Male student enters OB room. What do you think?

barcode120x, RN, NP · Apr 25, 2015

As many have said, your story is missing a lot of info. The fact that you are not willing to share the whole story makes me less likely to sympathize with/for you.

During my maternity rotation, I had an excellent instructor, nurse, and facility. The one thing that both my instructor and my nurses had told me is that when at the beginning of the shift, NEVER ask the patient if they are okay with having a me (male student). Well that, and of course always going to patient's rooms with the nurse or instructor unless you, your instructor/nurse, and/or patient/family is okay with having you do your "chores" (vitals, food, water, reposition, etc) by yourself. I'm not saying just walk in there and start doing stuff without introducing. I would always go in with my nurse or instructor, introduce ourselves, ask for anything, let the nurse assess, and that is it. I only had one patient request that I not be apart of her care the entire 5 weeks I was in post partum, surgery, and L&D. Funny thing is, I remember going in there when she came in with my nurse and asked if it was okay for me to be there. If I hadn't done that as before, I probably could have stayed. It's kind of like when you are giving medications or doing a procedure. You go in, explain what they are doing, ask if they have questions, and if they refuse, they refuse.

Half my clinical group had guys in it and honestly, most if not all the nurses in the maternity section were thrilled/surprised to have us. None of us male students had any issues the entire rotation. Though, I remember at the beginning of one our shifts, I went to a patient's room with nurse to introduce and do the assessment (this was in post partum). The patient was topless because she was about to breastfeed. I was oh **** (in my mind of course), apologized, turned the other way and beginning sweating so much I was showering in my clothes. Both the patient and nurse was fine with it and said it was to be expected. The patient even apologized for having to show me her "huge" you-know-what, which softened the mood haha.

truckinusa, BSN, LPN, RN · Apr 25, 2015

If you stood there with the tray in your hand gawping at her naked crotch for twenty seconds (the worst thing I can imagine ) I think the appropriate action would be to kick you out of the room, and have a sincere talk about appropriate behavior afterwards. But you said she was completely covered...
Either the instructor laid a really huge egg and overreacted, or there is a backstory we aren't privy to. If what you said is all that happened you deserve a better explanation IMO.

The staring at her naked crotch statement made me laugh for a minute. No, that did not occur. I showed my dismissal letter and my response to the teacher my sister. She thinks it is discrimination also. She is a fairly reasonable individual and in nursing school also.

After discussing it with my family, I believe maybe I am not cut out to work as a nurse. I was thinking if this was just a case of me being fired from a nursing job. I don't care to have my reputation ruined or questioned because I am a male. I am thinking this is how some nurses behave and my personality brings this out.

memarc · Apr 25, 2015

Ridiculous why?

klone, MSN, RN · Apr 25, 2015

Ridiculous why?

To whom is this directed?

Prhodes · Apr 25, 2015

Okay I'm a male so I feel as if my statement is relevant. I just wrapped up my OB clinicals and I can say that women who are having babies do feel some type of way 90% of the time when it comes to male nurses...not their male doctors of course... Sitting in on a c-section or a lady partsl birth. I had 7 clinical days and out of those 7 days I spent 6 of those days in the nursery with the little ones :) and I was only able to spend 1 day in L&D. I was able to see one lady partsl birth and 2 c-secs. It just depends on the patient and how the instructor feels about you. As someone said earlier...some instructors look for easy ways to exhile certain students if they don't like them or just want them gone. Unfortunately for you they were able to get you in OB. I'm not taking sides because there's your side and the instructors side but I totally understand your situation. Being a guy is hard enough in nursing school, But I hope things pan out for the best and keep your head up mate!

Don't make the instructors your enemy because if you do get to come back and re-do this course then you don't want her/him picking at you because of Your previous behavior. Anyways, if you think that nursing may not be for you... Look at other nursing schools around your residence first then decide from there.

The sky is the limit

Here.I.Stand, BSN, RN · Apr 25, 2015

I don't get the whole male students not welcome in a labor room, aren't most doctors and respiratory techs male anyway???? working in OB I don't see a lot of this. most of our patients are happy to let the students learn and at the time to push, most could not care less of who is in the room, they just want their babies OUT!

Doesn't matter what "most" patients think, if in fact that's true. Each individual patient is entitled to her autonomy, which includes who is allowed to see her with her legs spread, lady parts exposed, and possibly being incontinent of stool while pushing.

I personally was never comfortable with men in the room, except my husband. I don't care what gender most OB-GYNs are; one of the main reasons I went with CNM groups is that all of the groups in my area are female-only. I was guaranteed a female provider at push time. Yes I know perfectly well that women in childbirth aren't visually enticing, and that nearly all male MDs and RNs are completely professional. I and other modest women still have the right to decide if they can be there or not.

Now should OP have been dismissed--absolutely not (unless as PPs have suggested, there's more to the story.) Some teaching on how to be sensitive to the needs of patients should have sufficed.

Here.I.Stand, BSN, RN · Apr 25, 2015

My OB rotation, the clinical instructor made a habit of specifically asking patients if it was "OK" for a nursing student to participate in care. That is a total contrast to all other rotations where it was a matter of course that a student nurse simply was assigned and part of the care team.
As a result the male nursing student in the group was always denied (because patients have no problem with male OB docs but have some hangup with all other males in OB care). That male student was relegated to NICU and passing out trays on the Mom Baby unit. At one point a nurse told the student to take a tray to room X. He knocked, went in, and a chorus of six women yelling "NO MEN NO MEN NO MEN NO MEN!" could be heard on the unit. They chased him out (all had hijabs, explaining their preference for no men).
He did NOT get in trouble.
Why they didn't put a sign on the door is beyond me.

Yeah, a sign could have saved them some trouble... I live in an area with a large Muslim population (religion-wise, second only to Catholicism.) I haven't so much noticed that recently, but 10 years ago, if a female Muslim patient were admitted, her family was very clear about female RNs/CNAs only. And this was in the ICU where you would think there are more pressing concerns...but it's their culture and their right.

BuckyBadgerRN, ASN, RN · Apr 25, 2015

Seriously? :banghead:

I heard in California it is illegal for a male nurse to work on an OB floor. I would question why I even need the training?

truckinusa, BSN, LPN, RN · Apr 25, 2015

Seriously?

I believe I was mistaken. I was reading an old article and California was one of the last holdouts that did ban males as recent as 15 years ago.

The patient happened to be hispanic, but I don't really think that makes much of a difference. Everyone is entitled to their modesty if they demand it. There was another patient that was some sort of Amish maybe? I'm not familiar with Menonite culture. I was told not to enter and I didn't.

Mully · Apr 26, 2015

I think I'd rather go through the labor than be the male nursing student on his OB rotation again... bahahaha

Seriously tho. I'd rather hold my breath for 2 months than rotate through OB again.

As a man, it's just something you get through to get to where you want. If you're sure about your decision, then sure quit nursing. However, if you stick with it, it gets WAY, WAY better. I'd leave nursing before I'd work in OB, but nursing in the ICU is awesome, and made my horrific OB rotation worth it.

Fancypants09 · Apr 26, 2015

Wow, I am really appalled at the fact that, dear OP, you've been dismissed from the program for how you behaved. Ok, so you made an error in judgment, and you actually learned from it, which is the important thing! If all nursing students were failed/expelled for making errors while in clinical, there would be zero nursing students in schools. We're supposed to use clinicals as learning opportunities.

I mean, really, why stretch the discipline of a student so far? In our clinicals, we've had something called a "Progression Plan" for a student who is not meeting course requirements in a clinical... It's supposed to help keep you up to speed if you're doing things wrong or not understanding time and time again. From what it sounds like, this was an honest mistake, the woman was covered up, and OP looked in her direction... This is grounds for dismissal? That is ludicrous.

I wonder if you were a US nursing student? I was told that having to pay for healthcare in the US makes patients feel entitled to a certain standard of care, and this is very reasonable, surely. So the patient complained, hospital got wind of it, now the student is expelled from program... Nothing reasonable about this.

I guess big money talks, and big money walks.

OP, what are your plans for the future?

truckinusa, BSN, LPN, RN · Apr 26, 2015

Wow, I am really appalled at the fact that, dear OP, you've been dismissed from the program for how you behaved. Ok, so you made an error in judgment, and you actually learned from it, which is the important thing! If all nursing students were failed/expelled for making errors while in clinical, there would be zero nursing students in schools. We're supposed to use clinicals as learning opportunities.
I mean, really, why stretch the discipline of a student so far? In our clinicals, we've had something called a "Progression Plan" for a student who is not meeting course requirements in a clinical... It's supposed to help keep you up to speed if you're doing things wrong or not understanding time and time again. From what it sounds like, this was an honest mistake, the woman was covered up, and OP looked in her direction... This is grounds for dismissal? That is ludicrous.
I wonder if you were a US nursing student? I was told that having to pay for healthcare in the US makes patients feel entitled to a certain standard of care, and this is very reasonable, surely. So the patient complained, hospital got wind of it, now the student is expelled from program... Nothing reasonable about this.
I guess big money talks, and big money walks.
OP, what are your plans for the future?

Well, I can go to school until I die if I feel like it. I thought about all this and decided I am going to pursue a degree in Biology to get me closer to my goal or work. I am interested in industrial hygiene. Maybe you know something about it? I have a couple of technical degrees and other skills so work is something I am looking forward to and don't want to put off any longer. I've been in school for 4 years now.

I don't know if folks are aware of this, but where I live you can administer a nursing home with a bachelor's degree of any kind. Pays a whole lot better than nursing.

Oklahoma State Board of Examiners for Long Term Care Administrators - * Integrity * Service * Professionalism * OSBELTCA *