Required to watch circumcision?

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I'm a nursing student and unfortunately will be starting my OB rotation in a couple weeks. I'm against circumcision and I'm wondering if nursing students are "required" to assist or at least witness circ? I'm doing my clinical during 2nd shift so I shouldn't have to worry about refusing to watch due to circs mainly being done in the morning. But I'm just wondering if this is something a nursing student is involved in. Thanks!

I've watched videos online (it's actually how I convinced DH not to circ by sending him the videos!) so I know what's done. I'm against RIC and will watch when I finally get to that point. I agree with the PP who said it will help you advocate against it when it comes up you can say "have you ever seen it done? Do you know what they actually do?".

I'm against elective induction (read: induction b/c mom is tired, dr convenience, etc - inductions done for medical reasons are a-okay, then they're a good thing!) but that doesn't mean I don't want to be part of the process (even just as an observer) if that's what's available.

I've watched portions of videos. I just can't bring myself to watch the full thing. Makes me so mad and cry! I don't know how this is still legal. Anyway...I feel the same way about elective inductions and whatnot. I know I'm not a good fit for OB, doesn't take a brain scientist to figure that out, lol. However, just because I know I'm not a good fit for one department, doesn't mean I'm going to be a bad nurse in another. We all have our preferences on what department we want and those we don't..I'm no different. :)

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This became its own thread since it was off topic to the original thread and we felt that you would get more responses directed at your topic.

Yes thank you...I've since read the message.

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Of course! I didn't mean to imply that you wouldn't be a good nurse, sorry if it came across that way.

Despite not liking elective inductions and RIC, I still want to work in OB - I want to be the one to help the ones who want the natural birth experience in a hospital. :)

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Of course! I didn't mean to imply that you wouldn't be a good nurse, sorry if it came across that way.

Despite not liking elective inductions and RIC, I still want to work in OB - I want to be the one to help the ones who want the natural birth experience in a hospital. :)

Oh no, I'm sorry...I didn't mean you implied that. That's what was implied by another poster yesterday when I posted about this in another thread.

I'm soooo glad you want to work in OB. There needs to be more naturalistic healthcare workers out there.....they're very rare! :bowingpur

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Ok, fair enough BUT if you want to attack someone you should attack the parents not the doctor.

I would never be able to watch...I would probably eventually be sued by the Dr. for attacking him, lol. YES, I know I won't agree with everything I encounter but that doesn't mean I have to subject myself to watching a baby being mutilated. Hence the reason I never want to work in OB (circ is not the only reason though). :)
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Ok, fair enough BUT if you want to attack someone you should attack the parents not the doctor.

Why not both? LOL

It's one thing for a parent not to research what they're doing to their child and another for a Dr. not to give out up to date information and only care about the money. :/

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Why not both? LOL

It's one thing for a parent not to research what they're doing to their child and another for a Dr. not to give out up to date information and only care about the money. :/

So what would you think of a parent that is a healthcare professional that gets their child circumcized? Just because you don't like it doesn't mean you can assume that parents don't know whats going on. A lot of parents research it and still do it, much like other medical procedures. Just because you think it's bad doesn't mean that the parents must not really know what's going on because then they'd never allow it to happen.

And a doctor can talk till he's blue in the face, point is he has to comply with what the parent says, end of story. Point is, in the health profession you're going to come across a lot of decisions patients make that you don't like, and yes it's right they be educated but you also can't do it to the point where they feel forced to take your view because you're criticizing their decision so much, that you envoke your power of being someone who knows about health and they feel like a bad person by not siding with you. Like referring to a circumcision as a barbaric procedure.

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Specializes in Utilization Management.

"The choice is made by the parent and the Dr. is performing the procedure without patient consent."

The patient is an infant. They are incapable of giving consent. In order to give consent, the patient usually has to be over the age of 18 and have the mental capacity to make choices and understand consequences. Sometimes older children are involved in the decision making, but, again, they have to be at a developmental stage to be able to process the information given to them. Circumcisions are strictly a parental choice based on religion or personal preference. I'm with you, though, I don't feel circumcisions are necessary.

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So what would you think of a parent that is a healthcare professional that gets their child circumcized? Just because you don't like it doesn't mean you can assume that parents don't know whats going on. A lot of parents research it and still do it, much like other medical procedures. Just because you think it's bad doesn't mean that the parents must not really know what's going on because then they'd never allow it to happen.

And a doctor can talk till he's blue in the face, point is he has to comply with what the parent says, end of story. Point is, in the health profession you're going to come across a lot of decisions patients make that you don't like, and yes it's right they be educated but you also can't do it to the point where they feel forced to take your view because you're criticizing their decision so much, that you envoke your power of being someone who knows about health and they feel like a bad person by not siding with you. Like referring to a circumcision as a barbaric procedure.

I firmly believe that if anyone would thoroughly look into circumcision AND see how it's done, then they wouldn't choose to do it. Heck I know of moms that did look into it and knew there's no reason for it but did it because everyone in her family is circ'ed....makes sense, not. And no a Dr. doesn't have to do it. I know of hospitals that don't circ, they tell the parents they don't do them at the hospital anymore and they'll have to make an appt. to have it done. Drs. are suppose to do no harm, right? Also, knowing how circumcision is done, I think it is barbaric. Why is it if we see a female baby strapped down and circ'ed, it's unhumane and barbaric? I understand that America is a little slow when it comes to this subject and I'm not totally blaming individual parents or just Drs...I'm blaming society as a whole.

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"the choice is made by the parent and the dr. is performing the procedure without patient consent."

the patient is an infant. they are incapable of giving consent. in order to give consent, the patient usually has to be over the age of 18 and have the mental capacity to make choices and understand consequences. sometimes older children are involved in the decision making, but, again, they have to be at a developmental stage to be able to process the information given to them. circumcisions are strictly a parental choice based on religion or personal preference. i'm with you, though, i don't feel circumcisions are necessary.

exactly my point! the infant can't make the decision. why should the parents be allowed to take the choice from him and dictate what his member looks like? and why should parents be allowed to push their person preference on their child? if a parent doesn't like the intact member, then don't sleep with one. it's just sad the lengths parents will go to make their child acceptable for the family. :(

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Exactly my point! The infant can't make the decision. Why should the parents be allowed to take the choice from him and dictate what his member looks like? And why should parents be allowed to push their person preference on their child?(

Whether particular individuals agree or disagree, we live in a society where children do not have a legal right to consent or withhold consent for any treatment, just as they cannot buy property or enter into any other kind of legally binding contract. They are legally presumed to not have the intellectual/cognitive capacity to be competent to make those decisions. I understand this is a particularly touchy subject, but where would you draw the line? Should infants and children not be vaccinated or treated for infectious disease because they might decline treatment if they could make their wishes known (or because they're squalling right then and there that they don't want the shot, and, therefore, "refusing" treatment)?? I understand that circumcision is a different issue because it's entirely elective and controversial, and any "benefits" of the procedure are questionable, but the fact remains that, until the child is of legal age, it is the parents'/guardians' decision to make. While some of us may disagree (even vehemently) with the choice particular parents make, the right of self-determination is a hallmark of our society.

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Whether particular individuals agree or disagree, we live in a society where children do not have a legal right to consent or withhold consent for any treatment, just as they cannot buy property or enter into any other kind of legally binding contract. They are legally presumed to not have the intellectual/cognitive capacity to be competent to make those decisions. I understand this is a particularly touchy subject, but where would you draw the line? Should infants and children not be vaccinated or treated for infectious disease because they might decline treatment if they could make their wishes known (or because they're squalling right then and there that they don't want the shot, and, therefore, "refusing" treatment)?? I understand that circumcision is a different issue because it's entirely elective and controversial, and any "benefits" of the procedure are questionable, but the fact remains that, until the child is of legal age, it is the parents'/guardians' decision to make. While some of us may disagree (even vehemently) with the choice particular parents make, the right of self-determination is a hallmark of our society.

Because of the fact that parents (as of right now) have the right to alter their baby boys, I believe it's a human rights violation. Yes, parents should make choices when it comes to saving their kids lives and whatnot....but to force cosmetic surgery on a 2 day old baby because of the parents personal preference is just wrong to me. I'm also against certain vaccines, so I won't even get into your vaccine comment. Anyway, I orginally asked about this because I wanted to know what nursing schools do as far as "requiring" nursing students to watch a circ. We're getting way off track here. A few of you have answered my question and I appreciate it. I've said all I wish to say regarding the issue with circ, and I won't say no more. I just wish more parents would research more important topics while pregnant instead of which crib bedding to buy. Byebye! :)

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