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:
I know this is an old thread, but I hope you are having much success in whatever field you decided to pursue. I've definitely seen the kind of attitudes you encountered, and have listened in on a conversation at the nurses station about the last male L&D RN they ran out on a rail. You sound like the kind of person that will be concerned and sensitive toward your patients, and that's what really matters.
Personally, I don't see male MDs/PAs/NPs for gyn care - because I got tired of them telling me that "pap smears don't hurt, you have no nerve endings in your cervix" and "no, your migraines can't possibly be related to your menstrual cycle" and "I don't understand, what do you mean the pain is so bad you can't stand?" If it were me in the delivery room, I would want *a* woman there with me- but as long as I had that (friend, doula, midwife, etc), I wouldn't mind a male L&D nurse who was competent and kind. Some (not all) of the female L&D nurses I've met aren't exactly the soft, sweet, motherly type, you know?
You sound like you have the attitude to do a great job. Best of luck.
ak127
183 Posts
Ian-
I know this is an old thread, but I hope you are having much success in whatever field you decided to pursue. I've definitely seen the kind of attitudes you encountered, and have listened in on a conversation at the nurses station about the last male L&D RN they ran out on a rail. You sound like the kind of person that will be concerned and sensitive toward your patients, and that's what really matters.
Personally, I don't see male MDs/PAs/NPs for gyn care - because I got tired of them telling me that "pap smears don't hurt, you have no nerve endings in your cervix" and "no, your migraines can't possibly be related to your menstrual cycle" and "I don't understand, what do you mean the pain is so bad you can't stand?" If it were me in the delivery room, I would want *a* woman there with me- but as long as I had that (friend, doula, midwife, etc), I wouldn't mind a male L&D nurse who was competent and kind. Some (not all) of the female L&D nurses I've met aren't exactly the soft, sweet, motherly type, you know?
You sound like you have the attitude to do a great job. Best of luck.