Should male nurses put the toilet seat down?

Nurses Relations

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  1. Should male nurses put toilet seat down after use?

    • 80
      Yes (I am a woman)
    • 9
      No (I am a woman)
    • 21
      Yes (I am a man)
    • 18
      No (I am a man)

128 members have participated

I will post this as a poll. I will be voting yes, they should. Not only do I think it's common courtesy and a gentlemanly thing to do, but I think I have solid infection control rationale.

Think of it it. If a woman has to put down the seat before doing her business, she will be contaminating her hands, and then she has to wipe herself 'down there'. Maybe she is menstruating and has to perform an invasive procedure with a tampon.

On the other hand, men only have to aim and fire, maybe briefly touching the external part of their organ of urination. There is no chance of the men folk performing an invasive procedure.

I bring this up because it has become an issue in our workplace. Someone keeps leaving the seat up!

Specializes in hospice.

As my dad has pointed out many times, women have both eyes and hands, so they should be able to take care of a seat being up. As to "invasive procedures with tampons" well, a person can wash her hands more than once if necessary.

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This thread makes the case for a return to the unisex bathrooms of old. :sarcastic:

(PS: As with the men mentioned by a previous poster, many - mannnyyyyy - women leave the facilities w/o handwashing!)

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I don’t have any strong feelings on the seat issue, I actually prefer that both men and women put the LID down before they flush :wideyed:

The Straight Dope: Does flushing the toilet cause dirty water to be spewed around the bathroom?

This isn’t exactly PubMed, and I have no meta-analysis on the subject to link to ;)

It’s still kind of interesting though :eek:

:yuck: :lol2: :wacky:

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I don't have any strong feelings on the seat issue, I actually prefer that both men and women put the LID down before they flush :wideyed:

The Straight Dope: Does flushing the toilet cause dirty water to be spewed around the bathroom?

This isn't exactly PubMed, and I have no meta-analysis on the subject to link to ;)

It's still kind of interesting though :eek:

:yuck: :lol2: :wacky:

This.....I've always wondered why we have no lids where I work. It's a new wing, new building, and no lids.

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Specializes in Neuro.

Yes, this is not your house, put the seat down.

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Specializes in PCU.

We do not have lids at our hospital. If the seat is up it is easy enough to take a piece of toilet paper and put it back down again without touching it directly with your hands. And, if the toilet seat is up, there is less chance of playback onto the seat when you flush the toilet so you don't have to dry the seat. I have actually watched after flushing and there is spray back that lands on the seat so it looks almost like somebody has urinated on the seat. supposed to leave the seat is left up I don't mind that at all. if there were a lid then I would probably want the lid down so it doesn't spray all over. I often have straight thoughts of how we must all be aspirating in all those particles in the air. o.O

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Specializes in ER, Med/Surg.

I just sit down. Problem solved.

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Specializes in Family Practice, Mental Health.
I will post this as a poll. I will be voting yes, they should. Not only do I think it's common courtesy and a gentlemanly thing to do, but I think I have solid infection control rationale.

Think of it it. If a woman has to put down the seat before doing her business, she will be contaminating her hands, and then she has to wipe herself 'down there'. Maybe she is menstruating and has to perform an invasive procedure with a tampon.

On the other hand, men only have to aim and fire, maybe briefly touching the external part of their organ of urination. There is no chance of the men folk performing an invasive procedure.

I bring this up because it has become an issue in our workplace. Someone keeps leaving the seat up!

Down.

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Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.
We had an issue with this at one of my previous duty stations. One of the younger guys had...let's just say really bad aim. Pretty much detonated the bathroom every time he used it and it made all of us ladies extremely angry. I don't care if you're male or female; that's just gross. Even his male coworkers complained.

Nothing like **** on the toilet, **** on the floor, **** on the handle, **** on the door...

Unless it's poop. One of my co-workers has a problem with aiming that.

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Unless it's poop. One of my co-workers has a problem with aiming that.

You're right. Poop is trump in this game.

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You're putting way too much faith in the general public's hygienic habits.

I do have to agree that you're probably right Mr.Murse, but in theory it would work! :)

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Specializes in SICU, trauma, neuro.

LOVE it!!! When my 12 y/o was in preschool, she was teaching everyone to "cough with your arm." Meaning, cover your cough w/ your elbow and not w/ your hands. :roflmao:

I've had mine wait for the cover too.

Speaking of hygiene habits in the bathroom....one day upon picking my prechooler up from her class, the teacher said that she had never seen a child that young use their paper towel to shut the faucet off. I did a silent "YES"!!!!!!! She does actually listen to me and do what I teach her, even when I'm not around! :yeah:

And if you're ever in a public restroom and hear a woman in the next stall yell "WAIT!!!", it may just be me as I try to beat my little girl at unzipping while I'm hurriedly preparing a makeshift toilet seat cover:roflmao:

As we all know, when little ones gotta go, they gotta go NOW!

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