Not wanting to take care of male resident

[MileyFans]

I have take nursing assistant for my prerequisites. I wanted to take the class during spring,so can a request to only take care of female residents. By the way I am a female and freshman in college.I feel uncomfortable seeing anything(grooming,bathing,changing) below a male residents belt. Please help!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Can I makeup a reason like religion(I will be any religion or sexually orientation for that class...

[Hygiene Queen]

Oh, there's no way around it and so you have to shove steel down your spine and be brave.

I was as pure as the driven snow when I became an aide and the only member I had ever seen was in pictures.

My way of coping was imagining myself as stoic and as professional as I imagined nurses were.

I reminded myself that I signed up for it so I had to deal with it... just the same way I dealt with cleaning up my first BM

Pretty soon, you'll see so many private parts that you'll find yourself completely unfazed by anything.

I knew I reached that point when I was at a restaurant, accidentally opened a stall door on someone and calmly apologized and realized the poor person in the stall was mortified, whereas it was old hat for me... sorry ma'am, you ain't got nothin' I ain't seen before.

Anyway, I get that it's daunting now, but before you know it, you'll be laughing about how you've seen more member than a prostitute.

[Flare, ASN, BSN]

One exercise to try to get over this fear is designed to make you realize there's absolutely nothing special about a member. Half the human race has penes (plural). Every man or boy you know or ever knew had or has a member. (Yep, the technique involves saying, "member," though not out loud. You will do that much later in your career.) This is also designed to make you laugh, so get ready to have a little fun with it.

This is actually a great time of year to do this exercise, because there are big crowds in the stores, malls, and sidewalks. What you do is find yourself a comfortable place to sit and watch the world go by. Briefly glance at every person that passes your station, just long enough to determine whether the person is male or female. You do not have to stare at their pants, just identify their biological sex, male or female. (If you see someone who's ambiguous, impossible to guess, no penalty-- let 'em go.)

For every male, of any age, from toddlers to ancients, say silently to yourself, "member." For every female, say, "lady parts." Now, faster. You want to see as many people in as short a period as you can, so your mind is clicking away, "member. member. lady parts. member. lady parts. lady parts. ?? lady parts. member. member. member. ?? member. lady parts. ..." Faster! Faster! You're not taking time to stare at anyone, just collecting fast data points! Faster! Don't forget the Mall Santa and Mrs. Claus. Even though they are imaginary... "member. lady parts." ....

Believe me, in a greater or lesser period of time your brain will start chuckling, and then you will start smiling to yourself, and eventually you will feel silly and want to laugh out loud, and that's when you get up and go home. And you will never worry about penes and lady partss again.

This just made me think of my very favorite king of the hill cliphttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oDnsRS0OtXE

[StudentOfHealing]

This just made me think of my very favorite king of the hill clip

omg ... that's the one where she teaches sex ed? Haha ...

[Compassion_x]

No. This is something you will just have to get over through exposure. They're really not all that scary down there. It's not like a tentacle that's going to wrap around your throat!

I don't mean to poke fun at you, but honestly don't worry about it. You will be fine. It's awkward all around at first, but your classmates will likely feel similar about the genital stuff, and most get over it pretty quick.

[mrsboots87]

Likely no. Have you ever seen a member? Serious question because if it's just a matter of having not seen one before and you are nervous, maybe google image "member" and have a field day getting comfortable looking at them. I'm sure google with have a plethora of healthy as well as "*** is wrong with it" type pics to see that can help get you more accustomed to a member. Remember that as a nurse you will see ALL of many of your patients and they will need help. You don't get to choose to only aid for females. And what is it about the member. What about if a female has trauma to her breasts and you have to assess them every day. What about a female who needs to be cathed? Just because you are a female yourself does not make it any less awkward then cathing a man. At least a man doesn't have to spread eagle for you. If its just not being comfortable, I like the mall idea of saying "member, lady parts" as people walk by.

[Retired APRN, MSN, RN, APRN]

I really feel for you! {{{{{hugs}}}}}

No, you can't make that choice, but there are some really good suggestions here. Is there a particular reason you don't want to see men below the waist?

[Stitchy's mom]

I was 16 and working in a nursing home. I had never seen a member that wasn't attached to a baby. It was really hard for me, but I worked with some really good people. We switched up the assignments so I didn't have both the men, I had the one by the window who had dementia and didn't know anything or anybody and the other aide had the man by the door. We cared for them at the same time and before you knew it, I was very comfortable caring for men. :)

[ArrowRN, BSN, RN]

while patients have the privilege of choosing and refusing gender...sometimes even color of the caretaker. Unfortunately, we do not have that right. Fact is , if you in this field you gonna see one sooner or later. Is it awkward...of course but it's what you are signing up for. If you've never see one before,nothing to be ashamed about, and you are not alone because some of my classmates had to get over the same fear. Eventually it will become like second nature. If your class has lots of males, the instructor sometimes tries to assign the male students to male patient but that does not always happen and sometimes the male gets females and females gets males...that's just life.

If you think you uncomfortable, the male patient is 1000 times more than you, so think about that.

I hear you. I felt the same way with lady parts... still do on occasion.

Yep, gonna have to conquer this one... you'll care for both genders, in your CNA class and in nursing school.

While we're at it, some of the little old men derive great joy by making the pretty, young gals uncomfortable... they say and do all kinds of inappropriate things...

Toughen up, young one.

Fake it 'til you make it... that is, pretend it doesn't bother you... until it doesn't

[cardiacfreak, ADN]

It is awkward at first to bathe or change a person of the opposite sex, but it is a necessity. I agree with a PP it can be just as embarrassing for the person receiving the care. I must say it is a little refreshing to see that modesty is still amongst some of our younger generation.

I don't know if I would google "member", hard telling what will pop up, no pun intended.

A little tip that might help you...go somewhere else in your head, I do this when I am doing something I don't want to do...like packing a foul-smelling decubitus ulcer.

[uronurse1]

It will be awkward at first but trust me that will wear off very quickly. I have worked in urology for 10 years and have seen more genitalia then most Media stars. It is just one more fear for you to face and overcome in your nursing journey, and trust me there will be many. Just try your best to put on a brave face because like others have said, they may be just as uncomfortable as you. Put yourself in their place, having to rely on a young nurse to take care of such sensitive areas.

But I do think you are adorable for being worried about it and i dont mean that in a disrespectful way at all. :)

[nurseprnRN, BSN, RN]

membermembermembermembermember....

Feeling better yet?