OB for male nurses.

elkpark · Dec 13, 2012

There's always a lot of brouhaha about how much difficulty and rejection male students are going to encounter in OB rotations. In my experience (full disclosure, I'm female), the male students in my clinical group experienced little, if any, of that and had the same experiences and opportunities the rest of us did. Of course (more full disclosure), this was in a hospital-based diploma program where all admissions to the hospital were informed right up front that, by signing the admission "consent for treatment" form, they were agreeing to have student nurses and, if they didn't like that, they might want to go somewhere else. I'm sure things are different in settings where clients may not have even considered the possibility of having a student nurse caring for them.

Conduct yourself professionally, act (even if you have to fake it at first :)) like you're comfortable in OB situations, and that will help clients feel more comfortable. I hope you have a great experience!

HouTx, BSN, MSN, EdD · Dec 13, 2012

PP's program was unusual in that it was a diploma program - which are closely associated with the hospital in which students train. Probably not the case with most settings which are only clinical training sites, not sponsors of the program.

The vast majority of US hospitals are obsessed with "patient satisfaction" these days due to the fact that this is one of the factors that can affect reimbursement rates. So . . . the patient's wishes are our command - seriously. So just be prepared. If the patient/family don't want you in the room, you will be asked to leave. I'm not saying it's logical, but the whole childbirth process is one fraught with high emotion - not logic. Just don't take it personally.

FYI, one of the most well respected NICU managers I have ever known was male. He actually pioneered many things that are taken for granted today.

chorkle · Dec 13, 2012

TerryN--

Somewhere on here (AN) there is a comment by a male RN who works in L&D--perhaps the only one in the U.S.

Yeah, it's all "professional", but . . . In my (long) life experience, female RNs routinely insert Foley catheters (e.g.) in male patients; male RNs, for female patients--well, maybe not so much.

Practical translation--female patients have MUCH more "rights" than male patients do. Or, male patients have NO rights;female patients have MANY. Press-Ganey regardless, I'd guess a male patient has no effective "right" to request a male nurse insert the M.D.-ordered Foley catheter. And, I'd guess that all the female RNs assume, by natural order of right, ordained by the Deity, that this is the way it is.

May your experience be different.

elkpark · Dec 13, 2012

Practical translation--female patients have MUCH more "rights" than male patients do. Or, male patients have NO rights;female patients have MANY. Press-Ganey regardless, I'd guess a male patient has no effective "right" to request a male nurse insert the M.D.-ordered Foley catheter. And, I'd guess that all the female RNs assume, by natural order of right, ordained by the Deity, that this is the way it is.
May your experience be different.

I'm sure there are males who have had negative experiences in healthcare settings, but I've been in nursing nearly 30 years, in five different states, and I've never worked anywhere where we didn't do our best to meet the request by any male client for a male staff member to provide personal care or procedures (like catheterization). There may have been a few cases in which we sincerely weren't able to accommodate that request, but I've never worked anywhere, in any setting, where men's concerns about privacy were just ignored or dismissed.

rubato, ASN, RN · Dec 14, 2012

I would just make sure everyone knows you want to have as many experiences as possible, and make sure you put yourself out there. I have never had any bias, as a female patient, against a male nurse or doctor. I truly can't understand it. The health profession isn't a sexual one.

Katie71275 · Dec 14, 2012

I can tell you that a lot of the males in our OB rotation didn't get to do much at all! Thy didn't get to watch many deliveries either. We did at one hospital finally get to do a bit more, and me and a guy got to check a cervix. Even though OB isn't something he's interested in, I think he really like that he had that experience.

allnurses Guide · Dec 14, 2012

I loved my pre-RN OB rotation. I had a much better experience than my female classmates including scrubbing as assists in sections.

My WH rotation as a NP student I didn't love but I saw and did as much as my female colleagues.

Go into it with an open mind and you may just find you really enjoy it.