Should Male Nurse Work In L&D?

Nurses General Nursing Nursing Q/A

Updated:   Published

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?

1 hour ago, beachynurse said:

I find this absolute rejection of male nurses in Ob to be a sexist and discriminatory one. You won’t accept a male nurse, but you will accept a male MD to deliver. Hmmmm. 

Yep. That’s what I said. “Sexist and discriminatory?” Fine. It doesn’t change how I feel about it  

I also said I’d only accept a male OB that I already knew, felt safe with, had a relationship with. (Assuming I was given a choice and didn’t live in the middle of nowhere.  Which is why I don’t)  

I don’t understand the outrage, and I suspect if you are outraged by this you have not had a baby, or have never seen what a labouring mom goes through, or you are not a woman, or you have been lucky enough to never felt unsafe at the hands of a man.  Consider yourself lucky.  

Again, what is being done is highly intimate when you are feeling your most vulnerable. I want women, myself included, to feel empowered and emotionally safe. That doesn’t happen when you walk in, scared and in pain, and have to get a vag exam by a total stranger, no matter how “professional” he is. 

Again,  I was OK with two male OBs when I had my kids, *because* I had worked with them and personally knew them, therefore I felt safe with them. I would not feel safe with just any male OB. 

I'm not a hiring manager, don't want to be one, and it's a good thing I'm not, clearly.  

If anybody else wants to tell me I'm being sexist and discriminatory then, Fine.  Legally, that is true. It still doesn't change how I feel about it. 

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

This is where the hospital needs to walk a tightrope. They need to make sure that they don't violate the nurse's rights, and also ensure that they meet the patients needs. Personally, I do not associate this with women's rights, and as the male nurse is a professional, I simply can't see him going to harass the patient. That actually sounds childish, and totally unprofessional to me. That kind of behavior should and would lead to discipline. 

Yes, women are matriculating into medical schools. I do not like the term allowed that sounds ingratiating, and demeaning to me. As women, we don't have to beg for anything. We can perform just as well as men in any career choice, so no doors should be closed. 

Does the nurse have a right to a specific assignment, regardless of the patient's preference? That seems to be his contention. The nurse has been harmed in no way. 

Specializes in School Nursing.
10 minutes ago, toomuchbaloney said:

Does the nurse have a right to a specific assignment, regardless of the patient's preference? That seems to be his contention. The nurse has been harmed in no way. 

 

Not necessarily, but if the requests continue and the unit continues to change his assignments and he is qualified to do the job, he may be able to claim harm to his professional reputation, ability to gain experience, possibly being ridiculed by co-workers. But, I didn't get the vibe that the male nurse was trying to cause any contention, he was just asking for our opinion and advice.

 

Specializes in Med-Surg, NICU.
On 7/2/2022 at 1:10 PM, hppygr8ful said:

Interesting answers here. Polite discussion of topics with a potential to trigger is always appreciated.  I have been hospitalized or in the ER more times than I like. I have had both male and female nurses provide intimate care and all of them were professional. However women can says some really vicious things. I like commenting on how dirty a female's perineum was or signs of a male's testicles or member. So the opinion the female nurse are more empathic than males is not always the case, 

When I gave birth to the man cub it was  by emergency  C-section and the entire team was male. I was so worried about ow the MC was doing I could've care less about who put in my foley.

If the op really wants to do L&D I suggest that he look into critically underserved areas or Bureau of Indian Affairs. 

If we are truly moving toward a world that recognizes all ganders and affords equality both inside and outside the work places then we nurses who are recognized as the most trust worthy profession then we must help carry the banner. 

Hppy

PS I know the person who said this was probably using this to prove a point but I find the opinion that many male nurses are gay demeaning and insulting to the many cis gender nurse I have known.

No one actually said that many male nurses are gay. What I did say was that I find that the male nurses who typically do this best in predominantly female areas oftentimes are gay. Big difference. 

Specializes in Oncology, ID, Hepatology, Occy Health.
kdkout said:

Have you had a baby?  That informs this dialog.

No I've never had a baby.

I've also never had cancer but I'm a damn good oncology nurse.

Specializes in NICU, PICU, Transport, L&D, Hospice.
1 hour ago, DavidFR said:

Exactly and in Europe we have male midwives.

Do you then start saying no lesbians in obs & gynae? Do we bow to the homophobes who don't want gay nurses, or the racists who don't want nurses of other races?

No females on urology? No males on breast surgery? 

Where do the non-binary and intersex fit into all this?

I've had females look after me during urology and proctology procedures. They were good professional nurses. I didn't care about their gender.

A professional is a professional. Our work is NOT sexual if we're doing it properly.

Sure. As male nurses we can absolutely demand that our work be disconnected from the wishes, beliefs, feelings, history or interests of the patient. Do we still get to call that patient centered care?

Specializes in NICU, PICU, Transport, L&D, Hospice.
1 hour ago, DavidFR said:

Patient centred care has its limits. Last week I had a very difficult patient who basically wanted my presence the whole night long, however I had my other  patients to see to aswell, so she couldn't have her wish. We try to satisfy our patients' every wish but sometimes it's just not possible practically. 

This Sunday I was on night duty with another male nurse and a male care assitant. No female patient objected. As male patients we often face an all female nursing workforce and we just have to deal with that.

The rare nurses who would abuse their position of power for sexual gratification need to be reported and dealt with by the law, but they are a tiny minority and that applies equally to doctors, police, lawyers etc. etc. etc. As a gay man I might feel more comfortable with gay nurses, doctors, police, lawyers, taxi drivers, whatever, but I'm not going to refuse straight professionals who do their job well. I'm not going to choose their race and I'm not going to choose their gender. I think that's just being reasonable.

I once looked after a male Congolese refugee who had been gang raped by other men. He was fine with a male nurse.

I have had elderly women, nuns and veiled muslims expose their bits for me because it's OK if it's medical. As somebody pointed out, male obstetricians and gynaecologists don't seem to be going out of business.

So all or some of that would justify requiring an ob/gyn patient to accept a male nurse regardless of their preference because the nurse really wants to provide the care? 

Male OB/GYNS may not be going out of business but now they have some diverse peers to meet the needs of the community.  

"So what about about a male gynecologist? "

Feel free to read my earlier comments on this issue. 

Specializes in Oncology, ID, Hepatology, Occy Health.
1 hour ago, toomuchbaloney said:

So all or some of that would justify requiring an ob/gyn patient to accept a male nurse regardless of their preference because the nurse really wants to provide the care? 

Male OB/GYNS may not be going out of business but now they have some diverse peers to meet the needs of the community.  

If a woman objected to me giving her intimate care of course I would go out of my way to find a female colleague, but in a 36 year long career in two different countries that's happened twice. On one occasion it was the woman's husband, not her, who actually objected.

My point is that this should NOT deter the OP from taking a post in L&D, just as male doctors are not deterred from becoming obstetricians or gynaecologists, and midwifery programs in Europe accept male applicants who go on to practise their profession. While a minority of women will object, and yes, I'd respect their wishes, empirical evidence shows us the majority don't, so I would say to the OP, pursue your chosen field and I'm sure that with respect and sensitivity, you'll be fine.

Specializes in NICU, PICU, Transport, L&D, Hospice.
1 hour ago, DavidFR said:

If a woman objected to me giving her intimate care of course I would go out of my way to find a female colleague, but in a 36 year long career in two different countries that's happened twice. On one occasion it was the woman's husband, not her, who actually objected.

My point is that this should NOT deter the OP from taking a post in L&D, just as male doctors are not deterred from becoming obstetricians or gynaecologists, and midwifery programs in Europe accept male applicants who go on to practise their profession. While a minority of women will object, and yes, I'd respect their wishes, empirical evidence shows us the majority don't, so I would say to the OP, pursue your chosen field and I'm sure that with respect and sensitivity, you'll be fine.

The fact that he wrote the post makes me question his suitability for the work. That's assuming that the post is honest and not simply provocative. 

So many interesting answers here. I see a little bit of a parallel between this discussion and the current issues going on with women's rights today. No woman should have to explain why she wants a nurse or doctor of a certain gender. It doesn't matter if she has a male OB but wants a female nurse.  She does not have to explain her preferences. It doesn't matter if the nurse feels there is no difference  between a male nurse and a male doctor. That choice belongs to a patient.

I personally have given birth a couple of times with female teams (I made that choice, as I prefer female providers). I actually asked for the random male doctor who showed up (to watch?, I dunno) to get out. I don't have to explain  why. It made me comfortable. If I was bleeding to death and only a male nurse or doctor had the expertise needed to save me, of course I would say yes. But when I can choose, I do.

I am always amazed (stupid of me, I know) at how people are so perturbed by women making choices about their own care and their own bodies. 

The OP should go ahead and pursue his goals. I am sure there are some women who have no problem with male L&D nurses. 

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