Male OB nurse

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I have aplied to an OB position on the OB department. The manager hinted that they would not hire a male. I think is discrimination. I have great disire to work in the department. What do you think? would you hire a male nurse for your ob unit?

Specializes in ER, ICU.
Well alot of women may have issue with a male nurse so although it may be discrimination, i dont see anything wrong with them not wanting to hire a male.

Wow, thanks for the support sister. I guess discrimination is OK as long as it doesn't point at you huh?

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This statement is completely ridiculous and it's this type of notion that perpetuates this absurd stereotype. I don't mean to attack you buddy, but your perception of a male nurse in obstetrics is doing nothing to help our gender not only in this specialty, but in our chosen profession as a whole.

If a male nurse would have walked in when I was having my child, I would have told him to leave the room immediately.

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It is definitively discrimination if they don't hire you because your a male.

Actually, that's not necessarily true. There is a legal exception called a BFOQ that allows hiring based on gender - a number of L&D units have successfully used this by demonstrating that they meet the required criteria.

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Specializes in Home Care, Peds, Public Health, DD Health.

I was in a high risk unit while I was pregnant and I had two male nurses. Only thing I didnt like was when one of them walked in while I was using the commode :nono: :eek:. I will say that the females were a little more attentive with things like washing your hair when you had been on bed rest for weeks etc but I am sure that is something that if a male nurse wanted to learn he sure could and would be MUCH appreciated! I know at least when you are on constant bed rest, you need attention and you dont care from whom! Although sometimes if you are contracting, you need quiet and dark, so really I cant think that being a male makes one bit of difference. Some women who work ob havent had babies and they still work ob and l&d and it doesnt mean they can't. Sometimes having a little muscle too is nice. And I found that during birth, I didnt really know who was in the room.

And I didnt have a female OB, so why does my nurse have to be female?

angelsmommy

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Specializes in NICU Transport/NICU.
If a male nurse would have walked in when I was having my child, I would have told him to leave the room immediately.

And I would've gladly left the room and walked out to the nurses station and told them you refused my care. They would've given you a female nurse and I would've taken someone else who at that point would receive the awesome care that you would then be missing out on. No sweat on my end. Funny thing is, this hasn't happened to me yet.

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Specializes in Anesthesia.
If a male nurse would have walked in when I was having my child, I would have told him to leave the room immediately.

That is interesting. I walk in the room all the time while women are in labor, and I have yet to have one even blink an eye in my direction. Granted my job is that of nurse anesthetist and I am there for support of the neonate, but women in those last few minutes could usually care less who else in the room with them.

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Specializes in Community, OB, Nursery.

I have been in labor with male CRNAs (placed a rockin' epidural in 3min flat), male OBs, and male nursing students. The only thing missing would've been a male RN, and frankly I would not have cared had one been in there. Are you caring? Do you know what you're doing? Ok, great. Get to work. (Frankly, I wouldn't have cared if the entire local hockey team had been in there, either. Too focused on pushing the kids out!)

I realize everyone may not feel the same, but most folks, I suspect, do. My unit just hired a male RN for mother/baby and so far he is universally liked. He was a student on our floor too and he was great. I'm glad he's with us. :yeah:

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Specializes in Home Care, Peds, Public Health, DD Health.

Proud Mama, I'm with ya, I had the entire Nicu team and a surgical team standing by, many of them men! And thank God they were there. Only thing I was concentrating on was my moms cold hands on my face and gettin that thing OUTTA ME!!! But when baby isnt breathing and you require immediate surgery, I think you don't care if someone is male or female, you just want to them to know their job! I could have had a marching band in there and I wouldnt have cared, lol!

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Specializes in Oncology, MBU, Surgical, Pediatrics,.
I have great disire to work in the department. What do you think? would you hire a male nurse for your ob unit?

If that is your calling you MUST pursue it!!!!!! Remember patients won't know how much you know until they know how much you care. I hope you are able to find the way to get hired in post-partum unit or labor and Delivery. Do not give up just because one persons opinion. I have been floating to the Post-Partum unit for now almost three years and the nurses from that unit have been very supportive in every aspect. I am a guy and the families and coworkers respect me because I treat everyone with respect. At the end of the day I am just a nurse, and I am there for my patients.

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I would think the objection might only come from an expectant father (I will contradict myself in a few sentences). If a nurse is professional there should be no problems. There are plenty of male OBGYN's but the doctors don't stick around and interact for hours on end with a patient on a very personal level. How do you feel about teaching a woman to breastfeed or checking lochia? Or compassionately massaging a fundus? Some of the compassion that a woman might have for another woman may be lost if the care is given by a male? A male in postpartum or L&D needs to have a huge soft side. I am sure there are males that could do it, just as there are females who couldn't but as a woman giving birth I barely wanted a male doctor- and chose to not have one the first time around. Once I met the doctor I let him deliver my 2nd child. I think it would take some major "people skills" to work in OB as a male. AND some disappointing rejection too. You also might be used/abused for your manly male muscles in a female dominant environment. Is it really your dream? The great thing about nursing is you can change your mind and get the heck out of a department you don't like- no harm done Good luck and follow your dreams. Don't do it just to win a battle.

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Specializes in L&D,Mother/Baby, WHNP,Educator,NICU.

It's definitely discrimination! I use to work with a male midwife who was excellent and I now teach OB nursing and many of my male students I would recommend more than the female ones.

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Specializes in NICU, OB/GYN.

We have a male OB resident at my hospital. His gender is no disadvantage to him; in fact, I think he's one of our better residents (answers pages quickly, our patients have given me positive feedback about him, I've seen him in crises and he's worked well). To my knowledge, only one patient has refused to see him because of his gender, but she immediately let him back into her room for a full exam and assessment when she was having an emergency.

Don't let gender be a barrier to you if this is what you want.

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