OB/GYN Male Nurses

Sour Lemon · May 2, 2018

It's not an issue to me and I don't care if my nurse is male or female. It's probably not an area I would choose to go into if I were male, though. I'd be expecting lots of rejection and assignment switching. That would annoy me.

ruby_jane, BSN, RN · May 2, 2018

While Mr. Ruby Jane loved his OB rotations in nursing school and continues to love holding little babies, he was discouraged from pursuing that track in school. More correctly, he was told he should consider going into ER because "they need big guys like you" (which is what happened).

What you or I think is "appropriate" is probably irrelevant. But yes, there's still a lot of...not discrimination exactly, but still a lot of discussion about the proper place for men in nursing.

OldDude · May 2, 2018

During my OB rotation in nursing school it was blatantly obvious males were not welcome; specifically by the nursing staff. I wouldn't know about the patients because we didn't get a chance to interact with them during the deliveries. Another old dude in my class and I were relegated to the hallway when the "action" started. We did get to feed the newborns, change diapers, and give a few HEP B shots in the nursery. That was a long time ago so, hopefully, things are different now. I can see how stereotypes would continue to be perpetuated regarding a guy nurse and OB and I believe it is, likely still, alive and present in some form.

I used to work with a guy who rotated from OB to the ER. He said it was "OK" but, in some instances, his presence was not allowed by some patients/spouses; no issues with the staff.

labordude, BSN, RN · May 3, 2018

I am currently a L&D nurse and am curious to see what other nurses think about having male OB/GYN nurses and if it should matter that they are male?

I am an L&D nurse who happens to be male. I also do OB Emergency, NICU, and lactation. "SHOULD" it matter? NO. Does it matter sometimes? Yes. I have faced more resistance with HR and hiring managers than I ever have with patients. I can count on one hand the number of time I have been refused in the past 3 years. The more men come into nursing, the more will come into OB, and the more normalized it will be. Nursing schools are notorious for not improving the experience of male students in their OB clinical. I remember when I was in school, the other two guys in my group loved their "banishment" to the nursery. I wasn't on board with that because I was interested in working there (L&D) so I swapped clinical instructors and had a better time.

labordude, BSN, RN · May 3, 2018

It's not an issue to me and I don't care if my nurse is male or female. It's probably not an area I would choose to go into if I were male, though. I'd be expecting lots of rejection and assignment switching. That would annoy me.

You'd be surprised how infrequently I have to switch assignments. It truly almost never happens.

Glitternurse, LVN · May 3, 2018

I am an L&D nurse who happens to be male. I also do OB Emergency, NICU, and lactation. "SHOULD" it matter? NO. Does it matter sometimes? Yes. I have faced more resistance with HR and hiring managers than I ever have with patients. I can count on one hand the number of time I have been refused in the past 3 years. The more men come into nursing, the more will come into OB, and the more normalized it will be. Nursing schools are notorious for not improving the experience of male students in their OB clinical. I remember when I was in school, the other two guys in my group loved their "banishment" to the nursery. I wasn't on board with that because I was interested in working there (L&D) so I swapped clinical instructors and had a better time.

It doesn't surprise me that most of the opposition comes from admin and not the patients. When I was in L&D as a patient there were so many people in and out of both genders. I had doctors, nurses, midwives, student nurses, med students and who knows who else, heck by the time a c-section was being discussed some 40+ hours in EVS could have come in to check me and I wouldn't have cared.

DannyBoy8, RN · May 7, 2018

I am currently a L&D nurse and am curious to see what other nurses think about having male OB/GYN nurses and if it should matter that they are male?

The only person is should matter to is the patient. She, he, or they, is the boss.

If a fellow nurse, or anyone for that matter, decides to give you their opinion about an immutable characteristic (sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, color, ethnicity, religion, etc.) being a job qualification; kindly direct them towards HR and move on with providing compassionate nursing care to your patients.

calinicumurse · May 9, 2018

During my OB rotation in nursing school it was blatantly obvious males were not welcome; specifically by the nursing staff. I wouldn't know about the patients because we didn't get a chance to interact with them during the deliveries. Another old dude in my class and I were relegated to the hallway when the "action" started. We did get to feed the newborns, change diapers, and give a few HEP B shots in the nursery. That was a long time ago so, hopefully, things are different now. I can see how stereotypes would continue to be perpetuated regarding a guy nurse and OB and I believe it is, likely still, alive and present in some form.
I used to work with a guy who rotated from OB to the ER. He said it was "OK" but, in some instances, his presence was not allowed by some patients/spouses; no issues with the staff.

I don't think much has changed. I had the same experience in nursing school just a few years ago, and the dad was even studying to be a nurse himself!! Cultural stuff will always show up, which is what this case was! There are also just regular dads out there who think it's weird you're all up in their wife's business, so it's not always just that. I'm a NICU nurse now and have been asked not to come behind the breastfeeding screens more than once!