Young Male CNA discussion!

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Specializes in Nursing Home.

Hello all my fellow male CNAs. This thread is to talk about the differences being a male CNA than being a female CNA In hospitals and nursing homes today. Do you feel that as a Male CNA you are sometimes better respected and more trusted by your supervising Nurses? Are you sometimes still called an orderly by older folks and still seen by them as The orderly all dressed in white from the old days? Does your role in the facility kinda differ from that of regular CNAs, like using the male as the facility floater to help with lifting, and vitals, and combative residents, etc., or are you assigned a hall like a regular aide? Do you sometimes get "hit on" by older female residents/ patients unwantingly? Does your Charge Nurse always call you for assistance when there's a combative resident!! Do you constant get told by the older folks that "You must be in school to be a doctor huh?" 24/7 non stop over and over again no matter how many times you say no? What are your experiences as a Male Nurses Aide?

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When I worked as a CNA my duties were pretty much the same with a few exceptions. I was assigned a hall with usually around 20-30 residents. Would perform bathings, feedings, etc. The only difference of duties between the female staff and I, is that I was ALWAYS paged to help with moving/ambulating/re-positioning of our obese residents. I understood why, but it would get a little annoying sometimes when I would fall behind because of that.

Myself and a few other ladies were called to deal with combative/difficult residents. I don't think this had anything to do with gender. I believed we were just better at handling these types of situations.

I've been mistakenly identified as a MD, but I don't recall a time where I was disrespected by a pt. This wasn't just work for me. I cared for all of my residents, and I believe they picked up on that and grew to love me haha. I only bring up the fact that I cared about them because I've seen one too many times a CNA/Nurse abuse the residents privacy. The LTC I worked at was shady as hell, and I ended up leaving because my complaints were not being heard/resolved. But I'm going off topic here...

I'd say I was treated pretty much the same as anyone else there. I was the only male in the facility besides the DON lol. Made it interesting to say the least.

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Specializes in Nursing Home.

Thanks for the reply! I'm current working at my second LTC/Nursing Home. The first one was 2 miles from my house and very shady! It was also a 70 year old building wich was very dark creepy and yes haunted. I worked 10-6 night shift there and there was one CNA and one LPN to about 45 residents. It was a huge building about 145 beds and 58 residents. Very low census very bad reputation. I stayed 3 weeks gave up on CNA. Went to EMT school. Then I don't know why but one day caught up the nerve to apply at a much newer nursing home LTC, about 7 miles from my house. Got the job. Morning shift 6-2. Place was full 128 residents 130 beds plus Alzheimer unit. Plenty of staff Nurses and Aides. Much better much cleaner facilty with antebellum decor beautiful facility. Well I been there about a year now (approx). When I first started working there I was the facility floater! I would go around and help with lifting and vitals but was t responsible for a hall! But recently a new administrator who everyone hates we lost 34 employees, and I'm working 2-10pm and 6-2 now and do regular CNA duties. But back to the topic I guess at times I have feeler like I was treated different because I was a male like when I was the "facilty floater". Thanks for the reply.

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I work in a hospital, I am often refused by female patients. I would say at one out of five will refuse me.

It's their right but it puts a strain on the rest of the healthcare team, which annoys me.

This trend continues in nursing school, I usually get male patients because of this social stigma.

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Specializes in Nursing Home.

Thanks for the reply I guess all we can do is roll with the punches that being a Male CNA/LPN/RN/ or nursing student has to offer if we're gonna last. Thanks for the replys everyone!

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Specializes in ICU.

I've had similar experiences to blackvans, though not quite 1/5. If they want a female CNA for toileting, etc, they just have to wait that much longer to be assited, so it's their loss. It does get irritating, either way. As a nursing student it has not been a problem, and hopefully less so as an RN also.

There are some advantages to being male also, other than the lifting/turning thing. For one, some patients do better with men...especially sexist male patients who don't like to "take orders" from women, but also some older female patients (I think I remind them of a favored son or grandson).

Anyway, the discrimination can be real, but it seems as time goes on, more and more patients are learning to accept the reality of male nurses. Women have been dealing with discrimination in the workplace since, well, forever, so I figure we can take our licks and keep going too.

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Todays shift, 7 patients, 4 men and 3 women, 2 of the 3 would not let me take them to the bathroom, and the third had aphasia so she couldn't verbalize any of her feelings.

It's extremely annoying, hopefully as a nurse there is a smaller occurrence of this,

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Specializes in Cardiac.

This barely happens to me. I work in the hospital and most pts are fine with me caring for them.

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As a male LNA (licensed nursing assistant) I have run into this problem recently.

two days ago I was let go from my job that I was working at as a male LNA.

They told me "I wasn't doing my job". Which was complete crap. they said I wasn't following toileting protocol by making sure all of my residents that I cared for were not being toileleted,but I was. Also it doesn't help when a female resident only wants to be cared for by a female cna. That just made me fall behind with my work. also I was told the other girls could never find me when they needed me,but I'd tell them where I would be at the beginning of every shift and I said I had a walkie talkie so they could radio for me than I'd go help them.

So needless to say I am back to square one looking for a job. Now I'm not sure if I should file a complaint with the nursing board or talk to a lawyer for being let go on discrimination charges or let it go.

So all my fellow male CNA's I need your input please.

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I've been a CNA for a year now at the same nursing home. At first some female residents would be hesitant or a little skeptical but once they got comfortable with me I've had no problems, except maybe with some of the newer residents. Some females actually prefer me due to my size. I was sitting here at work on break and wondered if there was a male CNA forum or something I'm glad I found one. I hope I don't get into too much trouble for reviving this topic. On another note sometimes the nurses depend on me for care on certain male residents that are too embarrassed to have a female clean them up. But all in all it's not that bad being the only male on the floor. I enjoy my job and hope to extend my medical certifications in the near future. Happy wiping guys!

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Yes males are discriminated against. When i first started i was denied a job even after I got hired on. The reason was told to me directly the Don said to me "I don't think males make good cna's" I was targeted over and over again. Let me ask you a question. How many white straight older men do you see working as a cna in nursing homes? The cna position is based on looks and how young you are. It is the most fascist industry you could work in. Making it as a male cna takes a lot of moxy or guts. It's not for everyone and you diffently have to be in high spirits. You have to respect the generation you are caring for. What was it lIke for them? Now days, it's normal but ten years ago and everyone was dropping jaws ad men entered into this field more often. I have never been a target as far as sexual advances go but the women do gossip and in the u.s.a women, espicially the feminist type are not only fabricating sexual harassment cases where none doest exist...etc. it's really annoying. I could digress but....ehh.

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Hi guys I've been a CNA for 18yrs now and let me tell you more now than ever would my female patients like a female CNA!!

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