Postpartum Male Nurse

[victorent]

I'd like to be a postpartum nurse but I'm worried that my patients may refuse. I'm graduating this spring and when I had my OB/Peds rotation, I had a really good experience in postpartum and l&d. My nurses and patients liked me and my patients never complained or refused care from me. But that time, I only go to clinicals 2x a week and I had 2 couplets. Maybe I was lucky for weeks. Now I'm imagining working in PP full time where I have 4 couplets plus new admits and discharge which means I'll have more patients and more chances that someone will refuse. Do you know any male PP nurse? How is it?

[kingvonnBSN2017, BSN]

I am a male that wants to work either Postpartum or NICU after graduation so you're not alone. I was also wondering the same thing, many people say that they haven't seen any male PP nurses or dealt with too many of them. Yes, females may prefer female PP nurses but I do not think we should let that bother us. If you want to go for PP and it makes you happy, go for it! I have an interview for postpartum next Tuesday and I won't let the fact that patients may prefer a female, we just have to accept it and move on. You can't help what field you're interested in, I think you should go for it.

[Elvish, BSN, DNP, RN, NP]

I have worked with male RNs in mother/baby, antepartum, and NICU. For a while we had a male L&D RN on our floor as well. I'm working with a male CNM/IBCLC who is helping me with my doctoral project and he is fan-freakin-tastic!

For the most part, I think, our guys have had a good experience. There are a few times that a patient requests a female nurse but it is usually no problem to switch assignments...there are usually enough patients that don't care that it's no biggie. As long as you are competent and do the job that's required of you, you should be fine. That's true anywhere you go. If coworkers have a problem with you because of your gender, it is their problem, not yours. I'd welcome you on my floor. If this is what you want to do, go for it!

[sharktoast]

I work in the birth center at my hospital and we have both male postpartum nurses and nicu nurses. Both are highly respected by the other nurses and the patients really like them! If it's what you have a passion for, do it. You won't be happy if you don't at least try.

[knufflebunny]

I wish we had male nurses on my postpartum floor! With our entire patient population being female and staff being female, there is way too much estrogen on the floor. Having a male nurse would be a nice change.