male vs. female......i don't see any reason why a male nurse should start a foley on a female pt. unless it is an emergency. i have no problem with a female coworker asking me to cath. their male pt.'s. i will always see if a female coworker will perform this procedure on my female pt's. i am about to graduate in may with my adn. i just want to get the general census about this.
03.29.04
thank you all for your comments. this was a class assignment and i wanted to start a little controversy so i would get some response. for the most part i really like the professional replies. i look forward to becoming an rn and agree with all of you that commented its up to the patient, and it's all about the patient. one of my main reasons for becoming a nurse is the holistic care we provide. god bless you all.
First, let me say that I have never had a female patient refuse for me to care for her, and I have taken care of ALOT of women over the years. Second, I have never had any of the female nurses that I worked with ever even question my work ethic because I would ask them to cath a female patient for me. I guess it is kind of like an unwritten code .... I mean, you scratch my back and I will scratch yours. Trust me ... most of the time I am helping the other nurses with their lifting! They can cath a female patient for me if needed. I would do the same for them.
Good post. I've never had a female patient refuse me as a nurse, just ask for someone else to to the bedpan, etc.
I have never had a female patient tell me no to the cath, but then again they are always asleep! I work in the OR. Even when I worked on the floor, a verrrrry long time ago, I never had a female patient tell me she wanted another female to take of them. This was at a time when male nurses in my hospital could be counted on ONE hand. Respect for the patient's wishes is important, but when it can't be done then there is a problem. Mike
But I'll bet those same idiot women would let a GUY be their doctor. Unreal!
Actually, I would not have a male nurse care for me, and chose not to have a male doctor either. I don't think that makes me an idiot, just a little uncomfortable around men(child hood experience) and self concious. I don't think it's fair to say that these women are idiots when you don't know where they are coming from.
Actually, when I had my vag-hys I had a male surgeon but as I was waiting to be taken to the OR I had two male residents come up to me and introduce themselves. I said "Nice to meet you but you aren't going to be in my room, you aren't helping with my surgery." They were a little shocked and I'm sure not very happy with me, they too are professionals. It didn't matter to me, I wasn't having more than the surgeon in the room with the nurses I hand picked from the staff. The surgeon understood and my nurses understood.
I have no problem with male nurses, as a matter of fact, I love the ones I work with. I help with their caths and they help me lift heavy patients. We work together very well. If a male patient didn't want me to do a cath, I wouldn't get upset. I has nothing to do with how I perceive myself as a professional. It has everything to do with making the patient comfortable.
I agree with those who have said the point is patient comfort.
Generalizing about people who are uncomfortable with having their most private zone, so to speak, uncovered and opened up for all to see and then having a tube shoved up their urethra and urine emptied in to a bag is a bit callous. I would never call such a person an idiot.
A cath in and of itself is an embarrassing and uncomfortable procedure. That someone requests a person of the same sex to do it is not an unreasonable request and in my opinion has little to do with the fear of anything sexual.
We are supposed to be our patient's advocate. If they request someone else, please don't take it personally.
I've never had anyone request someone else but I did have a situation where my patient was a teenage boy who was a friend of my son and our family. He needed a cath desperately due to pain and I quickly asked another female RN to do it just to protect his privacy. He had no problem with the female nurse cathing him as he just wanted the pain to stop.
In my facility if a patient request that a female insert the foley, we will respect her wishes and a female nurse will do the job. AS a general rule male nurses do insert foleys on female patients they also give bed baths.
If you do ask a female nurse to help you out with one of your assigned patients Please remember your taking time away from her scheduled duties. IM sure she would appreciate it if you would offer to help her.
You guys who are reluctant to catheterize women -- how do you handle peri care and bathing females?
Most of the time I have no problems. However, I just try to read the person. If I get that uneasy feeling about her than I ask another student (female) to help me.
I did work as a CNA at the local nursing home. Most of the ladys (residents) had no problem with me doing their care. Most would even say "you have to learn somewhere". On the flip side we had a blind male resident who would not let a male CNA help him. He thought that no man should help him. Not a sex or flurt thing he just did not want a male CNA. I think he thought that all male nurses are gay and was a homophob.
male vs. female……i don’t see any reason why a male nurse should start a foley on a female pt. unless it is an emergency. i have no problem with a female coworker asking me to cath. their male pt.’s. i will always see if a female coworker will perform this procedure on my female pt’s. i am about to graduate in may with my adn. i just want to get the general census about this.
what century are you from? it doesn't matter what sex is performing the catheter procedure!! haven't you learned this in nursing school?
In my 13 years as a nurse, I have never put a catheter in a male patient. In England it's not allowed for a female nurse to put a cath in a male patient, and vice versa. To be honest, if I was told I had to do it I would feel extremely uncomfortable. That is my personal feeling and I am dreading the day I will have to do it. If I possibly can I would ask a male nurse to do it for me, and I would do his female patient. I guess it's another culture difference, but I really can't see myself doing it. The thought makes me feel icky. It's not really anything to do with nursing issues, but it's more on a personal level with me. I certainly wouldn't allow a male nurse to catheterise me. I just think it's wrong to have to handle someone's genitals of the opposite sex. Ugh...some people have issues with sputum, faeces whatever. I guess this is mine.
Specializes in midwifery, ophthalmics, general practice.
In my 13 years as a nurse, I have never put a catheter in a male patient. In England it's not allowed for a female nurse to put a cath in a male patient, and vice versa. To be honest, if I was told I had to do it I would feel extremely uncomfortable. That is my personal feeling and I am dreading the day I will have to do it. If I possibly can I would ask a male nurse to do it for me, and I would do his female patient. I guess it's another culture difference, but I really can't see myself doing it. The thought makes me feel icky. It's not really anything to do with nursing issues, but it's more on a personal level with me. I certainly wouldn't allow a male nurse to catheterise me. I just think it's wrong to have to handle someone's genitals of the opposite sex. Ugh...some people have issues with sputum, faeces whatever. I guess this is mine.
thats not strictly true- females do cath male patients over here. male nurses tend not to cath women for the reasons stated earlier by Tweety.
Tweety, BSN, RN
36,352 Posts
Good post. I've never had a female patient refuse me as a nurse, just ask for someone else to to the bedpan, etc.