Poll: Male Nurses in the OB? Ok or No Way???

[KrisRNwannabe]

Hey All,

I have to write a scientific methods paper for pysch. Please tell me what you think about male nurses in OB, specifically the delivery room. I am not looking to start a huge debate just taking a survey.

Thanks Everyone!!!

Kris

[txspadequeenRN, BSN, RN]

You and my husband think alike.. but just like I told him male nurses dont care one bit about my anatomy and Im just another patient to them. It's their job , they do it then go home to their own wives and families. What's the difference then with a woman doing a procedure on a man. Is that wrong, no it is a job. I also mentioned this to my husband and he said "WHAT" like he thought I went to work and just work with the ladies all day.. go figure..lol

i dont like the idea of any men being in the delivery room with my wife !!

father of four

[mrpanicatm]

You and my husband think alike.. but just like I told him male nurses dont care one bit about my anatomy and Im just another patient to them. It's their job , they do it then go home to their own wives and families. What's the difference then with a woman doing a procedure on a man. Is that wrong, no it is a job. I also mentioned this to my husband and he said "WHAT" like he thought I went to work and just work with the ladies all day.. go figure..lol

for one thing, a woman rarely has to do such an intimate procedure on a man, anutime i have ever had a physical it has always been by a man, usually when i go to the doctor i rarely have to lift up my shirt. and i am not some redneck hillbilly i happen to be an engineer. yes i think it is impossible for someone to look at basically women all day and go home and not think about it. guys that make Mediao movies see it alot more than i do too but i would not let my wife go to a male doctor/nurse on this qualification alone. and yes we know they care about peoples anaotomy by hearing them talk about it in passing.

[txspadequeenRN, BSN, RN]

I was not trying to argue with you ,, just giving you an explaination . There is no need to reference my husband ,who also happens to be an engineer. If your not a nurse then you have no idea what you are speaking off and to most as nurses it is no big deal if the different sex takes care of us....because it is a job. We are not making Mediao's here. Would you be upset if your wife had a male doctor...you need to get a grip here. Not everybody wants to have sex with your wife nor do they care what she looks like naked. As far a procedures go..well lets see . I think me sinking a pipe like tube in your member or sticking my fingers in your back side qualifies as intimate procedure. Or should I go as far to mention how many Adult male circs I have assisted with....Cutting off parts to ones member this has to qualify!!!!!

for one thing, a woman rarely has to do such an intimate procedure on a man, anutime i have ever had a physical it has always been by a man, usually when i go to the doctor i rarely have to lift up my shirt. and i am not some redneck hillbilly i happen to be an engineer. yes i think it is impossible for someone to look at basically women all day and go home and not think about it. guys that make Mediao movies see it alot more than i do too but i would not let my wife go to a male doctor/nurse on this qualification alone. and yes we know they care about peoples anaotomy by hearing them talk about it in passing.

[mrpanicatm]

I was not trying to argue with you ,, just giving you an explaination . There is no need to reference my husband ,who also happens to be an engineer. If your not a nurse then you have no idea what you are speaking off and to most as nurses it is no big deal if the different sex takes care of us....because it is a job. We are not making Mediao's here. Would you be upset if your wife had a male doctor...you need to get a grip here. Not everybody wants to have sex with your wife nor do they care what she looks like naked. As far a procedures go..well lets see . I think me sinking a pipe like tube in your member or sticking my fingers in your back side qualifies as intimate procedure. Or should I go as far to mention how many Adult male circs I have assisted with....Cutting off parts to ones member this has to qualify!!!!!

my apologies, i did not mean to offend anyone, i was just trying to relay information based on my own personal experiences. this is what i am trying to figure out, how do i communicate my feelings to nurses/staff, or doctors to make them understand how we view things? i know that it is old hat to you so i expect that you see no problems with this type of procedure and probably dont understand why we feel the way we do. how do we cross the bridge to make the experience as comforatable as possiblew for both sides? that is what i am trying to figure out by doing these posts. i am sorry if i offended you. i think it is commendable what you people do, because i couldnt do it. i do know what i am talking about i have been through a lot of medical situations with my family.i am sure i am not the only one that feels this way.

[talaxandra]

I appreciate the points of view expressed by members who prefer female OB/GYN practitioners; my gynae's female, too - for routine, non-emergent check ups, the gender of my practitioner (and the size of her hands!) is important to me. In an emergency, I don't care. I haven't had children, so I don't know how I'd feel in real life, but in theory, for me, nursing trumps gender, and I'm happy for male or female practitioners as long as they're competent, considerate etc.

However, I think there is a difference between how an individual feels about being examined/cared for by a health care provider of the opposite sex, and how a family member/spouse feels. In the first case I think the patient's preference should be met if possible; in the second... I'm less convinced.

A note for mrpanicatm - there are sufficiently few people who find a labouring woman erotic that I think comparing health care providers to sex industry workers is bizarre. The idea that

it is impossible for someone to look at basically women all day and go home and not think about it

is a fallacious assumption. Also, where is it that you're hearing "them talk about it in passing"? Because I have almost never heard health care providers talking about patient's anatomy in non-clinical terms, and never in any kind of Mediaographic or objectifying way.

[Miss Ludie]

Mr Panic, since you are not a Nurse and an engineer why are you asking this question on a Nursing Board? Is your wife a Nurse?

I cannot help but feel that this subject would be more adequately addressed with a medical or Counseling professional who can answer your questions. It seems that you are almost obsessing on this one subject. Have you sought any any other manner of information? You have brought this up in several forums.

[mrpanicatm]

I appreciate the points of view expressed by members who prefer female OB/GYN practitioners; my gynae's female, too - for routine, non-emergent check ups, the gender of my practitioner (and the size of her hands!) is important to me. In an emergency, I don't care. I haven't had children, so I don't know how I'd feel in real life, but in theory, for me, nursing trumps gender, and I'm happy for male or female practitioners as long as they're competent, considerate etc.

However, I think there is a difference between how an individual feels about being examined/cared for by a health care provider of the opposite sex, and how a family member/spouse feels. In the first case I think the patient's preference should be met if possible; in the second... I'm less convinced.

A note for mrpanicatm - there are sufficiently few people who find a labouring woman erotic that I think comparing health care providers to sex industry workers is bizarre. The idea that is a fallacious assumption. Also, where is it that you're hearing "them talk about it in passing"? Because I have almost never heard health care providers talking about patient's anatomy in non-clinical terms, and never in any kind of Mediaographic or objectifying way.

i am not just talking about labour, what if you have a c-section that is planned, you should be able to get the gender you want when it comes to getting preped and so on. i personally cant see a male nurse shaving my wife--- that is way to close for me. and secondly, who do you think takes care of the "pt" when they get home? we do. and we take damage from what we feel are unnessacary violations of modesty. it hurts for a long time to watch some man do those things to your wife, whose intimacy is supposed to belong to you. what about office visits? is it ok for a male doc to exam a "pt" with no female chaperone? it happened to us. i dont understand why the medical community is not so sensitive to possible long term consequences of their actions, when all they have to do is ask.. does it bother you for a male doctor/nurse to come in? that simple courtesy would save a lot of long term pain for a lot of people. because if i am like that, i am sure there are many more. and last, people ask why am i doing this on a nursing forum? well, where better to address a medical issue than on a medical forum? i feel this problem is in your hands. this is something that should not be assumed and forced on "pt" and spouse. some people fear GOD. i have personally took damage from this practice. and it doesnt go away very easily. there is a huge slump in morality in this country, i would like to see it go the other way.

[aureliey]

i am not just talking about labour, what if you have a c-section that is planned, you should be able to get the gender you want when it comes to getting preped and so on. i personally cant see a male nurse shaving my wife--- that is way to close for me. and secondly, who do you think takes care of the "pt" when they get home? we do. and we take damage from what we feel are unnessacary violations of modesty. it hurts for a long time to watch some man do those things to your wife, whose intimacy is supposed to belong to you. what about office visits? is it ok for a male doc to exam a "pt" with no female chaperone? it happened to us. i dont understand why the medical community is not so sensitive to possible long term consequences of their actions, when all they have to do is ask.. does it bother you for a male doctor/nurse to come in? that simple courtesy would save a lot of long term pain for a lot of people. because if i am like that, i am sure there are many more. and last, people ask why am i doing this on a nursing forum? well, where better to address a medical issue than on a medical forum? i feel this problem is in your hands. this is something that should not be assumed and forced on "pt" and spouse. some people fear GOD. i have personally took damage from this practice. and it doesnt go away very easily. there is a huge slump in morality in this country, i would like to see it go the other way.

I understand what you're saying. I also agree with the above posters about assisting women in labour as not being erotic or arousing, of course.

But that doesn't mean all women will still be comfortable having a man touch her in private areas, even though she is not necessarily thinking that he will get aroused, etc.

It simply may have to do with the fact that she is just very modest, or maybe her religious background etc.

Sure in an emergency situation, I'm sure even the most modest women will be grateful for any health care worker, even if it's a male.

But if she had a choice, there are some women who would just feel more comfortable with a female.

I feel this way about regular OBGYN visits, where I prefer a female doc. I don't think male docs are not competent, it's not that at all. Nor do I feel they can be peverts.

But it's just my comfort level, with spreading my legs and having a male stare at my most intimate parts. EVEN if he's not doing it for erotic reasons, I am still uncomfortable with this, or with a male examining my breasts. But that's just me, and maybe partly due to my upbringing.

So I think women should be asked if they wouldn't mind a male examining them, in non-emergency situations.

For example, I would definitely prefer a female nurse inserting a catheter in me, vs. a male nurse. It's just something too personal for me, and unless I didn't have a choice or was in too much pain to care or unconscious, I would much rather have a female doing this.

Someone could say, well what if that female is a lesbian. fine, that's not my issue..I just don't feel comfortable with someone of the opposite sex manipulating or examing my genitals, period. I know there are times when i may have no choice, but my first choice would be a female doc or nurse, just because I feel better this way.

After all, nursing is not just about giving meds or helping people get better physically, but it also is about giving a patient emotional support and empathizing with their emotional needs...and nurses don't necessarily have to agree with the patient's opinion or point of view, but just aim to make them as comfortable as they can.

[talaxandra]

Mrpanicatm - one of the concerns I have, which I tried to articulate in my previous post, is that you speak chiefly in terms of how having a male practitioner attend to your wife affects you - not how she feels about it:

i personally cant see a male nurse shaving my wife--- that is way to close for me. and secondly, who do you think takes care of the "pt" when they get home? we do. and we take damage from what we feel are unnessacary violations of modesty. it hurts for a long time to watch some man do those things to your wife, whose intimacy is supposed to belong to you. (emphasis added)

Also, this is a thread on male nurses working in an OB department - not male physicians examining patients during office visits. If you (or your wife) chose to see a physician you have some say in who you see, and can certainly request a chaperone if no female physician is available.

You say that

i dont understand why the medical community is not so sensitive to possible long term consequences of their actions, when all they have to do is ask.. does it bother you for a male doctor/nurse to come in?

There's a saying "you can't make a complaint until you've made a request." In other words, you need to identify that you have an issue before saying that you have long term pain. I don't know what "possible long term consequences" the medical community is insensitive to, but if it bothers you, how about you say "We/I do not want to have intimate care performed by a male practitioner."

I work in an area with a significant Jewish and Muslim population. When a patient or family member say that they would prefer a female nurse, we - as much as is possible - accomodate that. When we care for female rape victims we assign female staff. However, we do not assume that every female patient objects to male staff, or that all male patients prefer male nurses.

Finally, you mention a "huge slump in morality in this country" (I assume you refer to the US) - male OB nurses are a relatively new addition to the family of nurses, but male obstetricians (and male physicians in general) were the norm for a really long time. When did this slump start?

[glea1022]

From my personal perspective, I have absolutely no problem with male care providers in any area, including OB. I had a male L&D nurse with my first child and he was one of the calmest, most competent nurses I have ever witnesses. I was a little nervous at first, but as things progressed and we (my husband and myself, as well as our families) got to know him, we felt as comfortable with him as we would have been with a female. I still see him in the hallways on occasion and rather than feel embarrassed, I recall the joy of that day--the birth of my first child. That nurse will always have a special place in my heart, just as the nurse who cared for me with my second does. My OB/GYN is also male, by my choice. I chose him based on reports of his being the best in town. If a woman MD had been reported "the best," I probably would have gone to her. Was/is my husband uncomfortable with a male MD or nurse caring for me? Perhaps, but he does not make a big deal of it and recognizes that they are professional health care providers, not some random guy off the street trying to get some jollies. (Also, my male OB nurse always examined me with someone else in the room, and my OB/GYN MD always has his--female--nurse come in the exam room during "intimate" exams).

That all being said, as nurses we have to respect our patients' wishes to the extent possible. We must consider religious and cultural aspects and accomodate those beliefs as much as we can. As previous posters have noted, some religions prohibit males from caring for females under any circumstances. If no female provider is available, that does create a tough situation that must be handled on a case-by-case basis. At the same time, if a patient or family member has a problem with a male provider, they need to SPEAK UP at the very start. This will allow for adjustments to be made and prevent misunderstandings and offense. How can I accomodate your wishes if I do not know what they are?

Mr. Panic, my impression of you is one of two things: either you have religious/cultural objections to having male providers care for your wife , or you have some serious anger and control issues regarding your wife. In either case, you need to let your wishes be known in advance in order to prevent the kind of "long term consequences" you mentioned. I am not intending to offend you, so I apologize if I have. I am simply saying, you can't assume that doctors and nurses know your feelings--you have to tell them in such a way that they will understand. Trust me, if those caring for your wife understand that you have objections to males in the room, they will do what they can to accomodate you. However, if someone were to display the kind of anger that I have sensed in you, they would be within their right to have that person removed from the scene (in an effort to preserve the safety of all patients and staff). My suggestion to you is to come to terms with your issues and find a healthy way to express your concern.

Again, I apologize for any offense. Just my opinion on this discussion as I see it.

[slou!]

Now I am not a nurse nor do I have any children, so I may not be much help to this thread, lol.

But I just wanted to point out (not sure if anyone else did already!) that in rape or sexual abuse victims who are women, I think it is important that these women are given a choice of a female or male nurse OR male or female doctor. I'm sure it is NOTHING against either the doctor or nurse personally, but due to these circumstances, they just might not be comfortable with it..

Sorry if I'm butting in since I am not a nurse, and I know my opinion might be much different as a nurse, but this is just my opinion on the subject from what I know..

(Just edited to add, I said "Rape or sexual abuse victims who are women" I only said who are women because we are talking about women as the patients. I do realize not all sexual abuse and rape victims are women, but women as the patient is what the thread is about :))

[deadlydevil]

I feel there s no diference between male or female "Nurse is a Nurse is a Nurse"