Are you Man Enough to be an OB nurse?

[Annointed_RNStudent]

As I was looking at the billboard promoting men in nursing, It read Are you man enough to be a nurse, none of these males however worked in Maternal-Child Health, they all worked in generic men "safe" areas?

SO I'm honestly asking:

DO YOU THINK YOU ARE MAN ENOUGH TO WORK OB (L&D)?

WAITING TO HEAR INPUT~

[Kim O'Therapy, BSN, RN]

I don't think it's entirely appropiate for men to work in OB in nursing. Not because they aren't competent, but because of the comfort level for the patient (and the family). If I were a gambling man I'd stake large sums of money on the vast majority of women (and their partners!) being more comfortable with a female OB nurse than a male. I felt uncomfortable as a student in my Maternity rotation because I could sense the discomfort of my patient and family.

I will never understand this biased outlook regarding male nurses. Why would a woman be totally comfortable with a male doctor seeing her exposed, but NOT a male nurse. Yes, I'm a woman and have accepted male nurses while I was hospitalized.

[KellNY, RN]

I will never understand this biased outlook regarding male nurses. Why would a woman be totally comfortable with a male doctor seeing her exposed but NOT a male nurse. Yes, I'm a woman and have accepted male nurses while I was hospitalized.[/quote']

I'm not totally comfortable with a male doctor, nor would I be with a male nurse (r/t obstetrics).

[Kim O'Therapy, BSN, RN]

I'm not totally comfortable with a male doctor, nor would I be with a male nurse (r/t obstetrics).

Your post makes sense. I can understand a male/female comfort level among patients. If a client prefers all male, or female, care (if it can be accommadated), the patients comfort level should be considered; however, I have seen "male-nurse-discrimination" coming from patients. For example, a male doctor assesses and inspects a female patient and she if fine with that. Soon after, a male nurse or male aide enters the room to provide some kind of personal service, and the female patient has a meltdown. So, the point I'm trying to make isn't so much a patient preference argument, but male nurse vs. male doctor discrimination. I hope this makes sense. I see it alot during clinical rotations and at work.

[-Midget-]

Kim, that makes since to me, and just like you--I wonder why that is. My mom's friend (female) is an OB nurse here. When we were in the car the other day, my stepdad asked me if that was something I would consider doing. I told them how I had read that some women wouldn't be comfortable with having a male nurse at given the nature of the care. Then I asked my mom why so many OB/GYN MDs were male, but women would still prefer a female nurse. The only explanation we could come up with was that it was somehow different, since the doctor was only present for a short ammount of time, whereas your nurse was your nurse for 12 hours.

[Reno1978, BSN, RN]

I'm currently in the middle of my OB rotation and so far I've been met with nothing but acceptance...from the patients, their husbands or boyfriends or whatever, and the nursing staff. I think the anxiety about it was more in my head than anything.

[Sheridan80]

I never felt comfortable in L&D,on the few occasions i've worked there.

I did my job and initially I felt things were fine,but for some reason

the family, in particular the husbands seemed to take exception to

having me there.

While I just doing an assessment and vital signs, a few would just

glare at me. luckily it wasn't a regular assignment,so I only briefly worked

there.

Why is it a guy can work med-surg and noone gives it a second

thought, but work L&D things are different? Go figure and I'm a Dad

also.

[joeb1, ASN, BSN, RN]

i am a guy working i ob. i started with the babies and decided to also learn labor and delivery. at our unit we do it all, nursery/pp/l&d. the one problem i had was with a husband, and all i wanted to do was start er iv for her nurse. anyhow, it is rare the patient and family that do not want me there. personally, i love deliveries but hate labor, and do all the c sections i can. btw, doesn't bother me if uncomfortable with any male provider(nurse or physician) but i do wonder sometimes about being uncomfortable with male nurse while haing a male doctor. i think it just has to do wit how few of us the patients are exposed to. no pun intended.

[gitterbug]

Hi Joe,

Sounds like you have found where you want to be and what you like doing. So glad for you. A happy nurse, male or female, gives better care to the patient. I am sure your patients enjoy having you for a nurse. Have a blessed day.

[donsterRN, ASN, BSN]

Your post makes sense. I can understand a male/female comfort level among patients. If a client prefers all male or female, care (if it can be accommadated), the patients comfort level should be considered; however, I have seen "male-[b']nurse[/b]-discrimination" coming from patients. For example, a male doctor assesses and inspects a female patient and she if fine with that. Soon after, a male nurse or male aide enters the room to provide some kind of personal service, and the female patient has a meltdown. So, the point I'm trying to make isn't so much a patient preference argument, but male nurse vs. male doctor discrimination. I hope this makes sense. I see it alot during clinical rotations and at work.

I think a lot of the issue has to do with the fact that an obstetrics patient (in most cases) chooses her obstetrician. They already have a good professional relationship. If a woman doesn't like the physician, she's free to find another. That's not always possible with nursing staff, where you take what you get.

[dschueler]

As a female who has worked in OB and L&D and been a patient in a military hospital (you get what you get), I had male techs and nurses. I have to say the men seem to be more sensitive about the pain levels and your comfort levels about all the aftercare after giving birth etc...and I had no problem with them seeing my hoo hoo. Its their job, and it wasn't like they were at a strip club. I had no problems with it and found the men to be very accomodating and caring and a great sense of humor to boot.

In the military you seemed to get more male nurses and techs than women??

Go for it if it interests you, women can tell or for that matter....patients can tell if you are comfortable with your job and if you are comfortable in your job, your patient will be!!

I can't wait to be a nurse and hopefully work L&D or ED or PACU.

:)

GO FOR IT!!

Deb

[Josh L.Ac.]

So far I'm 0 for 4 on watching births on my OB / L&D rotation. Every single time the nurse comes back and say "the patient will take a student but not a male nursing student."

To think I even let my hair grow out so I wouldn't be as intimidating.

Funny thing is, none of them mind when I come in and watch the anesthesiologist do an epidural...which is fine by me. I'd rather watch the epidural administration any day of the week.

[gentlegiver, ASN, LPN, RN]

When going thru clinicals, we had a young male student who was assigned a pt who was a twin to Cristy Brinkley (in her younger days) he had to go teach her how to breast feed her newborn. We weren't sure which was funnier.. the look on his face or him trying to show her how to hold the breast without looking!