Question about men in labor/delivery and nursery.

Specialties Ob/Gyn

Published

Hello all,

I am 43 y/o male and am currently a student in my third semester of my ASN program. We are in our OB/PEDS rotation which was something I was dreading but come to find out I love it. I really want to work in the nursery/NICU or labor/delivery when I graduate and pass NCLEX. My question is this: How many male nursery/NICU nurses are "out there"? And the same question applies to labor/delivery. I recently was involved in 2 lady partsl deliveries and have been involved with a C section too. None of the patients had a problem with a male nurse but I'm curious to hear everyone else's experiences.

Thank you!

Specializes in Emergency.

This is coming from a male - a male RN is probably not a good fit for L&D for many reasons - primarily it makes many women (and their significant others) uncomfortable. perhaps try NICU or peds.

Very good points....Thank you!

I appreciate all the input. I know for a fact that I want to work nursery/nicu but was just wanting to be available to float or fill in for L&D as needed.

I still have some time before I actually face this delima but am trying to think things through and be prepared.

Good point Jolie. I never thought of that.

Specializes in NICU,MB,Lact.Consultant, L/D.

I actively recruited a male RN when I was working in Fl. He was a new grad. Within 2 months we had patients coming in asking for him to be their nurse by name. He was outstanding.

Just moved to Wa and the new manager is open to male nurses on our l/d unit.

Specializes in Surgical,Peds,MBU,LDR.
This is coming from a male - a male RN is probably not a good fit for L&D for many reasons - primarily it makes many women (and their significant others) uncomfortable. perhaps try NICU or peds.

Truth is is all about how you approach your patients. If you display insecurities they will pick up on that. Same thing applies to med-surg patients or even psych. Be there for them and to be their nurse, NOT their male nurse. You will be fine. If thats your calling go for it!!! I know this because I am a guy and give my OB patients good care.

Specializes in RNC-MNN, L&D/Postpartum/AP/PACU, CLC.
Truth is is all about how you approach your patients. If you display insecurities they will pick up on that. Same thing applies to med-surg patients or even psych. Be there for them and to be their nurse, NOT their male nurse. You will be fine. If thats your calling go for it!!! I know this because I am a guy and give my OB patients good care.

I agree with this. It applies to men and women.

Our labor staff is comprised of about 32 RNs, a few of whom are part-time. Four of those 32 are men, all of whom work full-time. The only complaint I have heard about any of them is from one woman who said that one of those nurses had cologne that was too strong. One of those men also works postpartum and special care nursery. We don't have a NICU at the facility where I work now.

At the other two hospitals where I have worked there was a NICU, but no male nurses working in there. While I don't doubt that many men could do that job well, I think as a rule, women tend to enjoy holding, rocking, talking to, and generally caring for small infants and their mothers all day more than most men. It wouldn't give me any pause to see a man in the NICU though.

To my mind, passion for what you do is the most important thing in conjunction with a commitment to maintain competencies. Do what you love and you are bound to be good at it and have the respect of your peers and the families you serve.

Specializes in Public Health, L&D, NICU.

I live and work in the south, and it is incredibly rare to have male L&D nurses here. Very, very, very unusual. And at the rate that our patients refuse to have male students, it would probably be very diffiicult. We do have male NICU nurses, though, and they are great!

Specializes in Public Health, L&D, NICU.
I've often wondered why someone wouldn't mind having a male ob-gyn, but might balk at a male nurse in the same field.Good Luck to you, I hope you get to do what you really love :)

We have had a lot of discussions about this at work (no male RNs in our unit, and our manager has basically said it will never happen) and what we have decided is the difference is the level of contact. Our male docs are always chaperoned when they are with the patient. Would the male nurse get a chaperone? The doctors aren't sitting there for hours with a pushing patient doing perineal massage, either.

I consented to having two student nurses when I had my son in the delivery room, one was a male. And I loved him! The female student was really timid but the male just got right in there and helped the nurse change my bed, held my puke bucket when my husband was getting a bite to eat, and he did my straight cath lol. I appreciated that he was really calm and laid back because it put my own nerves at ease. Both my OB's were male so this was no different. I even told the dept manager when she came around to see how everything was how great he and my nurse were, I wouldnt have made it through without those two! It made no difference to me what sex they were just that they were great nurse/student nurse to me during the anxiety of my first delivery.

I am a male nurse who works in Labor and Delivery. I am the first male OB nurse at my hospital EVER. I work for the nations 2nd largest hospital system in New York. I very much enjoy it and for many other nurses, PAs and MDs I am the first male OB nurse they have ever encountered. Most of my collegues find it refreshing and in many ways trailblazing.

Specializes in NICU, PICU, PACU.

My labor nurse was one of the guys on our L/D unit and I loved it! I can't explain why but I just felt more comfortable with him than the gal nurse I had, maybe because he but my hubby at ease, I don't know. We now how 7 on staff and everyone loves them . Sure we get the occasion patient who due to culture doesn't want a guy and that's okay.

I'm in the same position. I live in Oklahoma and the patients seem more receptive to me being there than the staff. One team manager told another male student that he didn't have the right "parts" to work in L&D.

On the flip side, two of my 3 patients so far had no problem with me starting Foley's or cervical checks. The other refused to let me enter her room, but it was due to culture.

I find the work challenging, especially as a male, but incredibly rewarding. It seems like such an amazing job. I actually look forward to clinicals for once.

There are two male L&D nurses in my state and they work at the same hospital. A teacher that I am close to has been very encouraging and suggested that I apply at the same hospital as the other two, as it is the largest for L&D and peds in the state. Hopefully I'll be number 3 soon. If no one will hire me, well, I look forward to leaving this state soon anyway. I left my old career to go back to nursing school, so I intend on following my dreams to the fullest.

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