Male Nurses/female Patients

Published

: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?

I'm a female student, (not a nurse yet) but I can tell you from experience with my two teenage sons and my husband, (who needs to get cathed every once in a while due to kidney stones); all three of them want a female nurse, not a male nurse! This seems to be the opposite of what everyone is saying, but from their point of view, it has something to do with homophobia. My husband was very uncomfortable having a male nurse do his foley, even though there is nothing sexual about it. There is always that question in their minds... Is this guy a homosexual? If he is, I don't want him touching me!

Homophobia is rampant in all aspects of society. I'm NOT suggesting the men mentioned above are homophobic, but it is a good example of what male nurses have to go thru every day. I happen to be gay, but my sexual orientation has no business in the workplace. I "pass" as straight, and usually have no problems, but remember people, homophobia is the last "acceptable" form of racism. In most states, it is NOT illegal to discriminate against gays in housing, jobs, promotions, or pay-scales. If the same were done to a person of color, there would be legal ramifications, but to a gay or bisexual person, there is NO LEGAL RECOURSE! Education will eventually errode this, but until then, people need to look closely at the stereotypes, and realize how wrong they are.

As a gay man, I don't want "special" rights, I want "EQUAL" rights. I would like to be permitted to marry the person I'm in love with, and have had a long-term, stable relationship with. I'm an upstanding member of the community, participate in several volunteer organizations, and vote in every election with my informed conscience. in short, why can't I have the same rights and priveleges as my heterosexual counterpart? Hopefully, this will change in my lifetime, as all other forms of racism, and we'll ALL be equal, no matter what the color of our skin, out sexual orientation (notice I didn't say preference, as it's NOT my choice), or religious affiliation.

Sorry this got off topic, but hopefully someone else reading this agrees with me, and even if one person changes their opinion, it's worth the risk of flames!

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Specializes in LDRP.

When in nursing school, I did have a male classmate, in our LTC rotation day, have a elderly woman ask to have her hair braided.

He was such a bum, he asked me to do it for him. (b/c he didnt know how)

What a slacker :)

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At the group homes i used to work in(for MR DD) men were not allowed to work with females, due to the fact that some Woman with Mental retardation was being raped by a male caregiver. They had suspicions and they actually caught him in the act. Well after that they made a policy for men to not be allowed to work with females clients but females can work with the male clients. When i was in training they told us this and i do understand.But then i felt like they were saying that i could never work with a woman client because i may rape her. and i kinda thought hat was discriminatory. And what makes it look even worse is that Women can work with the male clients as if a woman cannot possibly do anything abusive, it makes no sense. i think if they are going to do that then they should have guys with guys and women with women, not single one gender out.

When i first started as a CNA, i was a little uncomfortable(not really uncomfortable , but i cannot think of a better word) on taking care of a women. but now i just see everyone as a person that needs my care, and the only time i will not take care of someone is if they are uncomfortable with having a male CNA. i do not know how it is going to be in Nursing with having more responsibilities.

Andy

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When I was at clinicals during school, one of the instructors did not let me take female patients..She often said that, "The patient is young and a woman, dont take her." Well, that is how she was..It did not bother me none thou and she always assigned me male patients if she had the chance to..

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..."Sorry this got off topic, but hopefully someone else reading this agrees with me, and even if one person changes their opinion, it's worth the risk of flames!"

JohnBearPA,

I absolutely do not think your post is 'off topic'. In fact, it is an important aspect of the entire issue. My two sons and husband (as described in my previous post) are kind of 'wigged out' by the thought of being touched by a homosexual. I do not understand this AT ALL. I just don't get it!! :confused: If I were a patient, I wouldn't care less what the nurse's sexual orientation is! I can see where my spouse may be more traditional due to his age, but my sons are teenagers. On the other hand, they would never refuse treatment or be less than polite with any nurse unless they were blatently incompetent. All these thoughts are just going on their heads. I've discussed this with them and I all I manage to get is the old 'You just don't understand.." Well no kidding! :uhoh3:

In response to your other post about the guy that lost a week's pay, just think about male high school teachers. It's even worse for them. A local art teacher got fired for being accused. It still hasn't gone to court and its been a entire year. Men are often considered guilty until proven innocent. Nurses have to touch people all the time. A teacher can't even put a hand on someone's shoulder or give a sad kid a hug.

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Specializes in PACU, ED.

I'm halfway through nursing school but have been working as a tech in PACU. On occasion, a nurse has asked me to assist a male patient with a urinal or to the restroom. I don't think the nurses were slacking or uncomfortable with the jobs. They were just thinking about the comfort of the patient. I am not asked in every case, just when the nurse assesses the patient will be more comfortable with a male. I think it's all about the patient. If their bladder is full enough, they won't care who inserts the cath but if they want to wait for me to find a female nurse who has time, that's fine with me.

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My real question in my previous post was why do male nurses need to worry so much, while females don't?

As in the point, most males go into the Hospital, or wherever knowing they will most likely have a female nurse, while most females do the same. Why is it that there is so much tension for a male RN? Why would it not just be that the individual knows when they go to the Hospital, or wherver they could have either male, or female. As you all have been saying, it is wise to have a witness when doing something to a female as a male RN. Why is it not wise for a female RN to have a male witness while doing something to a male?

*Do understand I am not taking sides, but trying to understand why their is so much tension for male RN's."

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Specializes in Gerontological, cardiac, med-surg, peds.
My real question in my previous post was why do male nurses need to worry so much, while females don't?

As in the point, most males go into the Hospital, or wherever knowing they will most likely have a female nurse, while most females do the same. Why is it that there is so much tension for a male RN? Why would it not just be that the individual knows when they go to the Hospital, or wherver they could have either male, or female. As you all have been saying, it is wise to have a witness when doing something to a female as a male RN. Why is it not wise for a female RN to have a male witness while doing something to a male?

*Do understand I am not taking sides, but trying to understand why their is so much tension for male RN's."

Perhaps this sobering account will shed some light on the justifiable tension that male RN's must feel:

https://allnurses.com/forums/f195/former-nurse-sentenced-162668.html

http://www.dfw.com/mld/dfw/news/local/14806562.htm

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Specializes in Education, Acute, Med/Surg, Tele, etc.

I worked in an ALF where a few of the ladies did prefer that peri care or showering/dressing be done by a female not a male, and some that didn't care at all saying "heck, men have to have females all the time and you don't see them complaining as much...heck I had 5 kids by male MD's! Not like it is a mystery down there!" (I so laughed when I heard that because that is how I feel!).

Most of the male nurses I know are quite okay with that when it comes to the elderly...different time, different ideas...and lets face it...a little less to do..LOL!

But then again...who is it we call for heavy lifting and other 'man' type jobs..LOL! My poor hubby is a paramedic and the nurses in the ER are always asking him to help with heavy stuff, transfer, or helping with a psych pt (he is a large man with huge muscular shoulders!). So he always says...he understands what a male nurse would have to go through there! LOL!

And I have quite a few male nurses that help me with males, and I help them with females if it comes to emotions or such. We are a team, and best to explore what is best for the patient...sometimes that may differ between the sexes.

But bottom line, we are all...black, white, tan, green, male, female, whatever...NURSES! Weather a pt knows it or not...it is up to us all to inform them and let them choose.

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Specializes in ICU, ER, Hemodialysis.

i think we let males be discriminated against. i would like to know that if a male pt. did not want a male nurse to take care of him b/c he may be gay, would the charge nurse change the assignment (what if the white pt did not want the black nurse). no i don't think the assignment would be changed, but let a female pt say she doesn't want a male nurse and it's "no problem, it's your choice!"

pt's are in the hospital to get better and nurses are their to help them get that way. we can not allow men to be discriminated against without probable cause (and by the way, just being male is NOT probable cause).

as a male cna/student nurse, i HATE to have to go to a female cna because a female pt does not want me to assist her with a bath or getting dress. i don't like being treated as some kind of animal when i haven't done anything to lead someone to believe i was with the exception of being born male. i believe that the assignment should be made and IF the pt does not want me to bath her then she just gets family to assist or wait until someone more suitable to her comes along. i can still take her v/s, wt., transfer to chair, assist feeding, give fluids, turn q2h, etc. as a cna, and future RN, i do not feel it would be appropriate for me to refuse to take care of a prisoner pt., drug addict, non compliant diabetic, etc...no, i believe i have an obligation to not pass judgement and to give the best possible care that i can give. and as far as the pt...they can refuse my care, but i think that we are going down a bad path if they can refuse the nurse based on gender, race, religion, age, etc.

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Specializes in ICU, ER, Hemodialysis.

as a case in point, the other day i was paged to a room, "pt ready for bath." so, i go to the room. the pt was in a chair and daughter was in room. i changed the sheets on the bed, got basin of water, set in front of pt with towels, washcloths, soap, new gown....and the daughter says she does not want a man to assist her mom with a bath. i asked if she was going to assit her mother with the bath and she said "she is not prepared for that" (what?). anyway, i had to go get a female cna. the daughter would have been in the room the whole time while i gave the bath, but she refused because as she stated "she has a right to refuse a male!"

and as far as males taking advantage of things like this...i get called all the time to lift the heavy pts to head of bed, transfer from bed to chair/chair to bed, pts going into dt's, male pt needs a shave, prisoner pt needs care, confused pt is unruly, etc....yea, i think, as much as i hate to go have to get a female to assist a female pt of mine, that it ALL works out in the end (if it does not mean that I am called to assist MORE than the females are called by me!)

just a different take on things,

jay

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i think we let males be discriminated against. i would like to know that if a male pt. did not want a male nurse to take care of him b/c he may be gay, would the charge nurse change the assignment (what if the white pt did not want the black nurse). no i don't think the assignment would be changed, but let a female pt say she doesn't want a male nurse and it's "no problem, it's your choice!"

pt's are in the hospital to get better and nurses are their to help them get that way. we can not allow men to be discriminated against without probable cause (and by the way, just being male is NOT probable cause).

Many women - not just older women - don't want any man except the one they love and trust (their husband) to see them. As mentioned earlier, many women have religious beliefs about having a male doctor or nurse. And lets not forget that 1 in 4 women are victims of rape or molestation. Would you be the one to tell a rape victim who doesn't want you to touch her during a pelvic exam that she doesn't have a choice because you think it's discrimination? I'm a rape victim and if I was forced to have a man do my intimate exams there would be hell to pay. I'm sorry. I DON'T care about your feelings in this matter. I care about ME being comfortable in those already awkward and vulnerable exams.

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