Male RN-assist with pelvic exams?

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I'm a male RN, who left ED nursing ten years ago, and just returned. When I left, male nurses had nothing to do with "intimate" procedures on female patients. At my new ER, I have been told that I am to insert foleys and assist male MDs with pelvic exams on female patients.

If anything, I think that all the sexual abuse news should make it even more imperative that I avoid doing these things. Some of the male MDs agree with me. Your opinions?

What year is this uhhhh 2006. You can only ask a coworker to assist you if the patient outrightly refuses. Keep in mind that everyone else is just as busy as you are. Most patients are cooperative with there nurses male and female. The only male nurses I would do this for in turn got to give my patients their enemas. Even trade from my standpoint.

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What year is this uhhhh 2006. You can only ask a coworker to assist you if the patient outrightly refuses. Keep in mind that everyone else is just as busy as you are. Most patients are cooperative with there nurses male and female. The only male nurses I would do this for in turn got to give my patients their enemas. Even trade from my standpoint.

I'm not sure I understand you correctly. Are you saying that a male RN should go ahead and insert a foley cath into a female patient without a chaperone? Or am I misunderstanding you?

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What year is this uhhhh 2006. You can only ask a coworker to assist you if the patient outrightly refuses. Keep in mind that everyone else is just as busy as you are. Most patients are cooperative with there nurses male and female. The only male nurses I would do this for in turn got to give my patients their enemas. Even trade from my standpoint.

I admire your willingness to try not to bother anyone. A policy of going it alone will also help ensure that you're the only one on the unit who will be charged, tried and possibly sentenced.

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That would be up to your discretion and depending on the policies of your facility. Most acutely ill patients just want relief etc. If your patient is not comfortable then by all means have someone at the bedside w/you. I have yet to encounter a female nurse asking a male nurse to insert her foleys.

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That would be up to your discretion and depending on the policies of your facility. Most acutely ill patients just want relief etc. If your patient is not comfortable then by all means have someone at the bedside w/you. I have yet to encounter a female nurse asking a male nurse to insert her foleys.

Even a psycho male patient is highly unlikely to accuse a female of any sexual impropriety. That will almost NEVER happen. Crazy females, on the other hand, are much more likely to make such an accusation. I have absolutely no statistical evidence of this.

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Specializes in Looking for a career in NICU.
I'm a male RN, who left ED nursing ten years ago, and just returned. When I left, male nurses had nothing to do with "intimate" procedures on female patients. At my new ER, I have been told that I am to insert foleys and assist male MDs with pelvic exams on female patients.

If anything, I think that all the sexual abuse news should make it even more imperative that I avoid doing these things. Some of the male MDs agree with me. Your opinions?

I don't like male doctors or a male nurse for intimate things like pelvic exams, but speaking from a legal protection only....if I was a guy, this is what I would do...

If the examining physician was a female, and the nurse was a male assist, then I think that is fine.

If the examining physician was a female, and the nurse is a female, this is done all the time so no problem.

However, if the physician is a male and the nurse is a male...I think this is a combination that should be avoided at all costs...if a female is "off her rocker" and makes an accusation...it doesn't look good if it's two males in the room.

I think one member or both needs to be a female for the protection of EVERYONE involved.

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That would be up to your discretion and depending on the policies of your facility. Most acutely ill patients just want relief etc. If your patient is not comfortable then by all means have someone at the bedside w/you. I have yet to encounter a female nurse asking a male nurse to insert her foleys.

Okay, again, for the record, I'm a male RN who has worked in ER and ICU.

At no point did I EVER say I asked female RNs to insert my foleys for me. Nor did I say I was uncomfortable with inserting foleys in femal patients, as I have done dozens if not hundreds of times.

I will now repeat myself so that there is no misunderstanding.

What I am SAYING IS I HAVE BEEN GIVEN A HARD TIME FOR REQUESTING A CHAPERONE ON MORE THAN ONE OCCASION. I HAVE BEEN TOLD TO "JUST DO IT ALONE" ON MORE THAN ONE OCCASION.

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Sorry , I missed that. If you request the presence of another female it should be honored. Most of our settings is with a nurse helper. Your license should not be compromised. I wouldn't want that to happen to anyone.

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You can not have two males ie. doctor and nurse in doing a pelvic. One or the other needs to be female as protection from claim of sexual abuse. To me it is common sense. The male doctors I have worked with in the past will come and get a female even when doing an external lady partsl exam. You need to protect yourself from any unwarranted charges.

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Specializes in ER, PED'S, NICU, CLINICAL M., ONCO..

Dear coo.

I don’t know what are you talking about. The world main tendency is to employ mail nurses. You know why, because we don’t get pregnant, and we are most ready to stay on a full time work than female nurses.

My latest boss was a male BSN and he preferred men than women nurses because they are less conflictive. I’m working at the main motherhood of my country (Sarda Hospital) and find the same thing.

My actual boss and supervisors are all women nevertheless they do not want women nurses for the same subject.

Well the question is… what are you going to do if you have a staff of 20 male nurses and no female one?

Would you send the patient to another hospital?

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Specializes in Orthosurgery, Rehab, Homecare.
I hope I never have to do a PE - it kind of ruins one's sex life - don't you agree?:imbar

You know, I'm not a guy, so I can't agree, but I'm sorry that you aren't able to view your patients in a non-sexual way when such a thing is going on. I know it's not a wonderful sight all the time. But I guess I think of it this way- I see wrinkled, shriveled, drooy old gents at work all the time (and sometimes leaky, smelly, nasty ones too). I don't think of those men when I'm "with" my husband, it doesn't effect my personal sex life in anyway.

I would hope that it would work the other way too. I don't want to think that my gyn is thinking of my last pap smear when he's "with" his wife. Be professional, have respect, and learn to seperate your work from your pleasure.

~Jen

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a nurse is a nurse and should provide the care that is needed at the time.

:yeah:

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