"Male Problems" while nursing female

Tweety, BSN, RN · Sep 17, 2006

I think you handled it just fine Pat Pat. I knew exactly what you meant in the first post. Most guys who made it through puberty and those ranging hormones have experienced inconvenient erections. It sounds like you handled it similar to most guys who adviced you on this thread.

jov · Sep 17, 2006

you guys are really making me laugh here with your puns.

anyway, one more comment from the lady's end...although if an erection occurs, it seems like it must be completely obvious to everyone else, remember that women do not scan men's crotch areas... particularly if she is worried while lying in a hospital bed, getting a test to check her heart. Probably the last thing on her mind. Men are visual creatures. Women are not.

Long Term Care Columnist / Guide · Sep 17, 2006

you guys are really making me laugh here with your puns.
anyway, one more comment from the lady's end...although if an erection occurs, it seems like it must be completely obvious to everyone else, remember that women do not scan men's crotch areas... particularly if she is worried while lying in a hospital bed, getting a test to check her heart. Probably the last thing on her mind. Men are visual creatures. Women are not.

Sure we are. You oughta see the photo inside my locker sometime.:wink2:

But you're right about the fact that when a woman is lying on a stretcher getting an EKG done, she is NOT thinking about what the tech might be packing. She doesn't even care who he is. I've had half a dozen of these things done in the past couple of years, and believe me, it didn't matter that the people wiring me up were my friends and co-workers. (It was a bit awkward for THEM, but I couldn't have cared less.)

And no, it usually doesn't occur to the average female to check out a guy's crotch, but not necessarily because we're not 'visual'.........a lot of it is our socialization. Most of us have been taught from birth that it's not "polite" to stare, or point, or pay too much attention to other people's bodies; so we learn early on to disregard our natural curiosities and avoid the possibility of offending anyone. On the other hand, our society considers men who "girl-watch" normal and healthy, and is suspicious of those who are less obviously appreciative of the female form.

Just my two pennies' worth.:wink2:

cardiacRN2006, ADN, RN · Sep 17, 2006

kill time and give me time to think about other things (kitty cats, car wrecks, grandma in her underwear.....etc....) before I could leave the bedside.

Wow! Kitty cats are the mood-killing equilivent of car accidents and grandma in her underwear?!?!??

leslie :-D · Sep 17, 2006

ok, i'll go public with my initial fears as a student nurse.

i was petrified of giving my first bed bath to a male pt.

i outright asked my instructor with one of these expressions ( :eek: ), "what if the pt gets an erection?"

not only did my instructor belittle my concerns, she guaranteed me this would never happen.

so, what she did, was assign me to a youngish male pt., total care.

my very first clinical pt.

and can anyone guess what happened?

anyway, my pt was mortified, probably as much as i was.

i covered him, excused myself, telling him i'd be back in a few minutes.

when i returned, i started telling him a gross story my husband had told me the noc before- about one of his buddies who had gotten drunk and did some pretty repulsive things.

when my instructor spoke w/him at the end of the day, he requested another sn- preferably someone "80 yo and that looked like a truck driver". his words.

so just in case it ever happened again, i've strategized to distract w/stories that include humor, but visuals that will have a dog running from a meat wagon. :)

leslie

Corvette Guy · Sep 17, 2006

...but visuals that will have a dog running from a meat wagon.

- earle58 [A.K.A. Leslie]

:roll

NurseguyFL · Sep 18, 2006

You guys are too funny:)

As Melina suggested, if this is a recurring situation for you its not a bad idea to wear very loose fitting scrub pants and underwear that keeps you somewhat 'restrained'. Although---the more I think about this the more I realize that an erection is not going to be easy to hide, no matter what you do. Best thing to do is put on the monitor as quickly as possible then pretend to go get something and walk away for a couple minutes until the situation 'calms down'.

Pat_Pat RN · Sep 18, 2006

Wow! Kitty cats are the mood-killing equilivent of car accidents and grandma in her underwear?!?!??

I didn't think that through before typing it.

My experience with the lady; I was more worried about her husband noticing. She was up on the bed, higher than my crotch, so I just hid on the other side of the bed, like I said before.

This has not been a reoccuring problem, as I general am sitting behind a desk. Oh, and most of the time when the nurses need help, it is with an 80 yo, 400# nursing home patient covered in poop, not busty 20-somethings.

I will take all comments into consideration and go forth unto the new week and see what......comes up :rolleyes:

The story behind this post, I forgot: This past week in school we watched a video on "physical exam", which included, near the end, a breast exam. They talked about what they were doing, and showed what they were doing...and kept showing....and kept doing...finally one of the ladies said, "This is the longest breast exam I've ever seen!" The video went on a few more minutes, then was over. Our instructor said we could take a break. Folks got up and left, and when I looked around...only the 4 guys were still sitting down. Which got me to thinking....

Thanks all,

Pat

felixfelix · Sep 18, 2006

I use a tech. that involves inhaling and visualizing the energy from the fun zone rising up my spine into the "purer" regions. Works like a charm, but might take some practice.

vamedic4, EMT-P · Sep 18, 2006

Sorry Pat Pat...never happened to me with a patient...coworker, now that's a different story.

And Gragorin has the best idea...don't tuck in your scrubs...ever.

vamedic4

allnurses Guide · Sep 18, 2006

:troll: Yeah, don't wear this kind of revealing clothing . . . . I've always wondered what the heck was hanging there between that guy's legs. :clown:

What a funny thread. I have three sons so I'm well aware of the inadvertent problem of which you speak . . . my dh was too chicken to talk to them about things like that or wet dreams and left that to mom. Fortunately my older boys were open to such conversations from old mom. My youngest son (he is 5) started asking questions about 2 years ago.

I have in my trusty public health file photos of STD's on men . . . . I can send you some if you want . . that should help keep your problem contained.

steph

KScott · Sep 18, 2006

Thanks for the explanation Pat Pat. Here I thought this was some technical medical question for some strange phenomenon "mysteriously" affecting male genitalia as well as females'. Geez. That's what I get for thinking... :monkeydance:

:uhoh21: :rolleyes: :wink2: