Nursing for Intimate care for men

trytounderstand · Mar 14, 2020

On 3/12/2020 at 2:49 PM, RNMikeMiller said:
If you provide this same gender care for women but don't afford the same for men, YOUR DISCRIMINATING.

In making this statement you are wrong that is not discrimination if the only people who applied for that position was female they had to choose the best fit for the position from their applicants.

That having been said, if you are working in a clinic that you see inappropriate behavior toward male clients, it is your responsibility to make that known to hr or your patient advocate.

If you are a patient in a clinic, you need to speak up before any care is given. If they refuse or cannot make accommodations, then you need to look elsewhere. If you return to your pcp and explain the situation they can give a referral to somewhere else. Actually your pcp probably would like to know that they are making the patients uncomfortable and that will reflect on future referrals or they can speak up to the clinic on patient behalf. That is the only way things will change.

If it is the fact that your clinic does not provide what the patient considers enough modesty....skimpy exam gowns, small lap covers, no privacy curtains to change behind etc....bring your own...request to have your spouse or significant other, parent etc in the room.....In the future the doctor or nurses may realize that they have been inconsiderate of their patient's feelings and change the way they do things....

In a hospital setting sometimes it is what it is.....but speak up if a nurse, technician etc is making you feel uncomfortable. If its unavoidable ask their name and report it later. It won't help you but it may stop the behavior....In the hospital don't be afraid to ask for such things as tear away shorts, scrub pants, etc...sometimes your nurse has more important things on his/her mind and does not know that you are uncomfortable being that exposed....

When you are going for tests, keep in mind that wearing sweatpants, underclothing without wires, cotton underclothing, sports bras, cotton t-shirts...can save you the need to disrobe.

Closed Account 12345 · Mar 14, 2020

Not to dismiss your concern, but no, you haven't seen *"many"* female registered nurses say "I've seen more member than a prostitute" to patients. We are professionals. Most of us certainly don't make lewd jokes about genitals or compare ourselves to prostitutes during patient encounters. If you've been around "many" female nurses saying this where you seek care, I'd suggest finding a new provider.

I wonder which part of the country you are in where you don't have access to male and female provider options. I've never encountered this. If it were a factor that it was important to me, I would choose my providers accordingly.

I also wonder if you are an RN like your screen name says because, if so, you are aware that patients have the right to speak up.

"I'd feel more comfortable with a male chaperone in the room."

"Are any male staff available to assist with this procedure?"

There are certainly cultural groups and individuals who desire same-sex providers. Barring emergency situations, I think those patients have a responsibility to search for practices that can provide the desired care. I do not think all practices should perform preferential hiring of one sex over another, illegally, to ensure the comfort of potential future patients. Many outpatient settings only have one nurse or MA. In emergency situations or upon admission to the hospital, I think same-sex MD/RN/tech assignments should be made if the patient requests when such requests can safely be accommodated. That's not always the case. There may not be a male ER physician one day. There may not be a female ICU nurse one day. If patient requests regarding modesty can be accommodated, great. If not, the focus should remain on providing professional, competent care. (Side note: It WOULD be discrimination to tell a male nurse he will always be assigned to cover male patients on the floor when female nurse assignments would be determined by patient acuity.)

While modesty and personal preferences are completely understandable, your posts make it seem like you're inherently on the receiving end of unprofessional care, member jokes, and staff making fun of you to their peers because you're a man... That's not a healthy thought process, but it may be worth talking through with someone and further exploring.

By all means, if someone in healthcare does make a tacky member joke to you that makes you uncomfortable (sexual harassment) - report it! But please don't assume that most female nurses are routinely unprofessional in their care for men.

DeeAngel · Mar 14, 2020

If it bothers men, they need to use their voice and request a male do the procedure. It’s just that simple.

ArmaniX, MSN, APRN · Mar 14, 2020

99% ... with statistics like that, no need for further debate!

LibraNurse27, BSN, RN · Mar 15, 2020

It would be great if every patient could have providers they feel comfortable with. In some cases it's not possible but providers of both genders need to be professional. The examples of female staff saying embarrassing and demeaning things to male patients are unfortunate, and no patient should be treated poorly. It's not clear if these unprofessional nurses talked about the patients that way because they were male, or if they would treat female patients equally poorly... either way, not good!

I think the reason we are more careful with male providers treating female patients is because women are more likely to be assaulted by men than the reverse. Not saying it doesn't happen the other way around, but it is much less common and there is a power dynamic (men more powerful/privileged than women). But if a male patient prefers a male provider or to have a male chaperone in the room while being examined by a female provider, I think they should be empowered to ask ?

Rionoir, ADN, RN · Mar 16, 2020

A link to where you plagiarized your post from is not a statistic ?

twinmommy+2, ADN, BSN, MSN · Mar 16, 2020

On 3/13/2020 at 8:09 AM, RNMikeMiller said:
https://healthunlocked.com/sensitiveissuesmen/posts/131513904/same-gender-intimate-care-for-men?fbclid=IwAR0ZnGZIQgO9b5voD50NUvkjMchouZeMfsRq3g20NNQ2c6Wm6VZXPJTcc28

I looked at the site you provided, but I don't see where you received your information. Only, it provides the same word for word that you posted in your first post.

ArmaniX, MSN, APRN · Mar 16, 2020

53 minutes ago, twinmommy+2 said:
I looked at the site you provided, but I don't see where you received your information. Only, it provides the same word for word that you posted in your first post.

Surprise. He is the author of the website.

RNMikeMiller · Mar 16, 2020

As a nurse, you should do whatever you can to protect patients' modesty and dignity. Many patients value modesty. Think about how you would feel if you had to strip naked in front of a bunch of people. Listen to patients' concerns about modesty carefully and work hard to meet their wishes. Many people don't feel comfortable having certain parts of their body exposed to the opposite sex except for spouse. They are not crazy. Many people would not be comfortable using public restrooms with people of the opposite sex. Do not take it personally. Many patients who are modest welcome care from opposite sex nurses for procedures that do not involve handling or exposure of private parts. One man shared that he would prefer a male nurse with a little experience than a female nurse who had 30 years of experience for intimate procedures. The number one priority should be the patient and the number two priority should be the patient's family. Listen to their wishes for modesty and work to accommodate them.

JadedCPN, BSN, RN · Mar 16, 2020

7 minutes ago, RNMikeMiller said:
As a nurse, you should do whatever you can to protect patients' modesty and dignity. Many patients value modesty. Think about how you would feel if you had to strip naked in front of a bunch of people. Listen to patients' concerns about modesty carefully and work hard to meet their wishes. Many people don't feel comfortable having certain parts of their body exposed to the opposite sex except for spouse. They are not crazy. Many people would not be comfortable using public restrooms with people of the opposite sex. Do not take it personally. Many patients who are modest welcome care from opposite sex nurses for procedures that do not involve handling or exposure of private parts. One man shared that he would prefer a male nurse with a little experience than a female nurse who had 30 years of experience for intimate procedures. The number one priority should be the patient and the number two priority should be the patient's family. Listen to their wishes for modesty and work to accommodate them.

So how do you suggest those accommodations be made if there just isn't staff of the same sex available?

ETA: I ask because I don't believe anyone is disagreeing that accommodations should be made when it is possible. However there are times it just isn't possible, so I'm curious what your expectations are and why/how it is the healthcare workers and facilities' fault?

RNMikeMiller · Mar 16, 2020

"So how do you suggest those accommodations be made if there just isn't staff of the same sex available?"

That is the problem is that many facilities only have one gender of nurses to meet the needs of all patients. Some will hire one male nurse such as myself, but when I am not working the men are SOL. A female patient can always get same gender request, but a man will be told there is no a male nurse available today. @JadedCPN It is not fair to our patients that one gender is giving her request, but a man is told sorry. How would you deal with that patient?

JadedCPN, BSN, RN · Mar 16, 2020

20 minutes ago, RNMikeMiller said:
"So how do you suggest those accommodations be made if there just isn't staff of the same sex available?"
That is the problem is that many facilities only have one gender of nurses to meet the needs of all patients. Some will hire one male nurse such as myself, but when I am not working the men are SOL. A female patient can always get same gender request, but a man will be told there is no a male nurse available today. @JadedCPN It is not fair to our patients that one gender is giving her request, but a man is told sorry. How would you deal with that patient?

But the problem isn't (likely) because that particular employer won't hire a male, but rather nursing in general has so few males in proportion to female nurses. You are making it seem like people are approving a female's request but intentionally denying a male's request when that just is not the case. So again, how do YOU, the person complaining, suggest a facility make an accommodation that can't be made due to no fault of their own?