Male Nurses straight cathing female patients

[ptjones68]

Most recently, the hospital I'm working at decided that nurse aides will not be doing straight catheterizations. I am uncomfortable doing female straight caths on my unit because many of the patients are alert yet disoriented. And to be brutally honest, I have never done a female straight cath (I have only been a nurse for a year). Nursing school never taught it to me. How do other male nurses feel about female straight cathing and deal with this? Thanks for any feedback.

ptjones68

[Argo]

Just do it. No big deal. Watch a couple to see the anatomy if you aren't familiar and go do your own.

[SuesquatchRN, BSN, RN]

Well, usually you need two people to straight cath women who need it anyway since they are either obese or disoriented and won't open their legs. Bring a woman with you. I always end up doing it for our one male nurse.

Ever think you'd have a job where you don't get arrested for saying, "If you'd open your legs I could get it in better!"

[PhoenixTech, LPN]

Well, usually you need two people to straight cath women who need it anyway since they are either obese or disoriented and won't open their legs. Bring a woman with you. I always end up doing it for our one male nurse.

Ever think you'd have a job where you don't get arrested for saying, "If you'd open your legs I could get it in better!"

you you!

[ItsTheDude]

if you are uncomfortable, it usually shows and makes the patient uncomfortable, not good for the patient.

the patient needs it, so you do it, simple.

[caliotter3]

I worked with a male nurse who asked me to do this for him one time because of the circumstances. I had no problem helping him out because I could always go to him for help if I needed it. But you do need to learn how to do this for those times when you don't have help. If possible, I would always take a female to "help" (by being a witness). Best to play it safe.

[Bill E. Rubin]

As Suesquatch said, generally speaking it's a very difficult task for just one anyway, so as a rule, it's a procedure that I always request another (female) RN to assist with. It is possible that I could do it alone for a totally A&Ox3 pt with whom I have a good rapport, but this wouldn't fit the profile of most female pts I would be straight cathing (or inserting a foley into) anyway. Usually could use help with holding the legs and also sometimes shining a flashlight since the lighting in our rooms leaves a little to be desired.

[Ace587RN, RN]

Exactly, i would always take a female just to be in the safe side. Thats one thing i was always told in nursing school

[anITNurse]

You guys never worked on a spinal cord injury unit. I worked 12 years on an SCI unit and have performed hundreds of straight caths on women, usually without assistance or witnesses. Just be professional and offer to get a female nurse if the patient is uncomfortable with you performing the procedure. The occasional patient would request a female nurse, but it didn't happen often.

[rotteluvr31, ADN, RN]

In the LTC I worked at, the male LPN would just bring in a female CNA, or sometimes two, depending on, ahem, how big the woman was.

In the ICU, the male RN would do go in by himself, ask the woman (if she was competent) if they were comfortable with him performing the procedure. If not, he would get another RN. There is always someone on the unit willing to provide a helping hand, or two.

[tgedward]

Once again the stigma of a male nurse working on female patients comes up. Medical professionals are just that, professionals. Either male or female, we need to get away from the gender based concepts of medicine and take GREAT care of the people who need us the most.

[VtMaleNurse]

I was also uncomfortable str8 cathing women at first. Not because I'm a prude, I just always had trouble finding the ureathral meateus...that is the hole (why is it different places in different women?) I began bringing a female aide in to help. She serves as chaperone, helps keep the legs open wide, sometimes holds a flashlight for me, and often will show me just where the hole is. I don't mind asking for the help at all.