Women in the operating room...

[axiology]

I was watching this show on the We channel called The Secret Life of Women: Surgeons-- and this woman who is an obstetric surgeon was describing how her friend (who is also a surgeon) was treated by these male physicians and how they made her know that she was not welcomed on these "male" professions. One of the things she describes is that her friend was told by her colleagues that if she wanted to stay "on the male ground" she would have to change in the locker room like the rest of the guys, and so she did. She showed them that she could do what the men could do and she took off her clothes leaving only her underwear and bra, and put on her surgical uniform. Her friend was saying how she proved to them that she could do anything but how she was also hurt by how they were treating her.

2 questions that came to mind:

1. For the women who work in the operating room (as a nurse or physician): how is the treatment by the male physicians?

2. Aren't there separate locker rooms for male and females or do they both change or share the same locker room?

[Marie_LPN, RN, LPN, RN]

There are separate locker rooms.

The female surgeons where i work are treated as equals where i work. Now, i can't say that'll happen other places, and i'm sure they've encountered prejudice in other places.

What those male "physicians" did should be dealt with. It only happened because it was ALLOWED to happen. Sounds like harassment/hazing to me.

[KayceeKY]

I've worked in the OR at 3 hospitals here in Kentucky. Overall treatment of nurses varied from one facility to another, but I can honestly say that women (surgeons and nurses) were treated the same as their male counterparts.

[nznourah]

Hey there!

I would love to say I had never noticed the problem, but.......

most are great, but there are a few (and some are really bad!)

luckily there are seperate female/male changing rooms, but then the challenges would just become about something else.

funnily enough we have one anaesthetic consultant (woman) who does it to the guys....

people are so complicated.........

[SFCardiacRN]

Not all hospitals have separate changing rooms. Some have all the lockers on one area with a few curtain hung cubicles for changing.