Male OB nurses?

Specialties Ob/Gyn

Published

I'm just curious because I don't think I have ever seen one when I was in the hospital to deliver any of my 3 children or the times I have sat with friends while they had their babies. Is this an extremely rare species? :)

I am not a L&D nurse so this might be out of place.

I am a male nurse and have benn told by a female od doc that i was not allowed to take care of her patients because she didn't allow male nurses to care for her patients. Then she had the nerve to tell me not to be offended cause it was nothing personal. Well i was offended and told her so. I also filed a complaint with administration but that went nowhere.

Ok now i am fired up again! I guess my point is that men in many different situations face a gender wall in nursing.

I personally dont think there is a gender wall in nursing. I knew from nursing school that Labor and Delivery nursing is what I wanted to do. Since then I havent let anyone tell me otherwise. You have to make it known that it is truely what you want to do, and that you have the compassion and dedication to your patients and job.

I love my job, I love the experiences that come with it. I really love the amount of knowledge that is required and all the variables that can be thrown in with that knowledge. But more than anything I love being there with family and friends and the emotions that are involved with the delivery of a baby. It is AWESOME!

If you are finding out all of these things fit you, then dont let a women tell you that you cant do what you desire to do. Dont run into a wall. I am really surprised that a doc would say that, she must be very old school and near retirement.

Hang in there, and if your heart is telling you L&D, L&D, L&D. Then go for it and dont let anything stop you.

Andrew

there is definitely a gender wall in nursing,may be more prevalent in different areas of the country or world. It is very diffucult im my area for males to get into L&D. takes a lot of determination and luck sometimes. I reccommend if any male is interested in theses areas that they pursue it,but be prepared to have to work extra hard to get in. As a male in some areas you will always be under much more intense scrutiny than females. I used to travel and have been told 2 times once in california and once in michigan that " males will never be allowed in L&D". as one put it "not now ,not ever". just be aware of the gender wall do not let it stand in your way if it is truely what u want.

Originally posted by sandstormsdust

If there are L/D male doctors... I can't see why there arn't L/D male nurses.....

My thoughts exactly. I've always thought the exact same thing. Was wondering how things work for you male L&D nurses. I know that in nursing school, when the male students did their L&D rotations, they were not allowed in a pt. room without a female escort. Do you guys have to follow this procedure also? Seems like it would put a strain on already understaffed units. Besides, to be an effective nurse, I would think that you would need to have the freedom and autonomy to come and go into your patients room as needed.

NICUNurse,

No escorts are needed to enter my patients rooms. Heck, they are my patients! :) Why do I need another nurse? There are many times at this hospital when the staffing is 90% males.

The only time that I have a second person in the room is for a standby when I do cervical exams. But then again, all of us nurses (here at least) ask for standbys now, so it really isnt just a guy thing anymore. Its just a cover your bottom action now. As far as autonomy, etc, I do what is required of me as a labor nurse. We are pretty autonomous here, we only have 5 labor beds and our docs are the kind that ask us what we want to do, always making us think outside of the box. It is pretty awesome.

No one even thinks of gender differences here, that is one thing I like about the military. I am not judged based upon my gender. I hope that with this nursing shortage, and the increased male population of nurses the "A guy will never work on this labor deck" statement will be going away. We will see.

Andrew

No escort for me here! At first I was a little worried about this but it isn't that big a deal. Most patients don't give my gender a second thought and the ones that do complement me. I don't do L&D but I do PP and have to check for tears, hemorrhoids and check for free flow with fundal massage. On GYN I have to do pericare from time to time. Most of my patients require help with breastfeeding and I'm getting pretty good at it.

Its kind of strange because in my state doctors are required to have a second person in the room when they do exams but this law doesn't apply to nurses. If I did have to have a second person I wouldn't be able to do my job.

well there are no escourts for me , i find it diffucult to have one especially when working with patient that pushes for 2-3 hours, working with her pushing in different positions,frequent checks, perineal massage etc. i just cannot have some one present for all that

have worked w/ both a male in l/d nurse and nicu nurse. both were very nice guys and good nurses. funny thing, some of the most radical "feminists" were the most down on these males. i guess it's called equal opportunity for some people, huh? there is a male cnm at the baltimore birth centre.

I have a male OB/GYN but hate to be this way would not appreciate a male nurse for OB/GYN care-specially for my 2 deliveries.

2MagnoliaTrees

I don't blame you for feeling the way you do. Many people, even nurses believe that having MD behind your name somehow makes you more respectable then a lowly RN or LPN. I would like to think I and the other male OB/GYN nurses on this board will help to change this perception.

Nurses like doctors are there to do a job and no amount of education makes a person into a decent human being (you have to be that way to begin with).

P.S. next time you cath a male patient please take a moment to consider how this is different from a Male OB/GYN nurse doing his job. =)

well 2magnloia trees, that is your choice. but i would like to know how it is different than a male ob/gyn being in with you. and what is the difference in you taking care of male patients and a male nurse caring for a female patient.explain please.

well said dayray.

one thing i have noticed it is nurses that are the most against male nurses in ob. I have never had a problem with any ob patient except for the 3 that were nurses. they eventually were fine with me, and finally felt like the rest of my patients that i treated them well. I wonder is it a southern nurse thing or is that seen in female nurses in other parts of the country.

I think my husband would have a problem with it. He's never had a problem with my male Drs--but nurse--maybe.

I would think that a male L&D nurse would feel uncomfortable themselves checking a patient or help with nursing.

I've never seen one so I don't know what to think. I really didn't think they were "real". I didn't think anyone would hire a male OB nurse--or that any would want to work there. I guess I see it as most male nurses working in ICU or ER.

I think it's great if a man feels comfortable enough to work in that area---but has there been any "legal" issues around that?

At my OB visits--my male Dr had to have another person in the room when he checked me. One time he even called in (what looked to be) another patient/pts. mom.

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