OB/PEDI question

allnurses Guide · Nov 6, 2010

ok, so I'm 3rd year nursing student and we are starting OB/PEDI on jan 2011. I just found out that they dont allow male student nurses in when delivering babies etc. Is this everyone elses experience also? *****
I was a Navy Corpsman for many years and worked on labor and delivery for about a year. I can't see what the problem is. They certainly wouldn't stop female nurses from being there if it were a situation that male patients were exposed. Can someone tell me what they know about this from their nursing school experience, is it only here at my university they are discriminatory against male nurses?

So, they only have female obstetricians there too? Yes, it is absolutely ridiculous to not let male nursing students in the delivery room. Do they let women in for all procedures no matter if the patient is male or female, if they do then this is discrimination based on gender.

I have heard all the excuses as to why to not let male students in OB, and they are all just as ridiculous as the next. Individual patients can always refuse male students and that is their right, but there should never be an overall policy to keep male or female students out of any area based solely on their gender.

nurse2033, MSN, RN · Nov 6, 2010

Sounds like gender discrimination, don't take it brother! It also adversely affects your education and your skills as a nurse. Is your school accredited? Their accreditation agency might be a good place to go for help, just an idea. Good luck!

AOx1 · Nov 6, 2010

Ridiculous and discriminatory! My male students are treated exactly the same as my female students: both are future professionals and allowed in the room unless the patient refuses. The nurses and patients are both very receptive in the majority of cases.

CorazonDeOro · Nov 6, 2010

My school's policy is that if a male student is doing any sort of assessment that is invasive on an OB patient that he must have a female student or nurse with him. As for deliveries, males are allowed as long as the patient consents. We just had an issue this week in clinical, the patient was fine with the male student until she was ready to push, then she kicked him out (as well as male residents and such).

I think its pretty unfair for the male students to have to go find chaperones and such during clinical.

~Mi Vida Loca~RN, ASN, RN · Nov 6, 2010

In my program and at our hospital it is always up to the patient. Some patients didn't want students period, male or female, some patients didn't want a male student or male nurse in there. I have seen a male patient ask for a male nurse and not a female in another situation.

I don't think it's right for the school to have a policy on it. I think it should always be up to the patient and I do feel the patient has a right to decide what they feel comfortable with when they are at a most vulnerable time such as being in a hospital.

~Mi Vida Loca~RN, ASN, RN · Nov 6, 2010

My school's policy is that if a male student is doing any sort of assessment that is invasive on an OB patient that he must have a female student or nurse with him. As for deliveries, males are allowed as long as the patient consents. We just had an issue this week in clinical, the patient was fine with the male student until she was ready to push, then she kicked him out (as well as male residents and such).
I think its pretty unfair for the male students to have to go find chaperones and such during clinical.

Try to look at it as more protection for them than anything. Things can be misinterpreted. I wouldn't want to be the male nurse/dr/aide that was accused of something and I had no one to back me up and it was a her word against my word sort of thing.

That said, the only time I recall having a regular female appointment with a male dr without a female in the room, he was completely inappropriate and I was to shocked to say anything in the room. (which is not my personality at all but it's different when you are actually in the situation and stunned), as soon as I got out of the room I broke down and started shaking and crying. I think this is another reason why it's good to have someone else in the room. It's easy to think "I would never allow that or put up with that" and so on. But when you are actually in the situation, it's different, usually you can't even believe it's going on and you sit in shock while your rights are treated inappropriately.

CrunchyMama, ASN, RN · Nov 7, 2010

That sucks! When I did that rotation, the nurse or instructor would just ask the mom if she minded. Most times it wasn't a problem.

utadahikaru · Nov 7, 2010

Try to look at it as more protection for them than anything. Things can be misinterpreted. I wouldn't want to be the male nurse/dr/aide that was accused of something and I had no one to back me up and it was a her word against my word sort of thing.
That said, the only time I recall having a regular female appointment with a male dr without a female in the room, he was completely inappropriate and I was to shocked to say anything in the room. (which is not my personality at all but it's different when you are actually in the situation and stunned), as soon as I got out of the room I broke down and started shaking and crying. I think this is another reason why it's good to have someone else in the room. It's easy to think "I would never allow that or put up with that" and so on. But when you are actually in the situation, it's different, usually you can't even believe it's going on and you sit in shock while your rights are treated inappropriately.

That absolutely sucks that you experienced that with your doctor. Those kind of experiences are often leave social and emotional wounds that are difficult to heal. I think every person should be offered a same-sex standby for exams involving genitals. Though I can tell you as a male, no one has ever offered it to me, and yes we do feel just as tense as any woman when a doctor is poking around there. However, just because there are a tiny percent that do wrong isn't enough reason for us as citizens to label the whole group bad. I'm sure many Catholics who were abused by their priest faced the same dilemma, but I recently saw a story in the news discussing how a handful of them had met with their pope to discuss their traumatic experiences. My point is that despite their personal tragedy, they were able to accept that the vast majority of priest were true representatives of that religion. Being a male Nurse, as well as many male doctors, we are often left to deal with some of the damage and tarnished images created by a few Male sickos that somehow made it into the business of healthcare. Its a crappy deal for everyone involved and the repercussions of those incidents are felt within the Nursing community long after the newspapers they are printed on have faded.

mspontiac · Nov 7, 2010

That's a bunch of garbage. If the mother-to-be requests that you leave the room during the birth, fine...otherwise, if your school is making that ridiculous rule then they should be dealt with. That's straight-up discrimination based on gender and it effects your education. I would venture to say that it could even effect the way you handle situations with moms-to-be as well, because it will lead you to question yourself or wonder if you are welcome in the room, etc.

~Mi Vida Loca~RN, ASN, RN · Nov 7, 2010

That absolutely sucks that you experienced that with your doctor. Those kind of experiences are often leave social and emotional wounds that are difficult to heal. I think every person should be offered a same-sex standby for exams involving genitals. Though I can tell you as a male, no one has ever offered it to me, and yes we do feel just as tense as any woman when a doctor is poking around there. However, just because there are a tiny percent that do wrong isn't enough reason for us as citizens to label the whole group bad. I'm sure many Catholics who were abused by their priest faced the same dilemma, but I recently saw a story in the news discussing how a handful of them had met with their pope to discuss their traumatic experiences. My point is that despite their personal tragedy, they were able to accept that the vast majority of priest were true representatives of that religion. Being a male Nurse, as well as many male doctors, we are often left to deal with some of the damage and tarnished images created by a few Male sickos that somehow made it into the business of healthcare. Its a crappy deal for everyone involved and the repercussions of those incidents are felt within the Nursing community long after the newspapers they are printed on have faded.

Don't get me wrong, I don't feel that male patients should get any different treatment. Even though I had that one bad experience with a health care professional, it hasn't jaded me of all male health care providers either. I go in for my spinal manipulation appointments and the last few times have been a male doctor. I may be dressed but he has to bend me in some pretty compromising positions and since I have a lot of sacral problems he has to "knead" my butt a lot. LOL. Anyway, from my experience, if I ever had another female appointment with a male Dr. I would have a female standby. It would make me feel more comfortable.

My point though was concerning the standby's and not to look at them as it meaning the male (in the scenario presented) can't be trusted, but as a witness for both parties.

That way the patient can't come back and accuse the provider of doing wrong and it simply being a he said she said thing.

As far as your schooling, that is absolutely absurd. The choice of a student regardless of sex, in the room should be up to the patient.

If a male patient asked for a male to do his catheter and not me, I would not be hurt nor offended. At the end of the day, I want my patient to have a good experience and be comfortable and if that means he would feel better having a male preform the more intimate care, I can respect that. I see lots of posts on these boards by some male students (more in the male sections) getting outright mad if a female patient asks for another female. It doesn't make sense to me why that would anger someone. Now if it's the teacher doing it than yea I could see the anger. But everyone deserves to feel comfortable for intimate care and ones ego shouldn't get in the way of that male or female.

elkpark · Nov 7, 2010

In my nursing school in the early '80s, and in the nursing programs in which I've taught since then, the expectations and opportunities for the nursing students in the OB rotation were exactly the same for male and female students (unless a particular client refused). I've never heard of a school having a blanket policy that male students were not allowed to participate in all the same activities as female students in an OB rotation.