Nurse Educator Chronicles: Male Student Nurse on the OB Floor

It was a happy productive morning on the postpartum floor. I was busy with my group of clinical students overseeing “BUBBLEHE” assessments, reinforcing breastfeeding techniques with the new moms, performing non-stress tests on the antepartal patients, drawing labs, hanging IV maintenance fluids, and administering medications. This was a pleasant unit with all the new mothers and babies. Nurses Announcements Archive Article

My euphoria was rudely interrupted when a staff nurse approached me with concerns about one of my students. "Do you know your student is just sitting over there, doing nothing?" She glanced in an accusatory manner towards my lone male student "Catfish," who was quietly occupying a seat in an inconspicuous area at the farthest edge of the unit.

"Catfish" was entirely bald, short and stocky, in his forties, with an engaging smile and twinkling blue eyes. He was a man of few words, but very gentle and polite. True to his nickname, he was a commercial fisherman, who was picking up nursing as a second career.

"Catfish" appeared utterly miserable and forlorn as he sat nearly hunched over. His eyes were devoid of the usual sparkle, staring vacantly at the floor. He looked as if he hoped the earth would open up and swallow him whole.

"What's wrong, Catfish?" I asked. "Why are you just sitting here?" With that inquiry, the saddest expression swept across his face and he seemed about to cry. I'd seen that look before. It was classic for a male student on the OB floor and I almost had to bite my lip to keep from smiling.

"I'm so sorry, Ma'am," was his doleful reply, "But neither my assigned patient nor anybody else will let me in their room!" I found two or three tasks to occupy his time during the remainder of the shift on the unit. But, overall, he was correct - very few moms would allow him in their rooms, even with a female escort. And, there was nothing that I, as a clinical instructor, could do about it.

Catfish suffered through the rest of the two-week rotation on the unit, trying to stay out of the way of as many new moms as possible. Not too soon enough for him, his stint in OB purgatory mercifully came to an end. He then very gratefully returned to the blissful clinical surroundings of the medical-surgical floor.

Specializes in LTC/Subacute.

I had no problems on OB rotation when in school. The new moms seemed happy to have someone to help them. And I got to witness my first birth while holding the moms leg. Wow, when that head popped out! That was something I will never forget! haha

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canoehead said:
I don't think anyone should ask if he can help- just notify the patient that "this is Catfish, a nursing student, and he's going to be following along and helping me today." So much depends on how the patient is approached.

You hit the nail on the head! Our rotations are only 2-days per week & I've had 2 rotations of OB. I have yet to see a delivery!! At the first location, I heard the way the nurse asked the mother and the tone of her voice basically sounded like she was shaking her head no while asking if she wanted a student in there. Another rotation, the mother was fine with students observing but the husband was totally against it - but didn't seem to mind the 20 family/friends (male & female) going in & out of the room.

I hate that I haven't had the opportunity to follow a patient through labor & delivery (and I have an interest in working L&D!)

We are told by our instructors that we have to ask the pt's permission to care for them. I know 'they have a right to refuse' or whatever but, how are we supposed to get experience? I technically don't ask, but do what Canoehead wrote, and say "Hi, I'm __, I'll be assisting nurse ____ in taking care of you today" I haven't had a pt say No yet. If they do, then I'll find another pt.

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Specializes in home health, dialysis, others.

As I stated earlier, nothing has changed in 35 years.

Again, I note that many, many women are attended by male doctors for all of their various problems and I do not understand why the patients or their families make the distinction between a male doc or a male nurse!

As a woman, I have placed catheters in both men and women, and no one objected. Peri-care? millions of times. Baths - thousands.

Years ago, when patients were admitted the day prior to surgery, there were 'prep teams'. These were usually orderlies (and where did THEY all go!) who came around to shave the patients. They were mostly male, although there was an occassional woman, or the nurse was asked to do the intimate area.

When I had a cardiac cath recently, no one asked me if I objected to a man doing my shave prep.

And we have all heard of the occassional male cop, or taxi driver, or even stranger who has delivered a baby when called into action. Do we hear that the family objected to this spontaneous assistance?

Of course, we can always use midwives.......!

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Specializes in CNA,dialysis tech.

The student needs to get as much experience as possible, and OB/Postpartum/L&D are all part of the program.

explan????

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OMG! it's scares me too. i'm starting in december as male student in OB too. I guess it depends where you are. From what my instructor told me, here in Quebec, Canada, women are very opened minded to male nurses, even in OB. i'm crossing my fingers

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Specializes in ICU/ER/Flight.

that brought back some memories...i had a hard time getting pts to allow me into the room as well. i'm required to do an ob rotation every year for my flight service, and a few times in the past the husband/baby daddy has requested that i leave.

iteachob said:
i usually have more success with the multiparas.......and if not.....there's always the nursery (most of my male students seem to love it there).

i had a great time in the nursery as a student. what a great way to spend a few hours!

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Too bad for catfish. I was worried when I had my OB rotation. Most moms were cool about me being there. They were all exhausted from delivery and did not care who assessed them. But I did do my rotation in a big city hospital. People are more open in nyc. I wish catfish the best!

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Specializes in Med Surg, ER, OR.

I was thankful that my rotation was only 4 weeks long, and I was glad to know when I had several patients who refused a male care for them. Had no problem with the nursery or the Gyn cases, but the refusals came in L&D and PP. Much to my dismay, I had to educate a 19 year old mother (I was 20 at the time) about breastfeeding techniques while still keeping a straight face. The most embarrassing moment I had was when she asked, "What is this white stuff on my breast?" That was interesting!

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How come no one seems to have a problem with a male OB/GYN?

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Specializes in Management, Emergency, Psych, Med Surg.

When I was director of a large trauma center in Houston we had a specified GYN section in the ED. We always had the idea that all nurses were professional and that all nurses would rotate through all areas of the ED. We even had two male nurses that were Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners. Those nurses never had any problems with any assault victim having a male do their exam. I never received one complaint about it.

But I did have a male nurse accused of sexual assault of a female patient while she was a patient in the GYN area. Criminal charges were filed and we went to court. The nurse was found not guilty but as I left the court room after the verdict, I looked into the eyes of the victim and I knew in my heart that the verdict had been wrong. He had assaulted her.

After I left that position to move to another state, keeping in touch with my old buddies there I learned that he was, again, charged with sexual assault of a female patient. The hospital fired him but I never learned what happened to him from a legal standpoint.

This is the type of event that results in making things difficult for a male nurse in the workplace. And it is sad. Because the actions of one reflects on everyone else.

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we haven't done our OB rotation yet in LPN school but we have some male students who the residents at a nursing home last quarter didn't want them giving him a bed bath...even with a female student in the room helping him. It's a shame that he didn't get that basic experience of giving a bed bath last quarter, but there are plenty female students in my class that would tell him just consider yourself lucky you didn't have to! we were in a nursing home last quarter and some of the female patients didn't want him looking at them because he was "too cute" lol too funny!

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Specializes in geriatrics, telemetry, ICU, admin.

I enjoy OB very much. Not only for helping new life into the world and the basic nursing aspect of helping patients, but because so much of what we do in OB could be done differently with much better outcomes. But for me, the door is closed and I just accept it.

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