What are your thoughts on patients who request no male nurses taking care of them?

Nurses Men

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What are your thoughts on patients who request no male nurses taking care of them?

My thoughts are that if my patient is going to be embarrassed or perhaps hide symptoms because she isn't comfortable with a male physically inspecting her, why should she NOT be accommodated when possible?

Whenever this came up when I worked in the hospital, we did our best to do just that: make the patient more comfortable. Made for a patient who cooperated in her care, as opposed to one who was afraid or so embarrassed it was detrimental to her recovery. If it simply WASN'T possible, we'd explain it, get through it, and make the next shift aware so that it could be dealt with amicably.

It's not the same, as someone mentioned, as refusing any nurse who was of a certain ethnic group. In the case of the gender, it's personal modesty. In the case of ethnicity, it's outward bigotry.

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Really? We are talking about nurses here. I have heard a similar argument about rather or not gay nurses should be allowed to care for patients. These are suppose to be professionals, well educated in the field and some people still worry about this stuff. If I need care I am not worried if its a man, woman, gay, straight, etc.

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Specializes in PICU, NICU, L&D, Public Health, Hospice.

In my estimation, patients have a right to refuse personal care by a health professional for any reason. Because of the intimacy of some of our nursing care, it seems reasonable to me that gender specific requests would be honored whenever possible.As identified earlier, there are religious and cultural expectations related to delivery of care that we should be interested in meeting as we treat the whole patient. Those expectations can be determined (often) at time of intake or admission and can be translated into a staffing pattern for your unit or department relative to those patient goals.The sexual orientation of a nurse has no place in this discussion. How would a patient KNOW if their nurse is gay/lesbian? That information would be a violation of boundaries...IMHO

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Specializes in FNP, ONP.

I think if the request can be accommodated without inconveniencing staff or other patients, fine. Otherwise, tough tooties.

I see a lot of my colleagues' patients just for their pap. It irritates me to death. I don't want to do it anymore than my male colleagues do! And they really tease me when they know they are sending me a particularly gross one. I get punished by virtue of the fact that I'm female. Now that's not fair!

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Specializes in Cardiology.

I think the patient's comfort level should be considered whenever possible, and as many have stated, I too, believe that 99% of the time it is strictly about comfort/modesty and has nothing to do with the perceived capabilities of said male nurse.

I have numerous Muslim friends who are so faithful to their religious and cultural precepts that the would rather die than have a man other than their husband see them exposed- they won't even uncover their hair, so they certainly aren't going to uncover their bodies. I can respect that. I think older females- Muslim or not, American or not- grew up in a different time and a very different culture where this type of exposure was not acceptable.

I'm a woman, so it is easy to say I'm okay with it, but honestly, I think the patient should be made comfortable when possible, and I think as time goes on, a larger number of women will be more comfortable with this as more free-minded society grows older.

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As many have said, it is the comfort of the patient that matters most. I can see how someone being uncomfortable might make them withhold symptoms or not mention a specific problem in a specific area.

I'm not a nurse yet, but I've been working my way through this one myself. I used to get really beefed (as a male) about some of the gender-related double standards in situations (and especially this field). In the end, I concluded that women have to put up with so many more double standards than males do, so we should probably let them have this one. ;)

I'm still trying to understand why it's ok for women to bring their small boys into men's restrooms and stand right next to me with my junk hanging out, but it's somehow taboo for them to take those same small boys to a stall in the women's restroom. Once again, it's a drop in the bucket compared to so many other things that are far more important. For entertainment I'll just start a conversation with them, "So... come here often?"

That said, my last two PCPs were female doctors, and my current PCP is a female NP. It doesn't bother me at all, even for testicular exams, finger waves, etc. YMMV

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My thought as a charge nurse was.. I 'd better accommodate the patients/ family request! It would then require changing the assignment in mid-shift and extra work all the way around.

This was even before the customer service model came into use.

There are many reasons for the request. Cultural, religious, social,etc. These personal preferences will not be changed in our lifetime.. let alone this admission.

It may be difficult to not take it personally... but please try.

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I'm still trying to understand why it's ok for women to bring their small boys into men's restrooms and stand right next to me with my junk hanging out, but it's somehow taboo for them to take those same small boys to a stall in the women's restroom. Once again, it's a drop in the bucket compared to so many other things that are far more important. For entertainment I'll just start a conversation with them, "So... come here often?"

Sorry to veer off topic.....but WHAT???

I have four boys and have never once taken them into a men's room, nor have I ever known anyone to do this. If I don't feel comfortable sending them in the bathroom by themselves (or leaving them alone if I need to go) they accompany me in the ladies' room. I have also seen plenty of men escorting their little girls into the men's room, but never have I see the bathroom choice determined by the gender of the child. This seems really odd to me. Was this an isolated insolent? Maybe she turned the wrong way by mistake? I'm thinking I would have said something.

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Specializes in Burns / Plastic Surgery / Wound Care.

I have actually experienced this many times (though my career has been very short). Many of our mastectomy/breast reconstruction pts will politely ask if they can have a female nurse. Sometimes this can be difficult as it may be an hour into the shift when the request happens, making it difficult to accommodate. Likewise, burn dressing changes on a newly admitted female pt can sometimes be a modesty issue if the breasts have to be exposed. But trust me, after being there a week all modesty has been abandoned.

Sometimes male pts will request a male RN to put in a foley. I have come across this a few times. I have actually never put in a female's foley because it makes ME uncomfortable that I could be making the pt uncomfortable. Ultimately though, I am an RN....i have seen the gamit of different peoples bodies and it doesn't even phase me. I'm a nurse...I'm at work to do a job...not see my patient naked. But healthcare is a business, we have to keep the customer happy...so we do what the customer wants.

If I was a patient, I want a compassionate, friendly, competent nurse....male, female, black, white, it does not matter. Would you pass up a competent male RN putting in a foley for an incompetent female RN putting in a foley? I understand modesty matters, but the patient should be wishing for a quality nurse over a gender-specific nurse!

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Specializes in ICU.

I see a lot of my colleagues' patients just for their pap. It irritates me to death. I don't want to do it anymore than my male colleagues do! And they really tease me when they know they are sending me a particularly gross one. I get punished by virtue of the fact that I'm female. Now that's not fair!

Wow, this makes me feel that my issues with going for my gyn appointments are totally justified...I would never "tease" a coworker for having to deal with a "gross" situation regarding a patient, that just seems wrong on so many levels. And although I'm pretty sure that I wouldn't qualify as one of those "gross ones," it still makes the insecurity and uncomfortable-ness seem justified.

Sorry for the momentary de-railment...carry on.:/

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My thoughts are that the patient, in addition to modesty concerns that have already been mentioned, may perhaps have suffered abuse of one kind or another from a man, thus the request. Other possibilities I can think of are different cultural norms, and also the customs for different generations: I think that my mother, who would be in her 80's, would have been very uncomfortable with a male nurse, especially one who was doing her personal care. It is nothing to take personally.

I think it is quite reasonable and appropriate to make every effort to accommodate the patient's wishes.

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What are your thoughts on patients who request no male nurses taking care of them?

I agree it is probably just modesty.

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