Student male Nurse today in L+D

Published

Specializes in PCU/Hospice/Oncology.

Hey everyone! A little background: I always thought of myself as an ER/OR kinda guy and just find it so interesting I was planning work on one of those units when I finish school.

However, since I started my OB rotation a few weeks ago, I have just fallen in love with the units and the mommys/babies with all thier AP, IP and PP care.

Today I was placed in L+D. I found a nurse to teach me for the day and greeted her proffessionally.. The conversation went something like this:

Me: Good morning! Its nice to meet you, my name is ian and I am the student assigned to you today. *smile/extend hand to be shaken*

Nurse1: *she looked me up and down* "Men dont belong on this floor"

Trying to keep my composure I just kept silent for a moment, smiled and asked her to give me report on the patients we would be taking care of today. She didnt. So I thanked her for her time, took some initiative, and got the charts to get myself report I then introduced myself to both patients. They received me very warmly so I was very pleased. Both were 3/4 dilation with pitocin. I went to the Nurses station to chart some of observations, and my nurse walked over to me, *she had just come back from breakfast break* and told me very harshly that both patients said they didnt want me as thier nurse because I am a male and that I am not to go in and even talk to them again.

I was taken aback because they had received me very warmly and it was very unexpected that BOTH young female mothers would be so kind to me and then tell her (without me even seeing her enter their rooms coming back from break) that I wasn't to see them again.. Something was just off.

I kept my composure, stayed calm and told her that I understood and that I had plenty to do on the unit research wise and not to worry. She didnt respond and just walked away.

Now I have been with many of the nurses on this unit doing other areas of my rotation and have a very good reputation because of my energy and willingness to learn. The charge nurse walked over to me after witnessing what happened and changed my nurse.

My new nurse we so excited to have me on her team, it was such a difference and nice to have someone as positive and outgoing as I am to be teaching me. We hit it off, I got report on her patients and she introduced me to each one of them. The families loved me. One patient with her husband and mother in particular. After being introduced to her and her family, my nurse and I were doing the morning assessment and I was just rattling off everything I had learned so far regarding AP care, reading the FHM/Contractions and all that. The mother I guess felt very safe with me after hearing that I knew so much because 2 hours later when i went into the room to check in on her, she was screaming that the baby was coming.

My nurse and I did the prep and called the midwife and I was going to leave the room because I didn't want to make her feel uncomfortable... Not only did she tell me to stay but she motioned me to hold up her left leg while the husband held the right in lithotomy position! I was walking her through breathing and pushing and by the time the whole thing was over the family just couldn't stop thanking me for being part of their birthing process and taking pictures with me, letting me do teaching, ect.

I cant tell you how much confidence that gave me. I showed the patient that I knew my stuff, acted professionally and confidently and got treated with respect. So far I have loved this unit and my OB rotation and was talking to the nurse there about working on the unit when I finish my RN. They seemed very receptive to it.

As a side note: the first nurse I started out with took another student (female) after I left and that student informed me that the patients were asking where I had gone to and why I left thier care.. That really hurt my feelings because that just tells me that my first nurse simply lied to me :(

Over all the entire experience was amazing, as with all my other OB experiences. I know having men on the unit is rare but I really do think I found my specialty! :monkeydance:

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Orthosurgery, Rehab, Homecare.

Ian, I'm glad that you have found something that you like. You truly sound like you will be a good nurse. Please don't let the first nurse put you off. Like any profession, there are some nasty people in this one. Hopefully all the rest of your learning experiences will go without another like that. Sounds like she had issues and probably not just with men. Forget about it and move on. You'll remember your positive experience the rest of your life. I wish you the best. You'll do great!

~Jen

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Med/Surg.

Ian, I'm glad you were able to switch nurses and follow one that appreciated having you with her. Good luck with pursuing a L&D career.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in ICU, med/surg.

Once your practicum is over, I would write a letter to the manager of the unit recounting your experience. This nurse acted inappropriately and should be called on it. Whether anything is said to her or done, just writing the letter shows that you take professional responsibility.

This is sexism. Period. And it is against the law.

Sean

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Ian, you handled yourself very well and stayed cool, calm and collected. I hope I'll be able to do that if I experience that level of bigotry.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in CICU.

Ian, well done. You handled yourself professionally, which is more than the nurse you had to work with at the beginning of the shift was capable of. I am a male RN in a NICU and attend a lot of high risk lady partsl deliveries and C-sections. Unfortunately I have experienced some of the behavior you had to suffer. If I am having a good day I usually reply that if they say anything of the sort to me again I will report them to Human Resources, do not be afraid to stick up for yourself. You cannot change what these trolls think but you can have them dealt with appropriatley.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Hmmm, I'm gonna take another angle on this one folks. Actually, my clinical rotation was not so far removed from what you described as well. I was generally treated with respect on the floor. However, there was a definite and palpable shall I say, level of discomfort, most specifically from the female nurses. :uhoh21:

My point is, if you do decide to pursue L&D, be prepared. Be prepared to encounter various forms and levels of discrimination, most specifically from the female nurses. Seems they feel a certain sense of propriety in that department. You are likely to encounter such attitudes for a long, long time. Understand this going in and you may be less likely to be "shocked" at such attitudes.

Who knows, you just might make some headway for the rest of us guys, but it ain't gonna be easy

Mark :Crash:

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Nurse Scientist-Research.

I admire your persistence and evident professionalism. That shows real potential to succeed in nursing. Don't know how much you follow this board. There was a recent thread addressing new grads that are male. I think you will find it interesting. I think you will find that by and large the biggest problem is not with the patient's attitudes, feelings and prejudices but with the other nurses. I wish you the best.

https://allnurses.com/forums/f35/how-will-our-new-grad-male-rn-work-l-d-230862.html

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Cardiac/ED.
Hmmm, I'm gonna take another angle on this one folks. Actually, my clinical rotation was not so far removed from what you described as well. I was generally treated with respect on the floor. However, there was a definite and palpable shall I say, level of discomfort, most specifically from the female nurses. :uhoh21:

My point is, if you do decide to pursue L&D, be prepared. Be prepared to encounter various forms and levels of discrimination, most specifically from the female nurses. Seems they feel a certain sense of propriety in that department. You are likely to encounter such attitudes for a long, long time. Understand this going in and you may be less likely to be "shocked" at such attitudes.

Who knows, you just might make some headway for the rest of us guys, but it ain't gonna be easy

Mark :Crash:

I agree with you as well Mark, my experience was less than positive and was lucky to get my objectives accomplished. We were assigned to L&D for 2 days and are required to observe and write careplans for both a lady partsl delivery and a newborn assessment. The end of my FOURTH day I was finally able to finish the objectives. The weirdest part about the whole thing was that I enjoyed PP and High risk preg and had positive feedback from both nurses and patients so I was less prepared for what I was going face. I hope for the best for you Ian, but I fear that you may have an uphill battle in front of you, it sounds like you have good head on your shoulders and I am sure you will succeed...one day that bad nurse will ask you to help/cover for her, I love Karma!

P2

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Cardiac/ED.
I admire your persistence and evident professionalism. That shows real potential to succeed in nursing. Don't know how much you follow this board. There was a recent thread addressing new grads that are male. I think you will find it interesting. I think you will find that by and large the biggest problem is not with the patient's attitudes, feelings and prejudices but with the other nurses. I wish you the best.

https://allnurses.com/forums/f35/how-will-our-new-grad-male-rn-work-l-d-230862.html

Yes Tiffy, that was a learning experience for me as well.

Ian, I would definately check out this thread. I posted several comments about sexual discrimination and prejudice...I must admit that I was pretty upset about a few of the female nurses comments. I finally had to let it go, it was starting to really eat at me. I found it very interesting how it is viewed in regards to male to female verses female to male sexism/discrimination.

P2

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Hmmm, I'm gonna take another angle on this one folks. Actually, my clinical rotation was not so far removed from what you described as well. I was generally treated with respect on the floor. However, there was a definite and palpable shall I say, level of discomfort, most specifically from the female nurses. :uhoh21:

My point is, if you do decide to pursue L&D, be prepared. Be prepared to encounter various forms and levels of discrimination, most specifically from the female nurses. Seems they feel a certain sense of propriety in that department. You are likely to encounter such attitudes for a long, long time. Understand this going in and you may be less likely to be "shocked" at such attitudes.

Who knows, you just might make some headway for the rest of us guys, but it ain't gonna be easy

Mark :Crash:

I am a male midwife in Australia. When I did my course , the only people I had any trouble with were the female staff in the Delivery Suite. The patients were great. I didn't have as bad a time as Ian though. You should have reported her for sexual discrimination!

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I think it greatly depends on the staff although I'm not looking forward to my OB rotation. I already have a bad opinion of L&D nurses and the way they treat guys both employees and students on their floor. The last hospital I worked at it was horrible, every time we went up there we got yelled at and told we didnt belong up there, hello they were the ones that called us up there. Unfortunately for them they created an entire riff with the security department. It was to the point where the CEO/CNO had to get involved, to ease things over it came down to we were only to respond to infant abductions. A short time afterwords they had a girl on meth go into labor, well she sent 3 of the RN's to the ER some had pretty bad injuries, they called security but since they didnt call an abduction code we didn't go. They wanted us off their unit so they got what they wanted.

I will admit though that for some unknown reason when I was in medic school none of the male paramedic students had any issues with their L&D rotations. But when some of those same guys went back for their RN degree and did an RN OB rotation they had issues.

Me personally I wouldn't want to work on an OB floor and I really do understand some of the reasoning why they don't want alot of males on the floor. But come on thats no reason to take it out on the male students. Were there because we have to pass the rotation to graduate not because we begged to go work on their floor.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Join the Discussion