Male Nurses/female Patients

moemha · Nov 29, 2008

I'm a male RN and I find that I ave better ineraction with female patients then male paitents. I work in a big hospital in NYC and I work in a ED where i'm in charge. When I do an exam on a female paitent I always have a female with me in the room so theres no accusation of sexual contact.

Morris:yeah:

lpnstudentin2010, LPN · Dec 6, 2008

I have said this before but for me personally, I do not feel any more uncomfortable with guys then I do women.

I have only had a couple of experiences with male nurses (and one cna).

First time was the CNA...I was in the hospital and pushed the call light and told them i needed to pee. He comes in and says "Your nurse is busy right now, either you can wait and she will help you to the toilet, I can bring you a bed pan, or I can have someone else bring it" My repsonse "You can bring me a bed pan." I needed to go bad and well, that was the fastest way to get one.

I also had a male crna for one of my surgeries (on my eye) and I was told that he normally does young girls gyn surgeries, and if a girl needs repeat surgeries quite often he is requested, he just puts the girls so at ease. He was one of the ones that has made me the most comfortable with my anesthisia provider, he treated me and my dicissions with the utmost respect (I always ask for mask induction because I have bad veins and am needle phobic)

So I will take a guy any day.

blackdogm3 · Dec 27, 2008

When I did my clinicals, I always introduce myself as a nurse, and let them know what I'll be doing, especially when it comes to hygiene. Most of the female patients I had were fine with perennial hygiene or wiping their bottom. I only had 1 female patient that requested a female nurse to do the job. Other than that, I had no problem. I mean I don't see anything wrong with a female nurse taking care of a male patient.

patrick1rn, MSN, RN, NP · Dec 28, 2008

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?

Your question is biased from the get go, specifically this issue about men refusing to perform certain functions because they have a female patient. As a man and RN, it is the female patient who feels uncomfortable about having a man do those tasks that need to be done.

Ask your question right

And for the record, no I dont have a problem providing total professional care to female patients, if they are uncomfortable with a man who is a RN, then it thier loss. I am great RN.

nursemike, ASN, RN · Dec 28, 2008

Your question is biased from the get go, specifically this issue about men refusing to perform certain functions because they have a female patient. As a man and RN, it is the female patient who feels uncomfortable about having a man do those tasks that need to be done.
Ask your question right
And for the record, no I dont have a problem providing total professional care to female patients, if they are uncomfortable with a man who is a RN, then it thier loss. I am great RN.

I believe the OP was referring to instances where the male nurse passes off a task before the patient objects.

No one seems to have a problem with honoring the patient's preference, but I do think it's a problem to assume the patient will object without even asking. I don't think that's a legitimate excuse to keep men out of certain areas, and I don't think it's a legitimate excuse for men to get out of work. Another thread discusses male students who seemed appalled that they would be expected to provide personal care to female patients, and the sense of it seemed to be they thought it would be "gross." Seems to me their future in nursing would be pretty limited with that attitude.

I've actually sorta done what the OP describes. One morning, when I was very busy near the end of my shift, my CN asked if there was anything she could do to help out. I had a pt who needed an IV, and another, a female, who needed a Foley. I asked the CN if she would mind doing the Foley. I could have asked her to do the IV, but it seemed like common sense, to me. I would have found a way to do both, but since she offered, I was glad for the help. I've also, occassionally, enlisted a female co-worker based on the patient's body language, but as a rule, I'll ask whether she minds and go with whatever she says. I'm a little surprised, and kinda flattered, how few do object. It takes a fair amount of trust to let a guy work "down there," and I appreciate and respect those who show me that level of trust.

I'm glad you're a great nurse. Unfortunately, I have to admit that not all men are. I do notice that a lot of men are very caring and professional, and I certainly try to be. I do think some of the obstacles (both internal and external) that we are apt to encounter tend to weed out guys who are less committed, but most of the women I work with are excellent nurses, and I look upon them as role models. I'm lucky to work on a unit where teamwork and helping each other out is the norm, and taking advantage of each other is rare.

Saifudin · Dec 30, 2008

In nursing school back in the mid-70's we were taught and expected to provide care to male or female patients. I remember being taught and having to provide perineal care during our ob-gyne rotation. Later as an RN, I did caths and care but usually on elderly patients. If a patient was young I sought the assistance of a female colleague. And even later in NP practice, we 'did it all' in the primary care clinics but I had an arrangement with a female NP colleague, she would fit my female patients for diaphragms and I did testicular exams on her young male patients. That was a mutual agreement that we were both comfortable and I think most patients appreciated that as well. I just could not see myself squatting to demonstrate the diaphragm (ouch!)

Now as a Muslim, I will seek assistance unless it is an emergency then one must do what is necessary in a life-threatening situation, meaning rules of touch, etc., are dispensed with.

jbluehorseh · Dec 31, 2008

There tends to be a double standard when it comes to doing procedures. Male nurses are treated differently then female nurses. There are hospitals in the Bible belt that will not let males nurses take care of females, but female can take care of both.

We as male nurses need to protect ourselves as nurse that means having a female be it family member or co-worker present when doing these procedures, If not for any other purpose then to CYA. Most hospitals have such P&Ps. However there are nurses that will pass the buck because they do not want to do it and that is wrong. I always ask female patients if they want female for what ever procedure that involves seeing their genitalia out of respect. Most of the time they do not care. I find if you are respectful then you are not going to have a problem. I also had female nurse make a big deal out of me having to clean up a elderly female,( not really a problem for me but she requested a female nurse) but when it came to a young female then I was treat like a perv. I say they deserve the same respect. The point is that we have to live and work within a double standard whether we like it or not.

rolland542 · Jan 13, 2009

I am finding the general norm is that us males nurses do not find it unusual or perverted to care for both sexes of patients, but the attorneys whom represent the hospitals find otherwise. In school we are taught without our sex in mind. We are taught to clinically assess and administer our profession without boundaries, why then are we constricted in practice? The answer lies within the walls of our hospitals. The nursing profession is controlled by females, with a 20-1 ratio between the sexes. If charge nurses discriminate, and allow other nurses to discriminate, then we will be discriminated against. It's nature....

Normally, the patient will be left to decide - male or female? But what do we do when there is no female about? Do we take the chance that we will be reported for failing/delaying to do our duty or do we provide the care required? Both are reportable actions - so which is it? I would like to see some females answer that question....

Emma Peel · Jan 13, 2009

Normally, the patient will be left to decide - male or female? But what do we do when there is no female about? Do we take the chance that we will be reported for failing/delaying to do our duty or do we provide the care required? Both are reportable actions - so which is it? I would like to see some females answer that question....

OK, best answer I can think of under the circumstances...explain to the patient why the care is necessary and that there is no female nurse available at this time. If the patient still refuses the care, DOCUMENT the whole thing, explanation, refusal, etc. The patient may try to charge the hospital with being inadequately staffed, or some such nonsense, but they can't sue you for your gender. And the patient has the right to refuse medical care. If you document that you attempted to provide it, but the patient refused, you should not be held liable.

Emma "No further questions, your honor" Peel

Batman24 · Jan 13, 2009

If a patient refuses your care you document it. Thoroughly. You don't proceed as patients have the right to refuse medical care. Period. I would let your CN know of the refusal as well to further protect yourself.

wordsmith · Jul 20, 2009

Like many of the posters here, I've traded off with my colleagues whenever possible when a patient has requested a nurse or CNA of the same gender. However, if staff are of one gender (say, all female) and there's a male patient who doesn't want a female assisting him with personal care, I'll let him know that it will be X amount of time before a male staff member can come from another floor. Sometimes it might be a long time before a staff swap can be made. Occasionally it might not be possible if it's a busy night. In that case, the patient's wishes might not be accommodated and we'll explain that as best as possible, be respectful and treat him with as much dignity and safety as we can. I remember one guy who said he had to stand to urinate, but he'd had so much opiate medication it wasn't really safe to let him stand. The compromise was allowing him to hold the bottle with one hand, letting him hold the gurney rail with the other hand, and his wife (who'd never, apparently, in 20 years of marriage, been in the bathroom with him, either) clutched him around the waist, facing the other way, and I waited just outside the curtain for what seemed like forever. Yikes.

nolabarkeep · Jul 22, 2009

As a male RN, I will perform any task I am ordered to do on any patient regardless of sex. I do, however, work together with my female coworkers to make the patients as comfortable as possible. I can't give you exact numbers, but I would imagine that a female patient would prefer a female RN performing/assisting in a pelvic exam and/or urinary catheter. Another problem is that it is unsafe for a male RN to be in a room alone with a female patient when performing these skills. It is easier in the ED where I work for a coworker to do it themselves instead of just standing in as a chaperone. I return the favor to my female employees without hesitation.