Room for Guys in this specialty?

[natron20]

Hi everyone,

This thread could fit into a couple of different places but I wanted to try it here. I'll apologize now if it has to be moved.

I am just now working to start towards a nursing career (going back to school to complete an accelerated BSN program) and have been reading about all of the avaliable specialities out there. My question is, are male nurses in Ob-Gyn an accepted practice? I would have concerns about finding L and D as my calling but patients refusing to have a male nurse. I can actually see where a lady could be uncomfortable too so I would never begrudge them if they did not want a male nurse.

I can also imagine the crap I will take from friends for choosing the Ob-Gyn field if I decide this is where I want to be. I cringe at how many times I'd be called a perv or some other variation.

Anyone with any insight, suggestions, experiences, or thoughts they could share? Any would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks for your time.

Nathan

[Graciegirlienurse]

why would a woman object to a male ob nurse when the majority of ob docs are still male???

we have a great male l&d nurse, and several male nurses who float to postpartum. you should go into whatever specialty that you have a passion for.

[Retired R.N.]

why would a woman object to a male ob nurse when the majority of ob docs are still male???

we have a great male l&d nurse, and several male nurses who float to postpartum. you should go into whatever specialty that you have a passion for.

A patient is not the least bit interested in the great majority of obstetricians, but chooses the one she wants for her own reasons. If she does not want a male obstetrician, I would grant her the same valid reasons for not wanting a male L&D nurse.

The nurse's wishes are always secondary to those of the patient. Whenever a hospital takes the position that they can dictate every detail of a patient's experience with L & D, they may find that another hospital will offer them plenty of competition with a different plan.

[SmilingBluEyes]

yes PLENTY OF ROOM!

One of my best nurses when I had my daughter was a military OB nurse who happened to be male. The old saying "the sky's the limit if your heart is in it" is very true here.

[kimrncnm, RN, CNM]

Hi,

The director of my CNM program was a male CNM. He loved OB, then decided after working in OB to become a midwife. I know of a few other male CNMs. They are all excellent providers. I agree with the others, follow your heart!

Kim CNM

[midwife2b]

Yes, there is room for you!

The one male I had the opportunity to work with taught us many things. He put a new twist on the "privacy, dignity and respect" part of our jobs. I just loved him and so did his patients!

[lpn1217]

I work at a cnm practice and in the beginning some of the clients objected to a male midwife,however once they meet him there is usually no further complaints.Some even prefer him over the female providers. Good Luck

[Marie_LPN, RN, LPN, RN]

I can also imagine the crap I will take from friends for choosing the Ob-Gyn field if I decide this is where I want to be.

If they are true friends, they wouldn't do that to you.

[emh29]

Like some previous posters have said, there are a lot of male OBs, so I'm sure that many women wouldn't mind.

On the other hand, there are women who specifically choose a female midwife and prefer to be surrounded by women during that time (myself included), so there will times that it might be an issue. But as long as you don't take it to heart, I'm sure you will be fine :)

[evbella]

Strictly answering as a mother of two, I would have been fine with a male nurse in L&D. If it's your passion- go for it. I really think the majority of women wouldn't care what your sex is as long as you're providing good care.

Carol

[Pixie Dust]

One of the best L&D nurses on our unit is a man. He says he treats his patients with respect and shows professionalism and they generally don't question it. I (a female) happened to be put out of a postpartum room by a husband while his wife was nursing, then our male nurse came on next shift to take over my assignment, and I thought, this husband may object, then found out he was their labor nurse the night before and delivered them. So it doesn't always matter what your sex.

[texas-rn-fnp]

I am a male and have been an L/D nurse for several years. Occasionally, there are patients that feel more comfortable with only female providers, but just as many or more patients prefer to not have female providers. Obviously this is more difficult to accommodate.

I believe being professional, competent, and experienced are more important than the gender of the nurse. I have found that most patients agree.

I do take extra care to have the outgoing nurse specifically ask the patient though in cases where there is a history of abuse or with muslim patients. I will request a female nurse to care for mentally or emotionally handicapped female patients. It has been my experience that having a male nurse with this population is traumatic for the patient.