Male Nursing Student, Want to Work OB

Works2xs · Jul 12, 2005

Dude...(dudes?),
That's weird. I will readily admit that i'm unable to fathom the mind-set of men working this specialty.???
OK, maybe nursery and babies and all of that is fine. But...the whole aspect of Labor and Delivery is so much the realm of femininity/women.
Being men, we'll never experience the whole process (other than being a witness) and have little 'natural' insight into what the laboring mother is feeling. I'm willing to go out on a stereo-type limb here and say that the BEST L&D nurses are women who've experienced child-birth themselves.
And how in he heck do MEN teach new mothers the proper breast-feeding techniques?? "...OK mam...take your nipple like so...and..."
And the difference between Obstetricians and Male OB nurses is a big one in my opinion. I can understand there's no difference between a man or woman doing a pelvic exam, papsmear, etc. (nurse or doctor), but the nursing role in the whole L&D process is different. The OB doc swoops in delivers, says some jokes, and leaves...the nurse's role however is much more intimate and (in some respects) important. I beleive (hit me with a bigot stick!) that a man is incapable of empathizing with a laboring woman...

Seems to be an odd dilema. The premise is that in order to provide the best care, the person providing the care should (need?) have personal experience. At first blush, I'd agree. However, when considering the wide range of medical situations, it's probably a metaphysical impossibility to be personally familiar with every medical issue you're likely to treat in any specialty. I've never had a heart attack, or cancer, etc. Does that somehow disqualify me from being a care giver to these types of patients? And if I can provide care to these types of patients, then couldn't you extend the same consideration to OB? Do we, as men, view women incapable of providing good care when it comes to issues involving male reproductive areas? How do women feel about their ability to provide care to men in such cases?

I also wonder at how much of the reluctance (both pat. and nurse) in male participation in this area is simply a function of habit. For the better part of the last century, there was little chance that you'd get anyone but a woman nurse. Regardless of modesty issues, you got what you got. As a guy, I've always relied on the female nurses to approach their job in a rather "clinical" or "professional" manner. Nurses, to their credit, responded in exactly that manner. Perhaps, as more men enter the profession, they'll be involved in providing care throughout the healthcare spectrum. A woman who routinely had male nurses throughout the lifespan might come to view the role of a man in the OB nursing profession on neutral terms.

Of course... feelings have reasons that reason can't understand. I suspect that as time marches on, the tone that we all set (both women and men) in the OB specialty will facilitate the view that quality care is not a function of gender.

barefootlady, ADN, RN · Jul 12, 2005

CJ,

If Ob is what you want, go for it. You will soon learn if it is all you want it to be. I "don't do no babies" except my own and when I float to peds, that is my limit. But we need all kinds of nurses, all sexes, and all races. Go for it. I wish you luck.

barefootlady, ADN, RN · Jul 12, 2005

Works,

you did it again. Good, thoughtful post. I don't think there was a male nurse except in ER when my children were born, so time is changing things. I may know more about how it works out when my great grandkids get here.

Dinith88 · Jul 12, 2005

Seems to be an odd dilema. The premise is that in order to provide the best care, the person providing the care should (need?) have personal experience. At first blush, I'd agree. However, when considering the wide range of....

Hmm.

OK, the 'premise' isn't as cut-and-dry as you're painting it. To lump a laboring mother into the same catagory as other 'medical conditions'/illness is overgeneralizing things. It's a no-brainer to say that it's impossible to 'experience' every medical condition you'll ever treat...duhh.

However, the experience of conceiving and delivering children is something the vast majority of women are capable of...and most (i think?) do. This experience or potential experience (I THINK) enables women to better care for these women....(and dads who are (hopefully) there with the mom...)

AND it's not an illness (like cancer, heart attack, etc...as you've stated), rather a uniquely feminine experience. It's a matter of biology, not pathology.

Before you label me chauvenistic(sp?), conservative, narrow-minded, homophobic, republican,...whatever,... know that i'm none of those.

This is all just my opinion...So when you graduate (if you're male) please be an OB nurse. I wont hold it against you or any man that does. Nor do I (or would I) look down on or otherwise bash these guys.

I am, however, convinced that it is an odd area for a man to gravitate towards...and am incapable of understanding the man that does.

Silverhawk · Jul 13, 2005

So far the hospitals where I have worked have NOT allowed men to work in the L&D departments. This has gone as far as the courts with the guy losing every time. Good luck though. Mike

Ain't equality great! They want it all, but don't ask them to be fair in return. Soon males will be the new minority

ChadleyNC · Jul 14, 2005

Hmm.
OK, the 'premise' isn't as cut-and-dry as you're painting it. To lump a laboring mother into the same catagory as other 'medical conditions'/illness is overgeneralizing things. It's a no-brainer to say that it's impossible to 'experience' every medical condition you'll ever treat...duhh.
However, the experience of conceiving and delivering children is something the vast majority of women are capable of...and most (i think?) do. This experience or potential experience (I THINK) enables women to better care for these women....(and dads who are (hopefully) there with the mom...)
AND it's not an illness (like cancer, heart attack, etc...as you've stated), rather a uniquely feminine experience. It's a matter of biology, not pathology.
Before you label me chauvenistic(sp?), conservative, narrow-minded, homophobic, republican,...whatever,... know that i'm none of those.
This is all just my opinion...So when you graduate (if you're male) please be an OB nurse. I wont hold it against you or any man that does. Nor do I (or would I) look down on or otherwise bash these guys.
I am, however, convinced that it is an odd area for a man to gravitate towards...and am incapable of understanding the man that does.

I aggree with you partly. I can see your opinion that childbirth, labor etc is a uniquely feminine experience and not something that I could relate to on any level that I would deem Empathic in nature. I also agree with you that a lack of empathic understanding does not in any way inhibit your ability to deliver best care. I personally am terrified of my clinical rotation through L&D as I live in the south where "men ain't wanted 'round them parts".

I don't think your opinion makes you biggoted or narrow minded either.

I work in a substance abuse hospital right now and some of our patients don't like to deal with employees in any capacity who are not in recovery themselves. This makes sense to me on one level and at the same time doesn't, because to me that counts me out in that patient's opinion as a person capable of performing the duties of my position. Others automatically assume that most or all of us are in recovery and by this they gain an immediate comfort level. I think that in any situation whether labor related or not, if a patient is made comfortable by their own assumptions then so be it.

that said, I do not think it right for any specialty area to be off limits to anyone, male or female. The last time I visited a urologist, the MD was the ONLY man in the bunch. I wasn't too comfortable with that either, but I made it through it ok and the nurses I was treated by were very competent.

to each his own and if his is L and D so be it. I may not uinderstand it either but like you I certainly don't condemn the idea.

ali_gator · Jul 14, 2005

Personally, I have no problem with this. If I was in labor I wouldn't care what gender my nurse was. The bottom line-- is this person a good nurse? Is he/she skilled, professional, and supportive?

Given the choice between a great OB nurse who just happens to be a man, or a woman who really ought to be reconsidering her career choice, I'd take the man. Any day of the week.

It isn't considered "weird" for a man to be an OB/GYN is it? I fail to see the difference between a man becoming an OB physician or an OB nurse.

Kudos to all you men in OB nursing out there. I'm sure your patients are lucky to have you. And CJ, don't let anyone discourage you or tell you that your dream is "gross," "weird," etc.

Littlewonder · Jul 16, 2005

Just to place a slightly different viewpoint here... I am a LDRP/ newborn nurse. I am also a breastfeeding educator. I have also had two children. As a patient, as a nurse, and as a breastfeeding teacher (and breastfeeding mom) I can tell you that the knowledge and care is what is important - not your gender. I had female nurses help me learn to breastfeed my first son (before I was a nurse) and they did not really help at all! I would have much preferred someone who knew what he was doing to someone who just happened to be a woman. :innerconf When I worked in other departments, I taught men to self-cath, my doctor does a full breast exam during yearly physicals (well, not really because I never go to those, but if I did he would,) there are no problems with either of these, and in the same way - teaching a mother to breastfeed is not a sexual thing and should not be a problem. If some women express a problem with it or seem really tense, just ask a coworker to assist her - nursing is teamwork anyway! (Or should be!)

Just be prepared for the comments and remember that even women in L&D get them. I don't know how many women have asked me, "isn't it gross to be putting your fingers up there!" and other similar comments.

The rewards are great once you get settled.

tntrn, ASN, RN · Jul 16, 2005

So, let me get this straight: you can't or shouldn't be a labor or ob nurse unless you've birthed and nursed babies yourself? Well, that successfully eliminates a whole lot of the labor and ob nurses who up to now thought they were good nurses and capable of doing the job.

In my unit, we have nurses who've never had or not yet had any children, and therefore have never nursed, and there are some of us who've had children but never nursed them. Must we by definition look for other jobs?

Get real.

Gentlemen: you are welcome to come work beside and with me as long as you know your stuff and put up with the stuff nurses toss at each other, most of the time in jest.

When my second child was born, I agreed to having a student RN work alongside the staff nurse. This fellow was an RT who was studying for his RN. We worked in the same hospital. At that time, women got enemas and full pubic shaves. He did all the honors and aside from the discomfort and embarrassment caused by the procedures, I was never uncomfortable with him there.

I think more often than not, it's the female ob nurses who are uncomfortable with having a man work "on their turf" as opposed to the patients. Most patients want to be properly cared for and believe me, a female, even one who has birthed and nursed babies, isn't automatically the best nurse for the job.

Dinith88 · Jul 16, 2005

So, let me get this straight: you can't or shouldn't be a labor or ob nurse unless you've birthed and nursed babies yourself? .

If you're responding to my posts, i think you need to re-read them as i've never stated this. And i also never stated men shouldn't be OB nurses.

The one thing i DO agree with you on is that men can be very good OB nurses...because they make better nurses in general anyway.

SteveNNP, MSN, NP · Jul 16, 2005

Hi!

I couldn't help chiming in. I recently graduated in May, passed my boards and I am just about to come off orientation in NICU. I was able to land a job in a level III NICU, and become the first male RN EVER on the floor. My job encompasses all the fun parts of OB and Critical care. If I have first admit, I attend all high risk and c-section deliveries, perform resuscitations and "surf" babies whose lungs are too immature. [give surfactant] I also get to care for the greatest patients on earth...preemies. You still have all the cool ICU equipment such as A-lines, vasoactive drips and even more high-tech vents. I LOVE IT!! It combines the patients i love with the technology and challenge I crave. You can still be there for the "fun" last 15 minutes of L&D minus the hours of boring labor. I plan on joining our neonatal transport team next year when I'm eligible, where I can transport preemies by chopper or ambulance, put in Alines, Umbilical lines, intubate and lots of other cool stuff. Yeah, I love my job. Consider NICU. You get the best of both worlds. {we also have a lactation consultant to handle almost all the breastfeeding teaching!}

PS - In school, I loved my L&D rotation, the trick is to act totally confident, even if you aren't. I was totally petrified the whole time, but the family loved me, and even put me in their home video! You can do any aspect of nursing if you want to badly enough!

Best of Luck!

SteveRN21

tntrn, ASN, RN · Jul 16, 2005

"If you're responding to my posts, i think you need to re-read them as i've never stated this. And i also never stated men shouldn't be OB nurses."

I was responding not to any one individual post, but to the general overall idea coming from several of them. And I know female RN's who "don't think having a male RN here would work."

I also know a woman, having her second baby, who was greeted at the door of her chosen birthcenter by "Joe, the nurse I had with my first baby." She was elated to see him again and have him take care of her. I've changed his name (I think anyway, as I don't really remember it) but this was in Anchorage. Obviously his care, nurturing and professionalism made a very positive impression on her. Maybe we should be polling patients who've had the experience rather than nurses to see just how well one thing or another would work.

As far as your opinion that men overall make better nurses, well, it's your opinion and you're entitled to it. I don't any gender has cornered the market on being better at anything. And that's my opinion.