Should Male Nurse Work In L&D?

I've been a nurse about a year and work on a psychiatric unit. I thought this specialty was for me but now I don't think so. In school I really enjoyed L&D and women's health, I even did my preceptorship in school in L&D. I feel I would enjoy working in one of those areas but as a male I would feel out of place. Should I switch units ? Would patients be uncomfortable with a male nurse in these settings?

Oncology nursing is not the same as labor and delivery, though. You don't do recurrent vag exams and stare at a patients vag, potentially for hours, while you wait for the baby to come out.  

When I was an oncology patient, it was embarrassing when they changed my Hickman dressing and temporarily bared my breast. This does not even slightly compare to what you go through when having a baby, though. 

Much of the time the labor patient will not get a choice about who they'll get as a nurse, so why make it harder? The patient will be meeting that nurse for the first time, and will have no idea if that male nurse is Mr Professional, and when you arrive at the hospital scared and in pain, that's not going to help

There's a million things to do in nursing. It doesn't have to be this. 

Specializes in NICU, PICU, Transport, L&D, Hospice.

Do you think it's a safety standard that was born in historical truths? There was a good bit of harm before there was any bit of legal harassment on the record, IMV.

Specializes in NICU, PICU, Transport, L&D, Hospice.
Fire Medic said:

Yes there has been, but we are punishing everyone because of the few bad. And now look at the news. Abuse is becoming much more common in females and mothers.

It's discrimination; judging solely based on gender.

I love working with kids. Always have. But I am usually treated differently because I am a guy. Even some policies in volunteer organizations have these differences written into them. I just find it frustrating. 

 

"Exact figures are difficult to obtain – this is a hugely underreported and under-recorded crime.", "These gendered stereotypes are harmful and silencing".

https://napac.org.uk/women-who-abuse/

There are tons of studies and articles in many countries, they are just harder to find.

Punishment?

I think we are experiencing consequences. 

Specializes in Psych, Addictions, SOL (Student of Life).

While any trained and qualified nurse can do L&D the common thread is that many women (Not all) can be uncomfortable with a male performing the more intimate aspects of this specialty. Still there may be a place in ante-partum, NICU or mother baby that you would enjoy. 

I was an LDRP nurse prior to going into Psych over 20 years ago and never looking back. Can I ask what specific aspect of psych makes it "Not for you."

Hppy

Some patients and their husbands will definitely ask for female nurses in L&D Units. Therefore, you will need to prepare for rejection. 

Specializes in NICU.

Come to the land of the little people. NICU is very male friendly. 

Specializes in Nurse Attorney.

Don't a lot of these patients have male OB/GYNs?

Specializes in Nurse Attorney.

"Have you had a baby?  That informs this dialog."

Not sure what that is supposed to mean, except that it sounds like a snotty response rather than a constructive one.

I'm a male nurse, and for a number of years I worked on a Med Surg floor that was also connected to the L&D unit, so there were times I covered that side. In my experience, at least half of the women I attended were not fully comfortable having a male nurse caring for them in that situation - something I completely understood and respected - and I usually was able to bring in another (female) nurse or aide to work with them in the immediate situation. The fact that you asked the question means you already have some sensitivity and understanding about this. I agree with the other posters in recommending that you not specialize in L&D, and that if you want to work with parents and babies then the NICU might be a better fit. It also may take a bit of time for you to find the specialty area you like the best, so be patient and flexible. In any case, I wish you luck and a rewarding career.

The question assumes I have no idea what happens in OB. I do understand what women go through in labor and I don't need you to paint a visual. I asked if the women saying they don't want male nurses have male OBs because what women go through in labor is not the only consideration.  I AM a nurse attorney and don't only think about the clinical issues here, but also the legal ones.  Men who are told their patients won't be comfortable so they can't work in certain areas can have a legitimate discrimination claim.  It would be easier to defend against that action if the patients also had female OBs.  While an all female nursing staff might be nice clinically, legally it can be problematic if being female is not considered a bona fide occupational qualification to be an OB nurse.  Male nurses with every qualification to work in OB but are not allowed to do so because of gender, are subject to gender stereotypes that male OBs are not.  It is a balancing act of patient satisfaction and a nurse's right to be free of workplace discrimination. The hospital would need to show a non-discriminatory reason for not letting him be assigned to OB.   It's not a new issue and is a good topic for discussion.  Here is a 2004 Law Review article on it if you are interested. https://digitalcommons.pace.edu/lawfaculty/302/

Interesting law article. But in my book, the patient comes first.

Maybe I'm being naive or too idealistic here, but part of my job as an RN is to help my patients be as comfortable as possible with all of what they are going through. They often feel scared, anxious, embarrassed, and overwhelmed - and I care for these needs (and the family's) just as I do their physical/medical needs. If my gender, or my age, or my race, or nationality, or literally anything about me makes them feel uncomfortable or stressed, then I will attempt to find another nurse who can care for this patient. (Obviously if the situation is acute or critical or the patient is in crisis, then attending to that takes precedence.)

These are rare situations but I've always been supported by my charge nurses. It is easy to understand how this might occur more often with male nurses in L&D. The OP seems to be sensitive to this issue - indeed, that's why he brought it up in the first place. He himself stated that he would feel "out of place". He further asked whether L&D patients would be "uncomfortable with a male nurse". The answer to his question is that a not insignificant percentage of such patients would feel uncomfortable and would probably prefer same-gender care-givers. This really isn't hard to understand. The question has nothing to do with discrimination, or whether the OP would be qualified or would be hired. This isn't about who gets hired or who is allowed to work on which units. No one is talking about prohibiting anyone from doing anything... This question is not about legal stuff...

Perhaps you could apply for some positions and discuss these things in an interview? I would think the manager of the unit would know the challenges of having male nurses on staff. 

I can imagine that there are a range of thoughts on this and that each l&d unit has an individual  culture. Some would be accepting of male nurses and many would not, but it is something to investigate further and not assume there's no place for you there. 

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