like foley catheter insertion, enema, suppositories, etc etc. man sometimes i offer to change their diaper but they still want a female cna to change them... shouldnt they feel special since the nurse is gonna change them? lol heh jk

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So I had an upper endoscopy today and I had my first male nurse. He was my post care nurse. He was working with a female nursing student who did the things like remove my ekg electrodes. But he was AWESOME. Most of my contact was with her but he was there also watching over her. And if it had been just him, that would have been fine.

By the way when I had sufficiently woken up, and realized that I had my first male nurse, I thought of this thread.

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Specializes in ER/Trauma.
So, I was leaving work the other morning and heard one of the dayshift nurses remark: "So, I'm the only male nurse on the floor, today, and they give the gyn patient to me?"
I am routinely assigned the OB/GYN patients on the floor (obviously, on the days they can spare me from Ortho).

I've never once had a gyne pt. refuse care from me - be she 18 year old or 94 year old.

To the extent that some of my co-workers refer me as "Whiney-Guyney" (since I end up taking care of so many OB/GYN pts who have multiple pain/comfort control issues).

In fact, the last 6 months - I've taken care of more OB/GYN and general Medical patients than I have my "routine" surgical patients (unjacked-or-otherwise).

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Specializes in Rodeo Nursing (Neuro).
I am routinely assigned the OB/GYN patients on the floor (obviously, on the days they can spare me from Ortho).

I've never once had a gyne pt. refuse care from me - be she 18 year old or 94 year old.

To the extent that some of my co-workers refer me as "Whiney-Guyney" (since I end up taking care of so many OB/GYN pts who have multiple pain/comfort control issues).

In fact, the last 6 months - I've taken care of more OB/GYN and general Medical patients than I have my "routine" surgical patients (unjacked-or-otherwise).

Had a pt over the weekend who'd had a Foley dc'd 4 hrs before I came on, so she needed to void by 2100 or possibly be straight cath'ed. The nurse I followed warned me she'd probably be shy about a male doing it, or changing her femoral line dressing. Pt did finally void at 2130--better late than never--and I helped get her on the bedpan, from the unexposed side. Afterward, though, I needed to bladder scan for post-void, and she was fine with it. Helped her on and off pan several times that night by myself, no problem. She was a very proper lol, hence the other nurse's assumption, but on the other hand, nothing we were doing was improper.

Personal, yes, but not improper.

I'm just as happy that I haven't been labeled our unofficial ob/gyn expert, but my limited experience with the few of those patients we get has not been bad. One thing I've noticed, and a couple of other nurses remarked, as well, is that the ob/gyn docs are a pleasure to deal with. I sometimes dread off-service patients--tracking down who is covering Med 12 (I exaggerate--a little) on nights can be a bear. OB seems to return pages as soon as you hang up, and will actually come see the patient! (I suppose it helps that they aren't covering six hundred patients on nine different services--again, I exaggerate, a little.)

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Usually the older patients have no problems. But if I'm taking care of a young girl I'll ask if they prefer a female nurse to cath and such.

As far as male nurses being gay, I think since there are so many male nurses now days most are getting past the stereotype. If I sense a concern from the pt or family I'll make a comment that someone how includes my wife or children.

But I would prefer a male nurse.

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Specializes in Neonatal ICU (Cardiothoracic).

My mother recently had a mastectomy, and her favorite nurse on the onc floor was a guy. She gushed about him the whole time she was there, and even after she got home. Never mentioned any of the other nurses.

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I am a male nurse and pt care is pt care. If you don't establish a bond with your pt before care anything you say and do is open to motive. I work mainly in the er and anything and everything is fair game to me. I will cath a male or female after offering to get a female nurse if the pt wishes. When your professionalism shows the pt will feel comfortable with you as a person. Not as a male or female. I remaked one time to a female pt " a lady nurse will be in a minute to do a catheter for a sample" and the pt said---"aren't you able to do this? Your MY nurse!" I appologized for not asking first. She came in twice after that as a pt and asked for me by name! What a compliment that was. Never assume anything. Pt judge you by your degree of professionalism, not your gender!

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In my ED I do all types of thing on men and women unless patient requests otherwise. My nurses help with females and if there is a nasty or scary looking guy I pitch in with them. The solution is more about teamwork and less about who does what on what sex. keep in mind that when a guy asks for help a female he should be asking what he can do for you while you do for him. IMHO its more of you need to speak up when you feel tread upon and tel the guys I will cath this while you print my discharge papers for that. then it less of a strain on both.

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If a female asks for a lady then thats what I will get for them.

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Specializes in ER, ICU.

For me, it's about protecting myself. I depend on this gig to pay the bills and cannot afford to be accused of anything. That's all it would take. My belief is that guilt will be assumed and I will be toast.

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Specializes in military acute care.

I find that maintaining a professional attitude goes a long way in gaining accecptance. Address the patient by name and explain what you are doing goes a long way towards acceptance. If you feel it necessary given your particular patient, include a female. Be it a family member or female CNA. Remember it's the patients comfort and compliance that are the goal in any procedure. Act accordingly.

David

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Specializes in pediatrics.

I guess it all depends on the procedure/treatment. I had a large mole removed from my right breast and the only RN there to remove the sutures was a male nurse. I had no problems with him removing the sutures -without another person in the room. I kept the situation professional, I would rather have a RN than an office assistant.

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