OB Unit for Male Student

Nursing Students General Students

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Hi. I'm a male nursing student about to start OB Clinicals. Since I'm a male, most hospitals would not let me do clinicals. My instructor could only find one hospital to accept me, but the problem is that the hospital is an hour and a half from my house. I'd have to leave super early in the morning and go back home late at night. The clinical rotation is over a month and I would be using almost half a tank of gas a day. My instructor said this is the only place she could find. Does anyone have ideas of how I could get a site closer, like maybe call a nearby hospital and ask if I can do clinicals there, like as long as a woman is in the room with me, or if they just approve in general? Thanks. ?

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Specializes in NICU, ICU, PICU, Academia.

What kind of sketchy program do you attend? 10- 20% of nursing students are male and I know of no schools that deny clinical placement to males (and I am a program director so yes I DO know what I'm talking about).

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5 minutes ago, meanmaryjean said:

What kind of sketchy program do you attend? 10- 20% of nursing students are male and I know of no schools that deny clinical placement to males (and I am a program director so yes I DO know what I'm talking about).

Thanks for the reply. It's a local community college. my instructor said she called hospitals, but they denied male students, and that the only one she could find was one really far away. I'm hoping I can call and ask hospitals myself, because the amount of gas $ and driving distance, plus having to be in class the next day right after clinicals seems like a lot to ask for.

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Specializes in NICU, ICU, PICU, Academia.

Your board of nursing would be very interested in this information - that your school cannot provide clinical placements.

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Thanks. I'll look into it and ask other opinions. I don't want to get anyone in trouble, but using half a tank of gas for a month straight is a lot for a broke nursing student haha. I'll also call hospitals to see if they will let me do my clinicals near my home. Thank you for your helpful responses ?

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Specializes in OR, Nursing Professional Development.
11 hours ago, nurse2bguy555 said:

oes anyone have ideas of how I could get a site closer, like maybe call a nearby hospital and ask if I can do clinicals there, like as long as a woman is in the room with me, or if they just approve in general?

Unlikely, as your school must have contracts already approved with those facilities. Is there a way to maybe flip flop classes and do what would normally be the next clinical course while your school works out a better solution?

@labordude might have some ideas too.

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Specializes in L&D, OBED, NICU, Lactation.

Wait, are you in the United States? I'd be happy to speak with you in a private chat and help you out because this is absolutely insane.

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Specializes in L&D, OBED, NICU, Lactation.
4 hours ago, meanmaryjean said:

Your board of nursing would be very interested in this information - that your school cannot provide clinical placements.

If the hospitals also are teaching hospitals or receive federal money of any kind, that also opens up a whole different can of whoop-***. I've also never heard of this especially since I precept students all the time.

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2 hours ago, Rose_Queen said:

Unlikely, as your school must have contracts already approved with those facilities. Is there a way to maybe flip flop classes and do what would normally be the next clinical course while your school works out a better solution?

@labordude might have some ideas too.

Thanks. I'll see what I can do. I don't want to be the student who causes problems. I'll maybe ask them if I can go home early, since I don't feel safe driving home super late, since I live really far and would be on the road till like 9-10 pm, especially since it's going to be the rainy season soon.

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You know those anti-discrimination laws....

They can keep you out of rooms if the patients aren't OK with a male student, but they can't keep a male from doing clinicals. I'd reach out to the BON and get their advice on what to do. If it's really because you're a male, then its discrimination, and it's illegal.

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2 minutes ago, tonyl1234 said:

You know those anti-discrimination laws....

They can keep you out of rooms if the patients aren't OK with a male student, but they can't keep a male from doing clinicals. I'd reach out to the BON and get their advice on what to do. If it's really because you're a male, then its discrimination, and it's illegal.

Thank you. I'll email my dean of nursing about the matter. I appreciate it.

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This isn't your school. This is the hospital. This is out of your school's hands. I'd call the board of nursing and ask their advice about being denied your OB clinical because of being a male. Your story makes it sound like your school did what they could to find you a spot. They did their job. You need to address the local hospitals not letting a male do clinical. Just make sure to confirm that you couldn't get into those hospitals because of being a male, and not just that there wasn't room and you were just the unlucky one who has to go far.

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